My French Exchange 2015 – Sciences Po, Paris
Stephanie Craig: CRGSTE003
UCT Economic Development Masters Student
Living in Paris
Ever since my school days, I have had an absolute love for France and
the French culture and it was my dream to spend some time in the
country. Hence, upon discovering the various exchange programmes on
offer from IAPO and seeing that Paris was an option, it was not a hard
decision at all to enrol for further studies at UCT and being the
application processes.
It goes without saying then that once I was accepted to do a semester
abroad at Sciences Po in Paris – I was truly ecstatic. And looking back
now, I can honestly say that Paris was everything I had dreamed about
and more! The city is an absolute marvel, so beautiful, so cultural, so
lively and so magical! I loved every single second I was able to spend
there and each day was a literal adventure!
I can now genuinely say that I know Paris like the back of my hand. I
covered every major tourist attraction and every minor one too. I went to
operas, ballets, comedy shows, museums, art galleries and musicals. I
spent many a Sunday morning at the biggest food market in Europe at
the Bastille square and explored every shop in the Marais Quartier. I
attended poetry readings at one of my favourite spots in Paris – the
Shakespeare and Co Bookstore - and I went to mass at the Notre Dame
Cathedral. I watched the sunset from the steps of the Sacré Cœur
basilica.
I spent many days just wondering the many winding and twisting streets
of the city, finding that getting lost was the most effective way to learn
about my surroundings. I tried as many little cafes as I could – my
favourites being the Cat Cafe and the Anti-Cafe! I marvelled at the
Gallerie Lafayette and the Printemps shopping centre – both of which
had impressive Christmas displays on show. I shopped for Christmas
gifts at the Champs Elysee Christmas Village market and watched
France play rugby against Australia at the famous Stade Français.
Being so ideally situated in Europe meant that I was able to feed my
love for travel and visited a wide variety of places, including Barcelona,
Madrid, Dublin, Vienna, Munich, Prague, Budapest and Krakow to name
but a few. I was able to meet a variety of students from all over the
world and learn about cultures I didn’t even know existed. Some of my
favourite memories were made on the many warm autumn evenings we
spent picnicking under the Eiffel Tower - keeping track of the passing
time as the tower lit up in sparkles on the hour, every hour – not to
mention the intellectual debates and discussions I had with new friends
late into the night, sitting along the banks of the river Seine.
I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to live out my dream and I
highly encourage all future UCT students to go on an exchange
programme as the benefits are endless and you will never be the same
person again! As Hemmingway so beautifully proclaims - “If you are
lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you
go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable
feast.” For this, all my memories and more, I owe a massive thank you
to Stephanie van Heerden and Penny van Zyl from IAPO at UCT and Dr
Etienne Smith from Sciences Po who made my exchange possible.
Below I have included some practical information that I hope will be of
use to future UCT students visiting Paris and attending Sciences Po.
Sciences Po
Despite the fact that very few people outside of France have heard of
Sciences Po, it is a highly prestigious institute in Paris and I was
extremely lucky to have had the chance to attend it. It opened my eyes
to so many new ideas and ways of thinking, and I was able to meet a
wide range of diverse and highly talented individuals who were also
studying there.
Something to know about Sciences Po is that it is one of Paris’ grandes
écoles – different from the universities which are mostly public
institutions and offer free tuition to all who meet the entrance
requirements. It is much harder to get into a grande école – the
entrance requirements are quite stringent and there is a lot of
competition, thus you will be surrounded by very talented and bright
students!
There is an endless amount of different subjects on offer and you will
get the chance to really expand your knowledge on topics you would not
have had the chance to study at UCT. The key thing is that you must do
your research as well as possible before leaving for Sciences Po and
think carefully about what you want to get out of your exchange so you
can choose courses accordingly – otherwise you might end up with
subjects that are not appropriate. In addition, you need to sign a
learning agreement as part of your admin for IAPO so you need to
check that UCT will give you credits for the courses you want to take at
Sciences Po. Thus you need to find courses that are fairly similar at
both institutions.
Please take note: within Sciences Po, PSIA (Paris School of
International Affairs) is a school/division that operates separately to the
other departments, and it is the one that you ideally want to be
registered in as it offers the biggest variety of subjects that are
interesting but won’t keep you sitting in the library for your entire
exchange. Unfortunately for me, this was not obvious on the website
and as I was doing economics at UCT, I just chose courses from the
economics stream at Sciences Po that I thought were most similar.
I ended up with very demanding, technical and difficult courses that
required many hours in the library and as my objective for the exchange
was less academically focused and more about personal growth,
learning about the French culture and exploring Paris – this was not
ideal. I was not allowed to take subjects from both the economics
stream and PSIA and by the time I arrived, it was too late to change.
