ESSEC Business School Fall 2016 Travel Report

ESSEC Business School Fall 2016 Travel Report 375942

Introduction In this travel report I will tell everything I can about my exchange experience in France. My exchange was amazing and I truly hope this report will motivate you to choose ESSEC as your exchange school as well. If you have any further questions about France, ESSEC or exchange in general feel free to contact me riikka.nieminen(at)aalto.fi Preparing for the exchange Confirming your place The application period for the exchange places is in the beginning of the year. Aalto informs the applicants about the results usually at the end of February (I got the good news during our annual ball week which was rather nice). It is important to understand that this is not yet the final confirmation for the place. Basically at this point you have the right to apply for the place in ESSEC s internal application system. ESSEC contacted me for the first time in May, when they sent me the instructions for the online registration. Many other universities contacted my friends much earlier, so don t worry even if it feels that other people are already choosing their courses when you re still waiting for the first email. I was asked to send the following materials: Academic transcripts in one pdf file ID photo in JPG format Copy of passport (or ID card for EU students) Proof of English proficiency (for non-natives only) > you can get this from outgoing-biz@aalto.fi

After the online registration ESSEC sends you lettre d acceptation which confirms your place. Course Registration In July you will choose your courses and register for them in the online system. The registration platform will be open only during certain dates, so make sure you have a working internet connection and a computer with you. I was waiting for the platform to open a couple of minutes beforehand and I really recommend it. This way you re the first one to access the system and you will get the courses you want. ESSEC sends a list of offered courses and a tentative schedule before the online system opens. A good thing about going to exchange in Europe is that the credit system is the same as in Finland. In ESSEC the courses were either 2ECTS or 4ECTS. You register to the courses by adding the course codes to the online system. Write down the codes before the registration so that the actual registration gets done smoothly. After the first round of registration, there will be a second round at the end of July in case you want to make some changes to your courses. However, if you have got the courses you wanted to have, you don t have to do anything during this round. Traveling to France and arriving to ESSEC It is extremely important to understand that ESSEC is not in Paris. However, it takes approximately 40min with the RER A train to get there from Paris city center

It takes approx. 40minutes to get to ESSEC from Paris city center Since I was traveling from one EU country to another, my travel planning was rather easy. I bought my flight to Paris in July. The earlier you are able to book your flights, the cheaper they obviously are. Even though I bought my flight rather late, it was still only 100. I decided to fly with Finnair. Since the flight is so short, I would say that flying with some cheaper company like Norwegian is not a bad option either.

It is truly recommendable to plan your packing well in advance. I made an excel-sheet where I wrote down stuff whenever something important came to my mind. It also helped me to follow what I still needed to pack or take care of. Remember to check how many bags you re allowed to take with you and also check the weight limits! Since there was a lot of stuff I wanted to take and the price for overweight is only 30 inside Europe, I decided to pack freely. It was smart, since I indeed had some overweight in my bags. However, it is smart to consider how many pairs of shoes are necessary or how much cosmetics you want to take with you. Before the semester started, ESSEC had a reception for arriving students at the campus. You have to go there to get your student card and dorm keys if you are staying at university s apartments. The visit is mandatory for everyone, since you will also do the final steps of the registration there. Exchange studies In fall 2016 the semester started with an orientation week which was held 29.8.-2.9. and after that the classes started on Monday September 5 th. Courses take place the whole fall semester except for the intensive courses that are held during the first holiday week in the end of October. The classes end in the beginning of December. After that there is the examination period. The semester ended in December 21 st. Course selection As a top class university ESSEC offers a very wide range of courses. In fall the course selection is slightly better than in spring. Courses are offered in French and in English. I took all of my courses in English. As an undergraduate it is possible to take only ug courses,

but a master level student may choose courses from both levels. ESSEC does not set any restrictions regarding the course topics. The only rule from Aalto is that you can t take language/culture courses more than 8ECTS and the courses have to differ from what you have studied in Aalto. This means that if you have studied the basics of marketing, you cannot take that course in ESSEC. Even though according to ESSEC the total amount of credits may vary between 16ECTS and 30ECTS for the exchange students, in order to get the ERASMUS+ scholarship (1500 ) Aalto requires you to take 30ECTS. It is also required if you want to get the Finnish student allowance for the whole exchange period. The courses have to be accepted by the Student Exchange Services of Aalto. In my opinion if you want to get the most out of the exchange, try to choose your courses so that you have to go to school as little as possible. In ESSEC all courses have mandatory attendance. You can be absent twice, and the professors call out the name list in the beginning of every class so it is not possible to cheat. This is why I for example chose my courses so that I had school only on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. This way it is easier to arrange weekend trips etc. during the exchange. On the other hand because of this arrangement I had school on Mondays from 8 to 19.30, which was sometimes quite tough. My courses I took 6 normal courses that lasted the whole semester. I also took 2 intensive courses that took only 3 days each during the first holiday week in October. I definitely recommend taking intensive courses since usually the workload is light and that way your normal curriculum is much lighter as well. Almost all courses include group

