Past Review

By (Finance and Financial Management Services., The University of Texas at Austin) for

Ecole Superieure De Commerce De Paris: Paris - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Best decision I've ever made. I had a great time, met so many different people and explored many new places. The coursework was interesting and challenging, but the sheer amount of work to be done was actually far less than what we experience at UT. The courses did broaden my knowledge of finance and were worth taking. Travelling was an amazing experience. It was a tiring and fast 4 months, but completely worth it.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Learned a lot by taking courses taught in French, great to interact with students from all over the world

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Very accessible, understood the foreign students' needs well. Would have liked to have had a more social component where they arranged some gatherings strictly for international students

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

12th district of Paris, Boulevard Diderot <br /><br /> Great apartment- found through agency called Paris Attitude, which was willing to find us a new place free of charge after we were unsatisfied with our first place. Great, safe, and lively neighborhood

* Food:

Lot of food options at school at a much cheaper rate than real restaurants although the quality wasn't particularly good

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

School had many great social events, would have liked to have seen more designed specifically for international students

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Social security covers most medical expenses in France- I personally never had to use it but it was nice to know that I would always be covered

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't eat out every day- cook at home as much as possible. At first I ate out every day but quickly realized that it was extremely expensive to do this rather than just doing groceries

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? This is a great program that allows you to really balance school work and fun. Had plenty of time to travel and explore Paris. Don't be afraid to do things on your own, including travelling. Some of my best experiences came from solo travels because it gave me even more of an opportunity to expand my horizons and learn from my own mistakes, etc. Paris is a wonderful place, but make sure you give yourself plenty of opportunity to travel as well.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

International Institutions

Course Department: KE57
Instructor: Seroussi
Instruction Language: French
Comments: Good professor, teaching method is tough for foreign students because it is purely oral lecture- no slides or anything, however, there was no test, only one short paper for the class
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Integration Seminar

Course Department: LS01
Instructor: Various
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Some of the sessions were more interesting than others (such as the Paris History class), great that there was no outside work, and a good way to get some credit from a week's worth of seminars
Credit Transfer Issues: Don't know yet
Course Name/Rating:

Financial Institutions Management

Course Department: FD10
Instructor: Troege
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Great class that balances discussing current events with broadening students' general knowledge of the financial services industry
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

International Finance

Course Department: FD08
Instructor: Kobrak
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Professor is tough, has an abrasive personality, but clearly knows what he is talking about and answers questions thoroughly
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Group Financial Statements

Course Department: CA02
Instructor: Delvaille
Instruction Language: French
Comments: Great experience taking an accounting course taught in French- also the content was very relevant to summer internship experience, so even taking it in English is recommended. However, it is a demanding course relative to the others- exercises after each session
Credit Transfer Issues: Don't know yet