STUDENT REPORT – ESCP EUROPE, PARIS – FALL 2013
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
ESCP Europe was founded in 1819, it is the oldest business school in France, and it is
considered to be one of France’s top three business schools. In 2010, The Financial Times
ranked ESCP as having the number one Master of Management worldwide. The school is
situated in arrondissement 11, with the metro stop Rue Saint Maur right outside the school.
The campus consists of 6 buildings that surround the beautiful schoolyard. Compared to BI,
the school is relatively small, and the technical facilities are not as good as at BI.
There are around 2500 students with approximately 450 exchange students.
STUDY
STRUCTURE
ESCP Europe offers 2.5 and 5 credits courses having a duration of 5 and 10 weeks
respectively. The 2.5 credit courses take place in either the first or the second part of the
semester. If you choose no specialization, you will have only electives and the final exams
will be held in the last class (where it is the case – some courses have only projects to be
handed in). Often, the final exams are multiple-choice exams.
ESCP is very helpful in case you want to make changes to your course choice. However, you
are not allowed to make any changes in your courses after the introductory week. If you
choose to drop a course after this deadline you will be registered as failed. Also, it is
mandatory to attend the courses. More than two absences mean that you automatically fail the
course.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
INFORMATION
BEFORE YOU LEFT
When did you receive the information package from the University?
We received an information package from the University in May. The package was
informative and included all the necessary information for getting started at ESCP as well as
tourist information for Paris. We also received our student ID and password in May and was
able to access the school mail address and intranet.
Any difficulties?
One of us forgot to send in the ID-picture for the student identity card. The person had to take
the picture during the first week of school, but it took ages to get the student identity card. So
be sure to fulfill all requirements, when everything in France takes time.
VISA PROCEDURE
AND TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
Does the visa cost anything?
Residents from EU or EFTA countries do not need to have a visa to enter France.
For the students out of EU or EFTA it is obligate to apply a short-stay visa. Generally, it takes
15 days to wait to get the visa done in the local French embassy.
How did you order your ticket – any problems?
Both Norwegian and SAS offer reasonable flights to Orly and CDG. If you are under 25, you
can order youth/student tickets with both SAS and AirFrance, however we found Norwegian
to be the cheapest option in most cases.
We would not recommend flying with Ryanair to Beauvais, as the airport is far away and the
transportation system is not good. Train line RER B serves both Orly and CDG, and is with
approximately 45 minutes travel time the easiest and cheapest way to get to Paris. One of us
went to a language school in Nice for three weeks before going to Paris. Both of us spent
some time in Nice before the school started and therefore booked a train ticket with TGV
from Nice to Paris. The train tickets are rather expensive, but was a quite nice trip.
ACADEMIC CALENDAR
The introductory week started in the beginning of September, with a compulsory seminar;
European Integration Seminar. This seminar lasted for 1 week with a written exam on the last
day. If you passed this exam you were accredited 2.5 ECTS. Check in advance with the
International Office whether you get this course approved or not. The normal courses started
one week later.
Since we only had English courses, all final exams where held at the end of the last lecture. If
you choose French courses, there is an exam week during the third week of December.
Any special events?
The school has several students’ associations that organize parties, events and trips
throughout the semester.
The international office at ESCP arranged some events for the international students, such as
an international picnic, international food festival and a farewell cocktail. In addition, in
December there is an international fair for ESCP students where we had the opportunity to
represent BI with our stand.
RECEPTION
Generally the reception at the school was good, and the International office is very helpful
with all kinds of requests, from opening a bank account to helping to find accommodation.
If you want to open a French bank account be sure to ask the International Office what bank
to choose, because one of the banks give students 70 euros for opening an account, which is
always handy.
Was the administration and faculty well prepared for your arrival?
Everybody was well prepared and a buddy program was offered for those who wanted to get
to know French students.
Did the school’s students participate in the reception of the exchange students?
Unfortunately the school students did not engage in the reception of the exchange students
besides some brief presentations of student organizations that were held at the introductory
day.
HOUSING
There are several opportunities regarding housing. ESCP has no accommodation on campus.
However, the school has an agreement with a student residence called “Le Vivaldi”. You
have to send in an application to live here. ESCP sends you the application form before you
arrive, which you have to fill out. Le Vivaldi is located 25 minutes away from the school by
metro. Most international students at ESCP stay here. However it is very expensive, with
strict housing rules, and many students didn’t think it was worth the money. Another option
is Cite International (http://www.ciup.fr/en), which is a huge student city located South in
Paris, approximately 45 minutes away from school by metro. Here you have 40 student
houses of different nations. The standard differs between the houses. You also have to apply
to stay here, and we recommend you to apply early. However, you are not guaranteed a place
even if you apply early. The Norwegian House is comprised of 50% Norwegian students and
50% foreign students. Although they claim to have newly renovated the Norwegian house, the
standard is still very simple. There is one kitchen and four showers/toilets on each floor and
you have to share these with the other people on your floor. Keep in mind that there are 20
rooms per floor, so the kitchen tends to be quite messy. One of us stayed here and regrets not
having rented an apartment closer to the city and school. Getting a taxi in the evenings is very
difficult so getting home in the evening can be a problem. We would not recommend living at
either of the student residences.