work. Also the weight of the final exam often was rather small or at least <50% of the final grade. French Civilization - CPRO 14143 4 credits Assessment: 1. Quiz 1 = 10% 2. Quiz 2 = 10% 3. Oral presentation = 20% 4. Final exam = 60% This course was offered exclusively only for the exchange students. The atmosphere in classes was very relaxed. The teacher was an old French lady who knew a lot about French history and culture, but her teaching methods were quite outdated. The course included very nice parts like cheese tasting, but required also quite a lot studying about history and arts. With a little effort you will pass the course, but I would personally recommend taking some other course than this. E-Business - IDSI 14130 4 credits Assessment: 1. An in-class presentation on e-business =30% 2. Class participation = 10% 3. A written final exam = 40% This was a really good course and offered a very wide view on the current trends in e-business. The teacher was very excited about the topics and was able to offer good real life examples about the topics he was teaching about. He encouraged us to discuss and showed how different decisions affect on e-business. The content gives nicely the main idea about the different aspects of doing business in digital environment.

Upper intermediate French - LGFR 13134 4 credits Assessment: 1. Listening comprehension = 20% 2. Presentation = 20% 3. In-class participation= 10% 4. Written exercises = 10% 5. Final exam = 40% In France it is almost mandatory to speak French. I have studied French already since high school, and after the pre-exam I was allocated to Upper intermediate group. The atmosphere in classes was very relaxed and the teaching methods were very good or my level. We often discussed about different topics and compared how things are in our home countries, which was very interesting. The teacher was always very understanding and encouraging. Inner Management - MGTP 14231 4 credits Assessment 1. Two videos about personal happiness = 10% 2. Meditation journal = 30% 3. Random acts of kindness journal = 25% 4. Exercise in perseverance journal = 15% 5. In-class participation = 10% The idea of this course was to afford students an opportunity to discover techniques that will help them to better manage occupational stress, and will help them develop tools to increase wellbeing and creativity. The professor was a former corporate leader who had decided to pursue a career in wellbeing and he for example had a PhD from Harward in Religion Science. Even though the course was not at all business related, it made me think a lot

about my personal wellbeing. We had to meditate everyday and follow our progress. I truly enjoyed this course and feel that after this course I can handle stress better. I definitely recommend this course, even though it might sound like a total nonsense. Sales Force Management - MKGF 14120 4 credits Assessment 1. Final Exam (individual) = 45% 2. Simulation - Participation (group) =10% 3. Simulation - Written Report (group) = 5% 4. Mini-Assignments (individual and group) =10% 5. Group Project = 20% This course was about understanding the work of sales managers. We did cost analysis but combined it with market analysis and marketing strategies so it showed how to take into consideration different aspects of business. During the course we had multiple case studies that require some advanced math and excel skills. The course was taught by one of the top teachers in France. He was very strict but at the same time helpful if you paid attention and focused on lectures. The exam was done with google docs and excel. This course showed why ESSEC is one of the top business schools in Europe because the teaching was very high qualified and everything was done online. Luxury Marketing - MKGF 14125 4 credits Assessment 1. Group project = 40% 2. Retail safari report = 60% ESSEC is well known for its luxury business MBA program. Luckily undergraduates had an opportunity to take this one luxury related

course. During the course we learned how luxury products differ from normal products and how luxury companies have to do many things differently compared to normal companies. Retail safari was a project where we had to visit some very expensive stores (like Hermès, Louis Vuitton etc.) and analyze how we were served. This was a very interesting way to learn about luxury brands. Web-Marketing - MKGF 14122 4 credits (intensive course) Assesment 1. Student presentation = 50% 2. Final exam =50% This was an intensive course, so it lasted only 3 days. The course was about different KPI s that are used in web marketing. We also talked about Google Analytics and how web ads work. The course was taught by a French consultant. She was very experienced, but lacked pedagogical skills which is why sometimes she had issues explaining the terms and concepts. The exam had 40 multiple-choice questions. This was an easy way to get 4 credits. Business Ethics and CSR - MOPO 14200 Assessment 1. Continuous assessment based on attendance, participation and contribution =100% The teacher of this course was a consultant and a lecturer of business ethics. He was extremely passionate about the topic, which motivated the students to participate in the discussion an pay attention during the lecture. The grading was based on attendance and a final essay where we had to tell what business ethics meant for us. Again, an extremely easy way to earn 4 credits.