Thus I faced quite a bit of academic stress during my stay in Paris and
had a pretty rough set of exams at the end of it. Save yourself this pain
and research all the courses on offer at Sciences Po well before you go.
I took four subjects – The Political Economy, International
Macroeconomics, The Political Economy of Development and French
Level 1. I had done French as a high school subject and I found level 1
ideal for me. If you have no French knowledge, then pick level 0.
Most of the application procedure for Sciences Po is completed online
and is quite long – you need to keep an eye on it and make sure you
are keeping track of what needs to be submitted when, because you
won’t really receive notifications otherwise. Be aware that you will need
to pay social security before your application and registration will be
processed.
Another aspect that you should be aware about is that the course signups at Sciences Po operate in a similar manner to tut sign-ups at UCT.
It’s a mad panic and rush to sign up for your desired course online on
registration day – once the course is fully subscribed you cannot get
into it so you need to be waiting at your computer on the day that
registration opens and select your courses as soon as possible to avoid
disappointment.
In terms of the course work itself – I found the French system to be very
much based on critical thinking skills and most of the work I did involved
reading various papers and critiquing them, highlighting their weak
points and showing how they can be improved. You will find that the
French love to complain and critique just about anything and everything
so this follows through into their academic studies. The system also
works such that your assignments are marked out of 20 (with a 10 being
a pass) and your work is assessed in relation to the work of your peers.
You get a class ranking on your transcript and many students found it
very hard to get high marks at Sciences Po which was sometimes a bit
disheartening.
You will find that there is limited space on campus – the facilities are
much smaller than those at UCT – you will often struggle to find a seat
in the library, especially around exam times, and there is not much of a
community atmosphere on campus as most people come for lectures
and the leave again. However, there are plenty of opportunities to try
sports or arts classes and develop new skills while meeting new people.
This is a really great way to meet other students – particularly if you
partake in team sport activities – and I enjoyed getting to try activities
such as yoga, zumba and sewing classes.
There is a sports day during the welcome week and I highly recommend
attending this as you get to meet many fellow students and get an idea
of what sports will be on offer. The sports association, AS, and the
cultural organisation, BDA, are highly active at Sciences Po – hosting
various events and parties throughout the year so be sure to sign up for
them. Everything at Sciences Po happens over Facebook via groups so
it is vital that you join all of these to keep abreast of what’s going on at
campus and read the newsletters that will be sent to your email to find
out about interesting talks and lectures.
Finally, I would also recommend that future Science Po exchange
students make the most of the buddy system of which they are
automatically a part. You will be sent an email notifying you of this and
providing you with the contact details of your ‘buddy’- these are French
students who have signed up to be a mentor and friend to incoming
exchange students. I immediately contacted mine and was richly
rewarded for it. Having spent a semester at UCT herself, my buddy was
crazy about South Africa and she invited me over to her house for a
French dinner shortly after I arrived in Paris. Not only did we get on
extremely well, but she as an endless source of valuable information,
someone I could turn to when I knew nothing and no-one else and
allowed me to gain insight into the lives of French students, which is not
something everyone was privy too. Apparently many exchange students
do not bother to get in contact with their buddy and I can really advise
against this – it will be to your detriment! Make as much of this
opportunity as you can!
Bank Account
Opening a bank account when you get to France will be one of the most
important and thus first things you do. There are plenty to choose from
and in my own experience –it was fairly easy to do. For students at
Sciences Po, it’s even easier. During orientation/welcome week, each of
the banks have stalls in the main hall where you can sign up for bank
accounts and some of them even offer you money to do so. For
example, I chose Societe Generale and they gave me 80 Euros for
opening a current account, and would have given me up to 40 Euros
extra for opening savings accounts. I simply filled in the forms at
Sciences Po, went into the bank’s branch to sign some documents and
thereafter received my bank card in the mail (yes that’s right –
everything operates via the snail mail in France). I think you will need
proof of residence to open an account though so ask your landlord for
this before you go to the bank.
Most importantly though, at the branch you will receive your RIB. This is
your key to all things payment in Paris. RIB stands for Relevé d'Identité
Bancaire and are the bank details that you need to provide people to
receive and pay money. You will need this for your cellphone package,
CAF stipend etc so you will want to get it as soon as possible. Note that
the stipend that comes with the exchange will be paid to you directly by
Sciences Po but only once your bank account is open as they also need
your RIB to transfer the funds to you.