If you speak French pretty good, we would recommend you to try to rent an apartment
through www.pap.fr, which is like www.finn.no. However, it can be difficult to get an
apartment since most of the landlords want long term contracts, but it is worth a try since it is
a lot cheaper than through an agency.
A good way to look for an apartment is to do a profile on websites such apartager.com, where
one can get in touch with others who rent out a room in their apartments. If one has the
possibility to go to Paris well in advance (one month before semester start), it makes the
search much easier as one still has a lot to choose from. Since sometimes the profiles look
nicer than they actually are, we definitely recommend having a look prior to making an
agreement.
There are other websites offering long term rentals are:
www.parisattitude.com
www.paristay.com
www.lodgis.com
We ended up renting an apartment through http://www.paris-housing.com, which we were
very happy with. Their service was excellent and everything got sorted out, like the deposit,
which often can be a problem. Just be sure to never pay them anything in cash!!
All in all, we recommend to rather pay more for housing and live quite close, as this will
make Paris a lot more enjoyable than it is when living on the rim of the city. A good tip is to
consider that the longer the period you rent for the cheaper is the rent. And in Paris, there are
very often short-term notices if you want to resign from a contract, typically 1 month). So, if
possible you could rent for, like a whole year and than resign from the contract such that you
can leave when you are supposed to. There is some money to save on this if you decide to
rent your own apartment.
Another thing to consider are the different districts, some districts are rather shady. So be sure
to do some research before you sign any contract.
COSTS
Accommodation: approximately 700 EUR / month in “Le Vivaldi” residence, 470 EUR /
month at Norwegian House at Cité. Apartments range from 700 for a small room to 2000
EUR for a high standard apartment in a good location.
Transportation: 60 EUR / month for a RER/Metro pass
Food: Paris is a bit cheaper than in Norway, but you can find both cheap and more expensive
options. We mostly brought our own lunch or went to a nearby bakery instead of going to the
cafeteria, as the food there was not that good. There is a small café where one can buy
sandwiches and salads.
Mobile: There is an operator which costs 20EUR/month for unlimited texts, calls and data
www.freemobile.fr, but you need to have a French bank account in order to sign a contract.
Two of us used their Norwegian phone during the whole stay and on average payed 1000
NOK a month using Talkmore. If you have a talkmore subscription and fly with Norwegian
both to and from Paris, you can get a 50% discount on your bill.
Books: most lectures do not require any books; hand-ins are distributed freely in class and
you have almost all reading materials available
Internet: There is only one type of contract for less than one year at Orange. It is reliable, but
it is expensive and it obliges you to also pay a monthly fee for a fix phone that you never use.
At the Norwegian House Internet is included in the rent. Most apartments also have internet
included in the rent.
THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE
Is there an international office?
Yes and they are very active and helpful.
How does the international office function?
The International Office is located on campus. If you have any requests you should send an email or you can drop by the office.
Do you receive all relevant information?
We received all relevant information upon arrival.
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
How was your relationship with other students?
French students are rather distant and do not interact much with exchange students. The
exchange students made a Facebook group were we planned social activities together.
However, one of us has taken some French courses, and met some nice French fellows
through intensive group works.
.
How is the relationship among the exchange students?
Exchange students were easier to get in touch with than French ones. Those of us only taking
English classes got to know several exchange students from classes, and also from the
Facebook group. We highly recommend you to make a Facebook group to get in touch with
each other.
Is there a student organization, and if so, are the exchange students part of it?
ESCP has a lot of student organizations and student activities organized and they are eager to
accept exchange students. Unfortunately, most student organizations organize French
speaking activities and it is rather hard for non-French speaking students to integrate.
Are there any special activities and gatherings for exchange students?
There are social activities and gatherings at school and there are also Erasmus gatherings so
exchange students can interact with each other.
How do you like it at the school?
The school was nice and some courses were really good. However, school facilities are quite
old compared to BI. The library is very small, old and loud so it is better to study at home or
find a better library in Paris, we recommend the one at Pompidou. There is also a computer
room separated from the library called Micromegas. There is a heavy focus on group work,
however it can be difficult to find a space to work.
CULTURE
AND
LANGUAGE
Did you have any language problems with the faculty or other students?
