EPSCI GROUPE ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL, FRANCE

Transcription

1 EPSCI GROUPE ESSEC BUSINESS SCHOOL, FRANCE EXCHANGE REPORT Caterina Ng Ka Yan Fall 2014

2 1 Table of Content Part I Activity log Part II General Exchange information Part III Items to bring

3 2 Activity Log September I arrived at Paris on the 26 th August, 2014, where students are asked to register in ESSEC and receive their dormitory key during the two days. Starting from this year, the School has started free pick-up services for students at the airport. It is much more convenient and I met my best friends mainly during this trip from airport and school and we started to tour around the place immediately. Orientation for international students started at the beginning of September. There will be welcoming and introduction from faculty, sight-seeing trips by the student society and relationship building activities with French local students. These orientation activities are compulsory. This orientation is another good chance to meet people with different national backgrounds and to understand French education format during projects with students of various nationality. This year, ESSEC started online course enrolment. Since the enrolment starts at 12am Paris time, it is important for students to calculate the time difference and remember to enroll on time since course enrolment is also very competitive. I would recommend students to bring their course assessment forms to Paris since the School would definitely help you get a course position if you have proof that the course is accepted and needed for credit exchange. Since there will be a lot of activities held by the school, it is better not to plan any travelling during this month. Visiting Paris will be a good activity. Cergy also consist of a huge park that has various water activities such as blob jump and kayaking. I do recommend you to go and visit with your friends. October Classes start during this month like it is in UST. There will be a 1-week long break during the end of October. I would recommend you to go for a trip with friends if you did not enroll any 3-day intensive courses. During this long break, I toured around Switzerland. Since I have Friday off, I also planned visiting little cities in France such as Bordeaux, Mont Michel, Nice etc. Visiting Amsterdam will also be a good choice if you have 3 days free

4 3 November During this month, we got a lot of long holidays including the weekends and days that I do not have classes. There is school holidays and public holiday, making a free time during the mid and end of November. Making use of these holidays, I went to Italy (Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome), England, Belgium and Strasbourg. I do recommend you to visit Strasbourg during end of November of December since it has one of the best Christmas markets in Europe. Even though there will be a lot of holidays, if you would like to travel around, it is essential for you to start preparing for your presentations during your school days. Take the initiative to set up meetings and finish them beforehand. December Classes finished in early December. I went to Vienna with my friends before exams. After exams, It will be Christmas time where most of my international friends will either continue to tour around or go back to their home countries. It will be a tough moment since many people will leave immediately right after the exam. There are many Christmas decoration everywhere and it is a good chance for you to enjoy the Christmas market. I went to Iceland for Christmas even though it is freezing during that time. I would recommend you to visit Northern Europe earlier if you are interested in visiting the area since weather is quite unstable during December. I stayed a few days more in Paris taking pictures and doing last minute shopping before leaving for Hong Kong. Even though I travelled nearly every weekend, I did spend much time in Paris enjoying its museums, food and watching musicals. With the student card, you can visit most of the museums for free. You can also receive discounts when visiting attractions such as Eiffel tower. Since I am a dessert lover, I enjoyed many French patisseries. I will usually go have afternoon tea in café and buy small cakes to share with friends. It will be a great experience for you to spend an afternoon chatting with your friends.

5 4 General Exchange Information Visa Procedures Detailed information regarding the visa application is available on the website of Consulate General of France in Hong Kong & Macau. In short, there are two main procedures that you would need to do. First, arrange an academic interview with Campus France Office. Then, after the interview, you need to make a visa online appointment. Remember to bring all the required documents stated online. The visa normally takes 2 weeks and thus you are reminded to make you appointment as early as possible. International Services and Activities There is the international team that assists students who have enquires about academic, housing, medical, visa issues, etc. The staffs there are very nice and they are helpful in assisting your enquiries. Do not hesitate to find them if you have any difficulties. The student society also organizes activities for international students like sightseeing and parties in Paris. These activities are the best way to meet locals and other international students. Accommodations The residences are managed by ALEGESSEC. Out of the four residences, only Les Linandes, Cergy les Hauts and le Port are available for exchange students. I chose to live in Cergy Les Hauts even though it is the farthest one from school. You will require taking the RER for 2 stations to school. If RER are not available, you will have to take the bus. Supermarkets, bakery and restaurants are nearby. Students can also choose to rent a place in Paris. However, it may cost more and it takes an hour to reach school. If you would like to live in Paris, you can look for a flatmate on the international students Facebook page. Students who will just have a semester exchange are not eligible to have the APL subsidy as it requires students to have OFII. Hong Kong students are not required to have OFII if there are staying for less than 6 months but this will cause students to be unable to have accommodation subsidy.

