Mobility specification

Country:France

Institution:Paris Cité University

City:Paris

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Education / Department of French Language and Literature

Study level abroad:Bachelor

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?neutral

Are your credits converted?no

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?Moreover, I was surprised that the foreign university doesn't have an exam period (which of course no one told us beforehand) and all exams are taken in the last two weeks of the semester. So by the beginning of May I had already finished most of my exams (some of them were even finished in April). Although we still don't have the results and it's now the end of June. Also, the format of the exams was completely different. The writing was mainly essays, in which expressing oneself was important, incorporating learned information here and there. This was a huge difference from studying at MUNI, where we have to master a considerable amount of material and the questions are directly targeted to verify it.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?I really appreciated the orientation week that was held before the semester started. We were able to get to know other Erasmus students, register for courses and find out how to find the right classroom at the university. There were a few events organized during the semester but they were always held during my classes so I was unable to attend. What I missed, however, was being included with the regular French students. And so we, as Erasmus students, were more on the periphery of university life, seeking a shared international environment in which we felt more integrated.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Psychological counseling
Interpretation services
Special examination conditions (e.g., extended time, quiet rooms)
Crisis intervention
Support for LGBTQ+ students (e.g., safe spaces, counseling services)

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:27500 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?no

Do you have any tips on how to find private accommodation?I found the roommate on the internet.

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?Quite expensive public transport compared to Brno. I expected accommodation to be expensive, but the amount surprised me anyway.
What was unexpected at times was that it was cheaper to go to a movie or concert in Paris as a student than to buy lunch. Culture is really much more accessible here than regular food expenses :).

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Cooking our own lunches was probably the best way to save money. Also shopping at Lidl, where many groceries cost half as much as at other supermarkets. You have to test which store is worth shopping at.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?almost without problems

How does public transport work in the city?mostly fine

And what about transport outside the city?mostly fine

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?The biggest challenge of the first week for all erasers - to get a metro card. We no longer talk about the weather, but whether we have our Navigo equipped. Once you get your card, you can travel pretty much anywhere in the city for a monthly student subscription. So every time you beep, your heart doesn't ache like it does with the regular fare. The mhd was also very easy to navigate thanks to Google maps, although they didn't always report which lines were currently closed. The public transport app (Bonjour RATP) reported this information very up to date so I consulted both regularly.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?I spent my stay in Paris, where there are an immense number of famous sights, so every "must see" is pretty well known.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?To travel a bit outside Paris to its peripheral areas and finally take a break from all the crowds. There are a number of beautiful chateaux and parks that are not among the usual tourist destinations and so you have almost private tours.

Share your best experience:It's impossible to pick one :). But one of my favourite memories is simply the atmosphere of the city itself. Sitting in the park or by the Seine with friends and enjoying the beautiful weather, then going to the cinema and sitting down for a drink. And on the way to the metro to walk through the night-lit centre. These are the moments I will miss the most.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Plane
Train

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Look ahead to find your way from the airport on the maps. And most importantly, put in the BARRIER-FREE ACCESS filter (really, I'm highlighting). Because lifting a suitcase half my weight onto the train was pretty impossible, and especially the elevators at certain stations were in need of repair. And also some lines have the same color. So my journey resembled a desperate comedy in which I just bumped into someone with my heavy luggage.

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?I can't think of any specific things to remember. Rather, I feel like I wore my favorite outfits and many of the things I packed I didn't even wear. So when packing, I would recommend thinking about which pieces we really wear and which ones we would only use once or twice to just not take.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?Six intense months that flew by so fast that I can't even believe what I've been through.