Details

• France
• MAMark-21
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

I ranked the partner universities based on my interest in fashion and I narrowed down the potential ones to 4. I would advise to not just rank universities by reputation, but to check course offerings, semester structure, grading style, and workload. Based on that ESSEC was my first preference. In the motivation letter be specific about why the partner university fits your academic goals, not just why the city is attractive. For preparing your semester abroad plan housing as soon as possible and understand the academic culture beforehand in order to be able to fullfill the requirements.

2. Accommodation

I decided to be close to my university in Cergy rather than staying in Paris as the travel time between the two is around an hour and there are often problems with the RER A, which can cause stress if you have to go to an exam or a presentation. The search experience was easy as when I got the welcome email from ESSEC they had links to their accomodation offers. I decided to pick a student residence as it was easier to arrange and you can contact ALLESSEC for every matter. I picked the one at Cergy Le Haut which is two stations from the university, but I would advise future students to pick one at Cergy Prefecture (the station next to the university) as again mentioned there are lots of disruptions of the line. I generelly felt safe in Cergy,yet I would try to avoid going out at parks when dark. As a tip I would say to start the accommodation search earlier than you think is necessary and maybe go rather with a private housing close to the univerisity if possible, as the living conditions would be better.

3. Academic life at host university

The ESSEC campus offered modern infrastructure, including well-equipped lecture rooms and group work spaces. There are also a lot of sport offers and other extracurricular clubs . Compared to WU Vienna, the academic culture at ESSEC felt more flexible when it came to the course choice and creating the weekly schedule and less exam-focused. Teaching emphasized group work, and continuous assessment rather than final exams. Most of the rofessors were approachable and deadlines were often handled flexibly. Overall, courses were easier than at WU Vienna, with a stronger focus on practical application and teamwork rather than theory.

5. Every day life in the host country

Everyday life was nice as Paris offers a lot of things to do such as events,museums and other activieties . Public transport on the other hand was uneliable on the RER A line between Cergy and Paris, and ok in the Paris area itself. The safety situation felt good overall, especially in residential areas and around campus. Moving around during the day and evening generally felt safe. There were many social and leisure activities available, including cafés, restaurants in Paris and student-organized gatherings in Cergy. The host university offered various sports options, providing good opportunities to stay active and meet other students. Overall, the range of activities contributed positively to the exchange experience.

6. Testimonial

I had an amazing experience and the oppurtunity to meet so many new people from all over the world. Academically I had the chance to deepen my knowledge in the field of luxury business and fashion marketing, which I believe would be a great foundation for my future career. Personally I also developed as a person as I was in a new environment, where I had to adapt. What made my exchange truly special is that I fullfiled a long awaited dream of mine namely to be on a runaway during Paris Fashion Week.