Details

• France
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

I think the most important part of preparation is to get at least familiar with the native language of your exchange university (so you can at least order some coffee) and to find a suitable accommodation. Definitely research the areas regarding safety, tourism, and other factors. Additionally I would start thinking about whether you want to get other classes recognised at WU besides the 20 ECTS for International Experience and then go through the course catalogue to find suitable ones.

2. Accommodation

I booked my accommodation through Airbnb. I lived in Neuilly sur Seine which was about 10min to school per subway and 25 minutes into the city center. it's a great are I can definitely recommend it. Additionally student accommodations like Canvas are also great. Or the 16th district in Paris

3. Academic life at host university

The Campus life was very different as the university is situated right in La Defense and thus doesn't really have a separated Campus like it is in WU. The courses you take are mostly with international students. The courses comparably were easier than those at WU but it was quite hard to get good grades as French professors do not enjoy giving out full points. Also the teaching style definitely was more authoritative rather then communicative than at WU. Also, expect to do group projects in every class you take. The content of the courses however is very interesting and I was able to take classes like Private Equity or Wealth Management.

5. Every day life in the host country

I used the metro almost everyday. The every day life was highly dependent on the classes I was taking as those were at different times each week. In addition I went to some events of different student clubs in Paris and also to networking events I had previously applied for career wise. Additionally I went out to dinners a lot with my friends or just to coffee shops to study. i also went to a Reformer Pilates Studio, the new me, which I can highly recommend as well

6. Testimonial

My exchange overall was a great experience. I was able to experience life and culture in a completely different countries. I was able to live in a city I had always wanted to life in. I met people from all over the world and definitely widened my perspective. I highly recommend going on an exchange not just to learn more about a different culture but also to learn more about yourself.