There are some language problems at school. Not all the personnel speak fluent English and
not all the professors speak English. However, you will get by only speaking English. As
French often are more helpful when you try to speak to them in French, knowing a few basic
sentences will be good. ESCP also offer French language classes for all levels. This is taught
once a week, and is a great way to learn some French.
If you take some courses taught in French. Most professors are aware of the French level of
international students. Therefore, they tend to speak slowly and making more notes on the
blackboard (one of us has taken 4 courses in French and all profs are nice). Normally, the
examinations can be answered in English if you think your level of French is not that
competent. There is only one exception of a presentation, which is required to be held in
French (LS01-02: Intégration européenne & management).
How are the possibilities to experience the country and the culture?
There are great possibilities to experience the French country and culture. Most touristic
objectives are free for young people coming from the EU countries (18-25 years old) and
there are a lot of great places to be seen inside as well as in nearby Paris. If you present your
French student card, you can get into most museums and attractions for free.
How do you think the exchange experience influences your future career possibilities?
By taking courses in the école supérieure having the no.1 worldwide master in management
program we do consider that the career possibilities are enhanced. A potential employer will
see the multicultural abilities of students and their adaptability and having completed a
semester of exchange at ESCP is valuable for any company.
How would you evaluate the level of study in relationship to the level at BI?
At ESCP the workload is lower than at BI. However, the evaluation is continuous and part of
the grade is based on the class contribution in most courses so you have to learn throughout
the semester. However, there are not as many readings as at BI. You have to sign an
attendance sheet and depending on the course, 3 absences may result in a failing grade.
Is the teaching primarily practical or theoretical?
The teachers have a practical approach and we some case studies and practical applications,
which we enjoyed a lot.
Are the professors using cases, group work or lectures (or a mix)?
The professors are usually using a mix of lectures, group work and case studies.
How is the workload compared to that at BI?
The workload is way less than at BI. However, professors tend to be low graders (14 out of 20
is considered to be an excellent grade and only 15% of the students score over 14).
EXAMS
What types of exams were you given?
We had written exams as well as case studies, presentations, multiple choices or a mixture of
them. As exams are mostly taken at the end of the last lecture of the course, you sit in an
auditorium without any space between people. Exams are relatively laid back in terms of rules
and regulations.
COURSES
LS01 - European Integration & Management Seminar 2.5 ECTS
The introductory seminar was very useful because it learned us a lot about finding our ways
in Paris and it got us a valuable insight into the French and Parisian cultures and historical
milestones. I think that this course was very important for understanding the way things work
in France. Each lecture was devoted to a different topic, such as great French figures, the EU,
the French school system, and the history of Paris. It was a week-long course with a written
exam at the end.
OA01 - Positional Bargaining – Negotiations Workshop – 5 ECTS
This course was mainly a very long workshop course where everything depended on the
student’s participation. We spent the course preparing, negotiating and going through the
results of three different negotiations cases. In the beginning it felt a little strange that the
class was run solely by the students, but all in all we learnt a lot from this approach. The class
requires you to be very active and the grade is mainly based on progress and participation in
the preparations and negotiations, and a short written document of your own action plan for
how you will improve your negotiation skills in the future. The course was fairly easy and did
not require any reading or preparation.
BEC2 - Social Media and Viral Marketing – 2.5 ECTs
The professor is knowledgeable and humorous. The professor’s research papers in social
media have a very high referring rate as well. However, the course requires a good deal of
workload when you think of the credits you get for it. On the positive side you are done with
the course just after five lectures. The professor makes the course short but very practical.
Most of the classmates have had a lot fun with him and his course. The course is evaluated
based on two cases and written exam.
IA02 – Innovation and Entrepreneurship – 5 ECTS
This course was very practical with a professor that has a LOT of experience being an
entrepreneur. The course is a mixture of normal lectures and guest lecturers. However, I find
this course also quite easy and did not require a lot from the students. We were only evaluated
based on two presentations and class participation.
MC01 – Marketing Communication– 5 ECTS
This course was the one who required the most work and was very theoretical. The professor
was boring and we cannot recommend the class. Most of the students did not pay attention
and did only spend their time on their computers. However, if you are very interested in the
different marketing communication methods, this is a fairly OK course. We were evaluated
based on two case write-ups and one big group project.
OA08 – Business experience, history and society – 5 ECTS
This course was probably the one we learned the most. Even though, all the information was
very practical and is more a “small talk” subject in a dinner party. The professor can
sometimes be funny, but most of the times just very disorganized. The course requires a book
review, so be sure to pick the easiest book to read when many of the books are very technical.
The grade is based on presentation of your book, book review, class participation and written
exam.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us through the International office at BI
