BIB Student Oscar Rodriguez

Sciences Po University
Paris, France, 2009-2010

I spent my year abroad in the city of love, Paris, France, and what a wonderful experience it was! My host university was a very well-known grande école called Institute d’Études Politiques de Paris or Sciences Po Paris, which I chose due to its amazing world-wide reputation and since it gave me the opportunity to get a certificate from the institution at the end of the year after successful completion of a specific full-time course load. I must say that I also selected it because it was in such a wonderful city.

I am an international student at Carleton University, so I was lucky enough to have a previous experience (my first and second year in Canada) prior to my arrival in the old continent, but Paris is such a cosmopolitan city that it makes it easy for international students to have a great time. In addition, my host university offered an optional two-week Welcome Program at the beginning of the year, which helped me meet a lot of people, both French and international students from all over the world.

Living in Paris was just amazing. Being able to commute to school either using the always punctual and efficient subway system or the buses that run even in the middle of the night, made it easy to see every corner of the city, which has a million things to offer. Although living in Paris is quite expensive, it could be considered as the center of Europe, which facilitated traveling within the continent by train, bus or plane.

Sciences Po specializes in social sciences, so there are enough business and economic courses offered in English and in French, even though they are surpassed by political sciences ones. The courses are two-hour long and they start and finish on time, and attendance is mandatory for most of them. Sciences Po is known for its exposés or presentations that have to be done in a very specific and structured way that was a little bit tricky at the beginning, but it becomes almost natural once you do the first ones. Sciences Po can be a lot of work, but it all depends on how many classes you take and how well you manage your time; I was able to travel all over Europe and still take six classes per semester (the requirement for the certificate), but it was a little bit rough at times, I must admit.

The French language was not that much of a problem for me; I am a native Spanish-speaker, so it comes easier to a certain extent; however, what I always suggest is to just launch yourself and make mistakes. At my host university, every French student in the courses goes on exchange the year after you are in Paris with them, so they understand what you are going through and most of them are willing to help, but dress nicely (I am kind of not joking).

Paris is a beautiful city with great clubs, bars (they even have a Canadian Pub), and shows (Le Roi Lion is stupefying). The university is located in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods and it is a couple of streets away from the Louvre, but central Paris is, in a way, very small and there is always something to see or do throughout the year. It’s a year in Paris; I think that says it all