Life in France Accommodation ESSEC offers a possibility to live on residences that are located in Cergy close to the campus. Rooms are eithers studios or shared with one person. Many exchange students choose this option since it is convenient and then you are living with other exchange students. I chose to live in Paris and even though sometimes the rather long distance to school was frustrating, I did not regret my decision at all. Some of the students moved from Cergy to Paris in the middle of semester. As a big European city, Paris is obviously quite expensive when it comes to rents. Make sure you have time to look for the apartment. At first the process might feel really stressful, so try to stay patient. I started to look for a place to live in May, which was a good timing in my opinion. For the Finnish people a good place to look for the apartments are the FB-groups Pariisilaisten ilmoitustaulu and Ranskan suomalaiset. I found my own apartment from the first group. It is also possible to find an apartment with a help of traders, but there are a lot of cheaters in Paris. All in all renting a place without seeing it beforehand is always really risky! Apartments in Paris are often quite small, the kitchens are not well equipped and it s common that you share the toilet with other people. In my opinion it is important to remember that the exchange lasts only 4-5 months, and during that time it is ok to live in a bit smaller place.

View from my window in Paris Culture Before going to Paris understanding some things about France and the French people makes your stay much more enjoyable. France is an old, globally strong country and some French people consider France as the leader country of the world. I found this rather funny than annoying. A clear sign of French people s love for their country is the language. You have to know at least some French to make it through. When I went to eat with my friends, I basically always got better service since I spoke French and they did not. Even in Paris there are some people who do not speak English at all. And most importantly, the best way to learn a language is by speaking it. Do not be afraid of grammar fails!

Another important issue especially for women is the safety. Finland is extremely safe compared to Paris. I do not recommend walking alone late at night. I was being followed by a stranger a couple of times which was very intimidating. Since Uber is very cheap in Paris, I often took an Uber when I left a party or a club since it was safer than walking. There is also a local Uber called Heetch that you can use. Pickpockets are quite common, so keep an eye on your bag and wallet. Due to the terror attacks in Paris it is common to see the army members walking on the streets with guns. They are there for your safety, so do not be afraid of seeing them. In stores handbags are often checked and in concerts and other big events the safety checks are very profound. The bright side is that French people are very relaxed and indeed know how to enjoy life. You can always add some luxury to your everyday life, at least according to Parisians. Practicalities Phone plan I got mine from Free mobile. The best thing about this plan is that you get the sim card right away from the store, you pay it monthly and you can close the number as soon as your exchange ends. The plans cost 20 per month and includes 50GB of data which means you will have Internet all the time. Free Mobile 8 Rue de la Ville-l'Évêque, 75008 Paris, France Travel card In Paris the metro usually works ok, but in general the public transportation system is quite a disaster. I had to take the RER A train to school, and that line is one of the most used lines in whole Europe. The trains and metros can suddenly be late or even

cancelled. Try to stay patient! From http://www.ratp.fr/en/ you can always check the current situation of each metro/train line. You can buy travel card from any metro station. Since I had to move between Paris and Cergy, I had to take the region card which was 73 per month. You need a passport size picture of yourself for the card. Luckily there are usually photo booths in every station as well. Food & drink Paris is a home of culinary. The restaurant and café options are endless. I strongly recommend eating out since the price-quality ratio is extremely good. In Paris you can also find exotic cuisine easily and with good prices.

In grocery stores the food is slightly more expensive than in Finland, but in my opinion the difference was not very significant. Since in ESSEC the quality of school food was very poor and the selection includes mostly baguettes, I strongly recommend preparing your own food. There are microwaves in campus that you can use to warm up your food. The alcohol is cheap in stores, but not in bars/nightclubs. The good thing is that you will get wine and even hard liqueurs from grocery stores. A good bottle of wine is 4-6. In bars, even the basic drinks can be over 10. Free time I went to Paris already two weeks before the orientation week and I strongly recommend this for everyone. The school made a FB group for all in coming exchange students and I simply started to add them and asked if they wanted to meet. I met many people already before the orientation week and this way arriving to school on the first day was very easy. I want to emphasize that it is depending a lot on your own activity how successful your exchange is. Meet actively new people, go out with them and travel as much as you can. Exchange is an excellent opportunity to travel and from Paris you can cheaply visit almost any country in Europe. Paris offers endless options for free time. Visit museums and other attractions. Eiffel tower might sound like a cliché, but at least for me seeing it was impressive every single time.

Final comments For me Paris and ESSEC offered an experience I will never forget. I fell in love with the city and made many friends who I actively meet and stay in touch with. If you want to enjoy high quality teaching in one of the best business schools in Europe but at the same time enjoy life in a big European city, this is definitely the destination for you. I would not really do anything differently. I had a blast and got the most out of my exchange. I truly feel exchange is something everyone should experience. Even in Europe you learn about other cultures and challenge yourself. My exchange encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone, improved my French drastically and showed me I can handle very challenging situations on my own. I did not get homesick at all, since I truly enjoyed living abroad and I now know I definitely want to live somewhere else in the future as well.