Budget
Be warned – living in Paris is expensive! Things are very costly and you
will want to do quite a few leisure activities to get the most out of your
stay there – so take more money than you plan on spending just to be
safe. On the bright side though – there are plenty of opportunities for
odd jobs and earning some extra pocket money. There were many
people looking for babysitters and language tutors so that is an option if
you are looking for a way to make some money. This was the rough
budget that I followed while in Paris:
Paris Costs
Rands Per
Week
Euros Per
Week
Rands Per
Month*
Euros Per
Month
Rent
Food
Transport (Metro
Ticket)
Entertainment
Internet/Calls
2250
750
150
50
9000
3000
600
200
225
15
900
60
450
93.75
30
6.25
1800
375
120
25
TOTAL
3768.75
251.25
15075
1005
Study Visa
R 1950
Assumed 4 weeks per month
The cheapest grocery stores I found were FranPrix, Idle and Dia – look
for these when you arrive.
Mobile Phone
Unlike in South Africa, in France you cannot just buy a SIM card and
load pay-as-you go airtime. You have to take out a mobile package
subscription – however it is not a contract and you can cancel it at
anytime by just sending a letter into the company.
There are many options available when it comes to choosing your
mobile phone company in France – such as Orange, SFR and Virgin
Mobile. Personally, I went with a company called Free Mobile. There
was no particular reason for choosing them but I found their service
very efficient, convenient and user-friendly.
I went to the walk-in store near the Madeleine metro stop in the 8th and
used the self-service machines there, which were easy to use and
helped me avoid the massive queues of people wanting consultants to
help them. 10 minutes after entering the store, I walked out with an
operating SIM card and data bundle, which is an absolute necessity in
Paris as the confusing layout of the city means that - without internet
access to Google Maps – you will spend a lot of your time lost in its
streets. For approximately 20 Euros a month, my package gave me
unlimited calls and SMS in France and I could also call landlines in 100
other countries (including South Africa!) for free.
In addition, I got 3 GB of data a month – which was more than sufficient
for my needs. Many students complained about poor service from Free
Mobile, and I will admit that the internet was often slow and sometimes
did not work, but other than that I had no major complaints. In fact, I
unfortunately had my phone stolen and I was very easily able to cancel
the SIM online and had a new one posted to me within a few days. As
mentioned, when I left Paris – all I had to do was post the company a
letter to have my subscription cancelled.
Accommodation
While universities in South Africa have student residences, these do not
exist in Paris and I am afraid to say that searching for an apartment
there is something of a nightmare. Firstly, you have to be in Paris as the
apartments are often very different to the pictures on the adverts and
you really need to check them and the area out in person. So plan to
arrive earlier if you intend to do this. Secondly, there is such a massive
demand for apartments in Paris, what with the large numbers of
students and young working professionals in the city, that good
apartments are often hard to come by and when you do find one – do
not hesitate to take it, otherwise it will most probably be rented by
someone else within a few hours. Thirdly, rent in Paris is very
expensive. Obviously, the further out you go – the cheaper it becomes
but that then means you need to factor in travel times to and from
university.
The good news though is that there are lots of students looking for flat
mates, so finding someone with whom to share costs should not be too
difficult. In fact, during my first month at Sciences Po, there were
numerous posts on the various Facebook groups from students looking
for available rooms or people to share with them. This is a great way to
find accommodation so do keep an eye on these forums.
I however, was extremely lucky. I managed to find a private residence
called Le Foyer International des Etudiantes – a private, all-girls and
very reasonably priced residence situated in 5th arrondissement– one of
the best and most central areas for a student to live in. For example, the
Notre Dame was about 15 minutes away from me and the front door of
the residence was right in line with the entrance of the famous
Luxembourg gardens, which became my backyard and through which I
went on many happy runs!
Furthermore, there was a metro stop on Line B (one of the main lines)
right outside the Foyer and I was able to walk to Sciences Po in about
20 minutes, which was not only pleasant in terms of getting to see more
of Paris but it also saved my quite a bit of money on transport costs. I
had a private room with a bar fridge and sink, while on each floor there
were shared bathrooms and kitchens. The rooms are cleaned on a daily
basis and you are given fresh linen every 15 days. There were laundry
facilities available at 4 Euros a wash.
In addition, the Foyer offered a library that looked like something
straight out of a Harry Potter movie and, best of all, a terrace on the 7th
floor that with a panoramic view of Paris, where you can watch the Eiffel
Tower sparkle on the hour, every hour. There wasn’t much interaction
between the girls staying there but I did meet some lovely people and
there was an opening social evening, followed by a very festive
Christmas party. I was extremely happy staying at the Foyer, and I
highly recommend it for exchange students who will be staying away
from home for the first time!