6 5 Courses Registration It is better to register as many as courses possible during the online application period. If you want to add courses after the online period, you may have to find the international department in person. However, you may require proof and valid reasons of why you would require the course. You are also advised to have your course assessment and approval by UST staff before you go on an exchange. The approved form from UST will most likely allow you to ask for courses to be added to your schedule even if the course is full. Teaching and assessing methods The courses are separated into English teaching and French teaching. Therefore, students have to make sure your courses are all taught in English. Most of the courses assess students with projects, in-class quizzes and a final exam. Class participation is very important as you can only skip at most 2 classes for every subject. Social Clubs & Networking Opportunities Even though there are not many social clubs in ESSEC, parties are the best way for networking. Residences have recreation rooms for you to book and use for you parties. My friends and I usually help each other celebrate birthdays especially after lessons and you may not have time to find a fancy restaurant. Also, you can find various kinds of parties posted on ESSEC s Facebook page by school organizations such as BBQ parties. Do check them out and it is fun to have a drink with friends during these events. Health & Safety Remember to bring more than enough medicine with you, especially flu medicine. Weather is much cooler in late September. Temperatures may differ greatly between daytime and night time. Bring more warm jackets and clothing just in case if you want to travel around Europe. A nurse is also available every day if you would like to ask for some help. A consulting doctor is available in school every Monday and Thursday. He will be able to write you a prescription and you can buy the medicine in pharmacies near school.

7 6 People always said Paris is not safe, and unfortunately it is true. Drunk people, homeless people and thieves are very common in Europe especially at tourist attractions and metro stations. Be aware of your valuables! If you have to go out late at night, find someone to accompany you. Bigger groups are the most ideal. Transportation I took RER and Metro most of the time. I registered for a Navigo Pass, something that is similar as the octopus card in Hong Kong. The pass covers Zone 4-5 (Zones that mainly cover back to school but not to Paris city Centre) and it costs 59 euros a month. With this pass, going to Paris (Zone 1) is free during the weekends. But if you want to go to Paris on weekdays, you will need to buy an add on travel for 3.45 euros. There is staff checking whether the passengers have valid ticket. If you are caught without a valid ticket, you will be fined for more than 50 euros. Travelling by RER can be very frustrating as the trains always get delayed or cancelled. I have downloaded the app RATP, which is very useful in checking information, schedules and routes of the trains. Wifi is only available in some cafes and museums in Paris. There is wifi in the ESSEC campus, but there is no wifi in residence, so remember to bring or buy the cable for internet access. I brought a wifi router to the resident so as to make sure my phone and tablets have wifi as well in the resident. Getting a 4G plan for your phone is also a good way. Buying plans online from stores like B&You and free are much cheaper than buying them in stores. Cost / Expenses Expenditure Euros Flight 1000 Accommodation 2360 Food 700 Transportation 400 Travelling Expenses 4000 Insurance 50 Total 8510

8 7 Items to Bring Cash and credit card (DO BRING A VISA or MASTER CARD. Union Pay is not as common in Paris but it will provide you extra discounts at outlets.) Original and photocopies of all necessary documents (translation of birth certificate, passport, insurance ) Adapter and cable (a power strip is highly recommended) Camera Medicine Warm clothing (coats, gloves, scarves, hats ) Stationery (stationeries are very expensive in Paris. Do also bring a calculator if you are taking accounting and finance courses.) Extra phone as your French local mobile If more information is needed, get my contact from SBM Exchange Team by ing at bmugexch@ust.hk.