Details

• France
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 5 months
• Contact: Login to see contact information

1. Preparation

To prepare for the exchange, it is important to start the process of searching for accommodation early on to avoid stressful situations in the weeks before arrival. Very carefully read all the emails sent by the International Office or the partner University during the months preceding the stay, to not miss important deadlines, like applying for the Erasmus grant.

2. Accommodation

My search was short but rather complicated. I decided to use the university's offer to apply for a CROUS student housing. However, there was no way to know what kind of accommodation one would get and where that is going to be, before getting an email confirming an address. So, when getting the email, there is no further information about the size of the equipment. The accommodation was located in the 15e arrondissement, not far away from Montparnasse. This was approximately 40 minutes away from the university by public transport. In the beginning, I did not feel the safest, as it was a rather dirty and busy area, but after a while I felt safe in the area and the people around me. Before the process of looking for accommodation, I would have liked to know that CROUS is not organised at all and that there is no reliable way to reach their administration. For the reception of my building, I had to go to another building where I had no access, so I had to wait outside for somebody else to leave the building, to enter and talk to the people of administration. This was also because they were not reachable by phone or email.

3. Academic life at host university

The Campus at Université Paris Dauphine is one big building that can be confusing at times. It is located near a large park, but the campus itself is not very green. In general, the campus feels safe, and the staff is friendly. The teaching style feels more like a class in school, as there are between 10 and 30 students in one course. Some teachers also integrate interactive elements, but a lot of them are just speaking for three hours straight. I took a very interesting course on global climate change, which I can recommend, as well as a French course called "Enjeux de l'actualité".

5. Every day life in the host country

Public Transport in Paris is rather expensive, at 90 euros per month. In general, it takes longer to get somewhere compared to Vienna because of the size of the city. As a woman, I felt less safe in Paris than in Vienna, but that was more of an issue at night. My university offered a nice sports program where one could pay 75 euros at the beginning of the month and then participate in group sports classes as well as go to the gym when enrolled. There are a lot of weekend trips and parties offered by the Erasmus team, which can be helpful at the beginning to meet new people.

6. Testimonial

My exchange semester was overall very exciting as I befriended people from all over the world, like Brazil and Canada. One highlight for me was a trip to Marseille that my friends and I went on in April. Also, for the first time in my life, I really had a lot of time for myself and my hobbies.