To acquire a room at the Foyer, I had to send in quite a few application
documents by post (you cannot apply via email) and pay my deposit
before I left South Africa to secure the room. It is fairly competitive to
get into and they like to ensure a mix of nationalities residing in the
establishment, so be sure to send your documents in timeously and
motivate your reasons for wanting to stay at the Foyer well. Further
details can be found at:
http://www.fie.fr/english/indexe.html
Another similar residence is:
http://www.foyerdudome.com/index1.html
For the boys – or girls who are looking for something different – I would
highly recommend applying for a room at the Cite Internationale
Universitaire. This is a really beautiful place to stay and reminded me a
lot of the residences at Stellenbosch University – it is a cluster of 40
different ‘houses’, each one from a different country although you need
not be that nationality to stay at the house. Besides being conveniently
located on metro Line B, there are so many facilities on offer at the Cite
– including a library, gym, restaurant and cinema – that there are plenty
of opportunities to meet many other students and create a wide
friendship circle.
There are also numerous events being held at the Cite throughout the
year – such as the massive big welcome picnic on its wide expanse of
rolling lawns, that you will never be bored or lonely staying there! Again,
there is quite a complex application procedure to secure a room in one
of the houses, so check out the website for more information and submit
your application timeously:
http://www.ciup.fr/en/home/
Transport
The main form of transport in Paris is obviously the metro. It is a highly
convenient train system that stretches across Paris and is easy to use.
You will soon be familiar with the different lines and stops, and should
find it easy enough to make your way around the city.
There are a few options in terms of paying for the metro. Firstly, there is
the Navigo pass or, for students, there is the Imagine R carte. This
Imagine R card is half the price of the Navigo pass, which is about 70
Euros a month depending on which zones you select – the pass is valid
for two consecutive zones of your choice. However, the Imagine R carte
is only available to students staying in Paris for a whole year, and thus
is not an option for students on exchange for only one semester. On
weekends and public holidays, these cards are valid across all zones on
the metro. The application process for these cards are quite lengthy and
tedious – when you arrive in Paris you can collect the forms from any
information desk at any metro station.
Another option is the buy individual tickets or books of tickets. A ticket
for a one way trip is 1.70 Euros, and you can buy them in books of ten
which is about 13 or 14 Euros. There are ticket machines at most of the
metro stations, which take both cash and card. The Navigo pass is only
economically viable if you use the metro at least twice a day, for at least
twenty days of the month. So depending on where you live, if you can
walk to your university then the tickets may make more financial sense.
One thing is sure though – make sure you do always have a ticket or
pass on you, as the police often check for tickets, especially at the
larger stations, and the fines can be anywhere between 30 to 50 Euros,
thus rather be safe than sorry (and poorer!).
You also want to be very vigilant when using the metro system,
especially if you are travelling alone or late at night. I had my bag stolen
right out of my hands, whilst walking with a group of friends through
Gare Du Nord. It was a rather eye-opening experience and these
thieves typically target tourists, so please do be alert and careful at all
times.
Something different from the metro is the Velib system. This is a bicycle
system. There are Velib ‘parking lots’ all over Paris, and you can take a
bike from any one of these and cycle to another one. The pass is about
30 Euros for a whole year, and allows you to use the bicycles for free
for 30 minutes, after which you pay per minute. There is an app that
helps you to locate the parking lots and this is a great way to see the
city whilst getting in some exercise at the same time. It is not for the
faint hearted though, as Paris traffic is very scary and very dangerous.
So you will want to have all your wits about you, should you choose this
option!
Talking about apps, Google Maps will become your very best friend. As
any aerial shot will show you, the layout of Paris has no pattern to it and
looks like one massive twisting, turning maze of roads. The roads
typically do not run in straight lines, and while you may think you are
walking in a square you will more often than not find yourself having
taken a triangle route and ending up far from where you wanted to be. I
spent numerous hours completely lost in the streets when I first arrived
so be sure to get some data on your phone as soon as possible to avoid
this frustrating (yet educational) experience. Google Maps is also great
in that it can direct you in terms of which trains to take, if you put in the
starting metro and ending metro station. Another great website to find
routes is RATP:
http://www.ratp.fr/itineraires/en/ratp/recherche-avancee
In terms of travelling around Europe, keep your eye on the SNCF and
EuroRail websites and check out their rail passes – these are affordable
ways to get around and often have great specials on offer! Also check
out Megabus and RyanAir – both are cost effective ways to travel.
VISAs
If you will be travelling on a South African passport, then you will need
to apply for a Schengen study visa and if you intend travelling to any
countries outside of the Schengen region then you may need other
visas too. Be aware that sometimes a transit visa is also needed,
depending on where you are flying to. You will apply for your visas at
the Capago offices – a highly efficient agency that is very pleasant to
deal with.
