Sciences Po - The crème de la crème of French Education Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload at Sciences Po was high, and made more difficult for those who opted, like myself, to take courses in French. The level of difficulty was higher than I had expected. Methodology at the French University was different than the expectations I was used to. Pre Program classes in language and methodology were useful in helping to prepare, but actual class time was still challenging. The difference in teaching methods was part of what made it difficult. Professors at the university were not as accessible or easy to speak with as they are at UCSD, there are no office hours and very few classes have tutorial times, so if there is a problem it is up to you to speak to the professor after class. You cannot expect for an email to be answered, as many professors did not respond to student emails at all. For the most part professors were not very critical of difficulties related to language, but they were not overly accommodating either. This has to do with the mentality that international students at the university do not receive special treatment compared to the native students. The best way to get help in classes is to make friends with native students to help with questions about course material, but this can sometimes be difficult to do as the way the grades are distributed makes students competitive with each other. Courses in English had slightly different expectations, and the methodology of these courses was more similar to what I've seen at UCSD, however there were specific expectations for formatting assignments, such as essays and research papers.

On-site administration of your program

The staff at the UC center was very helpful in helping with program administration. Dealing with Sciences Po administration was always messy but the UC center staff were as supportive as they could be, although sometimes inaccessible, as the director was not always in Paris. However he was as helpful as he could be regardless of whether he was in Paris or not.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Housing was not arranged for me at all for this program. The UC center provided a few websites that could be used to find a homestay or to book an apartment through an agency, although both of these options were more expensive than finding an apartment independently upon arrival. I booked my apartment through an agency with another american student because I was not comfortable arriving without a place to live. I would have like to have known that the university had a housing website where I could have looked to live with French students, because this kind of living arrangement would have been much better for language improvement. I enjoyed my apartment however I strongly advocate that the program could adopt a more involved approach in helping students to find housing so that they could have less expensive options and have the option to live with native french speakers.

I provided all of my own food. I would grocery shop and cook for myself for dinner during the week, and usually eat lunch at the school cafeteria. On the weekend I would usually eat out with friends. There are plenty of food options, although vegetarian or vegan options are more expensive and more scarce, but it is possible to find them.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The University Student Life is very active. There are many clubs and associations to get involved in and a lot of events arranged specifically for international students. The Student Association of Sciences Po also arranges some trips such as a ski trip and an integration trip at the beginning of the semester. These activities make up for some of the difficulties of the classes and administration system.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

As far as personal safety and living in the city I usually felt safe, but as is true with any urban area you always need to be aware of your surroundings. Pick pocketing is a common crime in Paris, but thankfully it never happened to me. Also as with any other large city it is not wise to be alone in certain areas late at night, and this is also something to be aware of. I can say also that some buildings in paris are old and not up to the same safety standards students are used to in the United States, so students should be aware of this when looking for housing. Consider things such as fire alarms, whether there are multiple entrances to a building, fire escapes, is there an elevator, etc. when looking for housing. I personally did not have a lot of experience with the health care system but as far as I could tell the UC center was helpful if any issues came up.

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

They best way to improve would be to speak French at home, that is to live with french students rather than other americans. My program had language classes, and I also took classes in French but I lived with an American and would often speak english with her and other international students. In everyday interactions (such as the bank, the grocery store) I would speak French. Many people in Paris speak english at least minimally, but it is easier to communicate with them in French than English usually.

Select all that apply

• Apartment

Select all that apply

• Americans

• Taking classes with French students
• Integration with other international students and activities through the university
• Course content - courses that are offered

• Pre Preparation for University structure and methodology
• Help with the class selection process
• More help for finding housing