ENS Lyon 2014-2015
Why Erasmus
I had studied French up to A-Level and continued to study the language during my first two years at
Warwick, so Erasmus had been a serious consideration for a while. The main reasons for pursuing a
year abroad was to further improve my French language skills but also to meet lots of different
people from around the world and do something completely different.
The Warwick Maths department hosted a few Erasmus Information sessions where potential
Erasmus students had the chance to talk to students who had already completed Erasmus years.
These sessions answered a lot of my biggest concerns and helped me confirm my decision to go
abroad.
Why ENS Lyon
I wanted to go to a French speaking
country and university, and ENS Lyon
was the only university to (almost)
guarantee you accommodation on
campus. I also wanted to choose a
city in France I had not previously
been to, so Lyon seemed like a good
option.
The city is in central-east France in the Rhone-Alpes region. Lyon has a large number of universities,
therefore there are a lot of students around. The city has lots of restaurants, bars, clubs etc. for
everyone but is compact enough that it is easy to get around quickly. If you want to go travelling
during your year abroad, you can get to Paris in 2 hours, Turin in 4 hours, Geneva in under 2 hours,
the ski slopes in 3 hours and Barcelona in 5.5 hours.
The ENS Lyon is a highly selective grande école with around 2,000 students and two main campuses
within a 15 minute walk of each other. The ENS Lyon is one of France’s four Écoles Normales
Supérieures which all have a very strong reputation in France as being some of the best universities
in the country for maths. The ENS Lyon mathematics department is incredibly strong and wellknown, with around thirty students in each year of study. There is a strong emphasis on pure
mathematics at undergraduate level and should be considered carefully when deciding where to
apply.
Academic Life at ENS Lyon
All lectures at the ENS were in French and the lectures are very different to those at Warwick. They
can start as early as 8 in the morning and each lecture lasts for two hours – without breaks. The level
of mathematics in France seems to be significantly higher than in the UK. In the UK, it is often
sufficient to rote learn processes and proofs and regurgitate these in an exam; in France this is not
the case. The French system is more heavily focused on application and developing existing
knowledge in unfamiliar contexts. Essentially, it is normal to find it very difficult when you get there.
My year had approximately 30 students, with myself being the only exchange student. The others in
the class had undergone two years of classes préparatories before arriving at the ENS and therefore
were much better prepared for the demanding nature of French maths.
Support classes in France are referred to as travaux dirigés (TDs). These classes are much more
useful than the lectures but can also be hit and miss. Some of the PhD students teaching these
classes can be very helpful, while others can be uninterested and unhelpful.
Student Life at ENS
ENS Lyon is much smaller than
Warwick, with only 2,000 students.
Therefore, it provides a completely
different experience. There is
accommodation on campus, both
en-suite and sharing, and kitchen
areas are usually shared between
2-5 people.
There are a good number of sports clubs and societies available on campus as well as a gym and
sports center. The Students Union equivalent is called the BDE who organise lots of events in the
first few weeks of the year.
Beyond ENS
Lyon is a great place to be a student (as already mentioned). Travel is extremely easy and cheap with
a Tecely card (a month’s unlimited travel for under 30EUR). The compact nature of Lyon means that
it is extremely easy to travel around the city by bus, tram or metro.
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/France/Rhone_Alpes/Lyon-105728/Things_To_Do
Lyon-TG-C-1.html
Due to the fairly small number of people in the ENS, I joined a few associations outside campus
which interested me (AIESEC Lyon and Rhone Cricket Club), which was a great way to meet more
people from different backgrounds and not have to put interests on hold for a year. There are lots of
events and associations international students can get involved with in Lyon during the year, so I
would highly recommend looking carefully at all the opportunities available.
Overall
Overall, I would highly recommend an Erasmus year
abroad. I was able to significantly improve my French
language skills by being immersed into the culture and
met a lot of new people from around the world. Lyon is
a great place to study abroad for a year which genuinely offers things for everyone whatever your
interests are.
My personal opinion of the ENS is mixed. Although it is a highly credited institution with world
leading professors and research, I did not have an enjoyable year academically. The majority of
French students who attend the ENS maths department are hoping to study PhDs and pursue a
career in research maths. Therefore, personally as a student aiming to finish with a BSc, I felt out of
place in the department.
I would only recommend going to the ENS Lyon if you are intending of pursuing a PhD and beyond.
Then, you will really thrive in such an environment.
If you have any questions about the ENS Lyon or Lyon as a city, I’m more than happy for you to
contact me at hiren.shah@warwick.ac.uk