All the information you need is easily accessible on their website and in
all my prior experiences with them, I always received my visa really
quickly. However, do make sure you apply in time to avoid any visa
troubles or disappointments and be sure to include the cost of the visa
in your budget too. Have a look at their website here:
http://www.capago.eu/IT-ZA/index.php/en/
OFII - L’Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration
Once you have your study visa, you will find a piece of paper in it from
the OFII in France stating that you need to visit their offices within a few
weeks of arriving in France to have your long stay visa validated. This is
a process that every exchange student in Paris has to go through so
you will find many people talking about it and sharing the same
experience as you.
Once you arrive in Paris, you will post the letter in your visa to the
address provided together with the documents it requires, and
thereafter you should receive a letter giving you the date of your
medical appointment. You then need to pay for your Carte de Sejour –
about 60 Euros – either online or at a local Tabac. You will take this with
you to your appointment where you will have a full medical examination
– no needles but you do have a full chest x-ray, so just be prepared for
that. At the end of your appointment, you get the sticker in your
passport and then you are officially allowed to stay in Paris  Fail to do
this – and you will face some serious consequences! So be sure to get
it done!
Language
In terms of the language – the French people tend to keep to
themselves and are not overly welcoming to foreigners. Often they
come across as highly rude but this can sometimes actually be because
they are a bit shy and nervous to speak English. Thus, most of my
friends were fellow exchange students and we spoke English most of
the time. All of my classes were in English too and despite their
unwillingness, most of the people in the city can speak English,
particularly if you first ask them in French if they are able to do so.
Hence, my speaking skills did not improve as much as I would have
hoped but my comprehension and listening skills are certainly better
than they were when I left home. On the whole though, you should have
no problem getting around the city regardless of your level of French.
Safety
Safety is also a concern in Paris – particularly in light of recent events –
I would urge you to really take care and not to let your guard down
simply because you think you are in a first world, European country. I
had my wallet stolen on an overnight train from Madrid to Barcelona, my
cellphone taken off my table whilst I was sitting at a Starbucks near my
house and then my bag snatched right out of my hands whilst walking
through a metro station, despite the fact that I was surrounded by a
group of my friends. So you really have to be vigilant and keep your
eyes peeled for potential pick-pocketers.
Many people approach you in the streets of Paris with petitions,
donation flyers and requests for money – at all times keep your
personal belongings out of sight and stored safely in a bag so that they
cannot be snatched off you. The same goes for when you are using the
metro – just keep your eyes open for any strange activities or people on
the trains/platforms and generally be aware of your surroundings to
avoid any unfortunate incidents.
Crous
Crous stands for Centre Régional des Oeuvres Universitaires et
Scolaires – and it’s an absolute win! Basically you can get seriously
reduced prices for meals. The cafeteria at Sciences Po is subsidised by
Crous and for 3.70 Euros, you can get a lovely baguette, piece of fruit
and a drink. You will quickly discover that this is a very reasonable price
for food and you will most probably eat many of your lunches there.
There are also independent Crous restaurants – like the one at Cite
Internationale Universite – where you can get whole, tasty meals for
less than 4 Euros. Win!
CAF
CAF stands for Caisse d’allocations familiales and it is one of the
sweetest surprises in France! It is part of their social security system
where they making housing subsidies available to those in need and
amazingly, students qualify for this funding. The only criteria they
examine is your financial situation thus you can get this subsidy even if
you stay in a student residence where your rent might not be that high.
And they pay you back a significant amount – often around 100 Euros a
month. Not something to be sneezed at so make sure you take all the
necessary documents with you to France. Most importantly, they require
an UNABRIDGED birth certificate – and this can sometimes take a few
months to get from home affairs here in South Africa. So be sure to
order this well in advanced of your departure date.
In terms of the application procedure – you have to fill in online forms of
the www.caf.fr website and thereafter post in the other necessary
documents such as a copy of your Carte de Sejour, passport,
attestation de scolarite etc. There will be a list on the website but the
unabridged birth certificate is the main document you will need to bring
from home. After a few weeks you should get a letter acknowledging
your application and asking for further information if necessary, and
once it is all set up, you should start receiving the monthly subsidy
directly to your bank account. Many people had numerous problems
with the process and some people didn’t get any subsidies at all.
Despite its unreliability though, it is definitely worth applying for.
I wish all future UCT students going on exchange all the very best and
feel free to contact me should you have any other questions. My email
address is stephaniecrg.90@gmail.com. Once again, a heartfelt thank
you to IAPO for making my trip to Paris possible.