Exchange report - Student at KI
Home university: Ecole des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP)
Study programme: Public Health Sciences (Master's)
Exchange programme: Erasmus
Semester: Spring semester 2015/2016

Pre-departure

As I choose the Erasmus program for my exchange all the preparation went smoothly. I didn't need to apply for a visa or bring any special documents. Everything was well organized by KI and the Erasmus program. And I traveled by train to Paris! This was a great experience and I can totally recommend it.


For me the checklist sent by KI was very helpful. I just went through these points to be sure to have all the needed documents ( e.g. copy of your password). But as there are two universities involved make sure you start preparing your exchange early enough.

Arrival and registration

As I wrote my thesis during the exchange semester I did not have any official courses and therefore also no official course start.I just emailed with my thesis supervisor at EHESP and agreed on a starting date with her.

Economy

For me the biggest point was the accommodation. I spent 500 Euros for my room the Cité and I think the Cité is one of the cheaper options.


Another thing you should think of is the monthly metro ticket. This will cost you 70 Euros and I think it's impossible to live in Paris without it. And you always have to remind yourself: You are in Paris. And you can find everything in this city. You can buy a crêpe for 2 Euros in a suspicious neighborhood, but you can also eat dinner for more than 50 Euros in Gault Millaud restaurant. And I think this is the cool thing in Paris... you have all the options!


Tip: The restaurant at the Cité universitaire is really cheap. Also the offered sport courses are a good deal.

Acommendation

First of all: If you find an accommodation in Stockholm, you also will find one in Paris ;)


But I think there are some points you should decide about before looking for an accommodation!


- How much money do/can I spend for the accommodation?

- Do I wish to live in Paris - Paris or close to the university?

- Which standard do I expect?

- Is sharing an accommodation a possibility?


I decided to apply for the Cité universitaire. The application takes its time and is a bit complicated, but I think it is worth it. At least I was very satisfied with this accommodation. It's super central for Paris and you have the chance to get in touch with other students.But make sure, you apply for it early enough!!! And be open to be relocated within the Cite universitaire. I was relocated to the Brazilian house and I had a very good time there!


A Swiss girl, studying in Sweden, doing exchange in France, living in a Brazilian house... more cultural exchange is impossible! ;)

Studies in general

The English department of EHESP is located outside of Paris (St. Denis). Be aware of that the main building is in Rennes and only a small proportion of EHEP is working in Paris.


The infrastructure between KI and EHESP is completely different. EHESP is not doing any clinical research, so the university is mainly a office building and not a campus as you may think of. There is no library or any restaurant in the building. There is a cafeteria nearby, but as an exchange student it is not as easy to get the needed member card for it. I had to ask several times and didn't manage ;) 


Be prepared, the technology standard in France is not the same as in Sweden. The WIFI at the university is not as reliable and sometimes the IT is just not working.

Courses during the exchange period

Courses corresponding to semester 4 at KI

As I said before, I was writing my master's thesis during my exchange. Therefore I cannot comment on the teaching methods in general. My experience was that EHESP supervisors guide you much more through your thesis than KI supervisors do. They tell you straight forward what they expect from you and they also tell you straight forward if they are not happy with your work. But I also think you need to work a little bit harder than at KI to satisfy the teachers.


Furthermore, during writing your thesis, they will treat you as an intern. This means you will be paid for your work (ca. 500 Euros), but you need to be present 35 working hours per week at the institute. The bureaucracy in France is sometimes unbelievable, so take it easy, when they ask you to fill out another form ;) 


I think if the content of your exchange is writing a thesis your academic impression of the exchange is really depending on one person - your supervisor. I was very lucky with my supervisor, she was great! But I didn't know her before, so it was just very good luck :-)


No matter if you are in Sweden or France finding a good supervisor is always a bit a lottery and you never know how it will end up. The only thing I can tell you, EHESP does not support you on finding a project. So make sure to read through the EHESP homepage carefully, check all the publications of the teachers at EHESP and contact people some months in advance. Also check if they are located in Rennes or Paris.

Language and Culture

Bienvenue à Paris! :-)


To be honest France is one of these countries where you should speak the local language. Not fluent, but the basics. I mean in the touristic neighborhoods you can get along with English and more and more young people speak fluent English, but it is not Stockholm, where you can talk to every bus driver in English.


EHESP offers international master programs and in this programs the language spoken is English. I think you can compare it a bit with KI and its international master programs: They are in English, but its students live a bit in a bubble. As my exchange took place at the international department of EHESP I was part of this bubble. I did not have the chance to meet "native" French students, but on the other hand I have now friends in Nepal and Ghana ;)


Sadly, the university does not offer you any language course. I spoke already French when I arrived in Paris, but I hoped to improve my language skills while studying in France. This acutally didn't happen. As I said, all my co-students were not from France either and the language used in my department was English. Therefore I decided to take some private language courses. But it's not the same atmosphere as if you can study a language together with other students.


But as I lived in the Brazilian house I improved my Portuguese! :D

Leisure time and social activities

The university does not arrange anything for exchanges students in Paris. There is also no help service for Erasmus students and the coordinator works in Rennes, while I was studying in Paris. So if you have any problems, you need to help yourself. E.g. I never got an student card and the only option I would have had, would have been to take the train to Rennes and get it there during the office hour ;)


For me it was great to live in Cité universitaire. The campus there is amazing and always something going on. They also have a gym and a swimming pool. And it's a place for students only. So you will interact with other students for sure!And then remind yourself again: you are in Paris!!! 


This city is never sleeping! It offers you everything you can think of! Cheap beers for students during happy hours, good food and a lot of culture for an affordable prize (make sure you have a valid student card).


The first Sunday of every month the museums are for free. Make use of it and everything else Paris offers you.


And there is even a Swedish institute in Paris with some Swedish culture activities.

Summary

I had an awesome time Paris, found many new friends and had super good supervisor for my master thesis.Thanks to my supervisor I developed my academic skills a lot. She was amazing and will be a long lasting contact!


But be aware of: You need to find your way by yourself through EHESP. It is not as at KI, where everything is nicely prepared for you. You really have to show a lot of effort to get everything you need during your exchange period.


The best part of my exchange time was the city Paris. It's so cool to have the possibility to live for 6 months in this city! Enjoy as much as you can, try everything out and get inspired. And be open-minded!!! Many things will turn out differently as you expected them, but try to adapt and you will have a great time (and maybe learning Portuguese instead of French ;))!