Management and Economics
Courses
Courses Rating
Housing
Housing Rating
Local Culture
General considerations
Costs
General Rating
A major strength of the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne is its wide range of topics. Many courses deal with current global issues such as globalization, climate change, and development economics. I found the academic content very progressive and internationally oriented. Compared to Switzerland, lectures were longer (often three hours) and the organization a bit more flexible, which has both advantages and disadvantages. For Economics Master students, I highly recommend the PSME program, which is part of an international Master’s track. It’s a great opportunity for intercultural exchange. Despite a full 30 ECTS workload, I still had plenty of time to enjoy life in Paris.
Finding a room was easier than expected. Through an email from UZH, I discovered the Fondation Suisse, part of the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, an amazing campus in the south of the city where over 50 national houses host students from around the world. I lived in the Maison Heinrich Heine (the German house) and absolutely loved it. The Cité has everything: cafeterias, sports facilities, libraries, and endless cultural events. The international atmosphere made every day special, and I made friends from all over the world.
There’s always something to do in Paris. Students often get free or discounted entry to museums, theaters, and cultural sites. Both the Sorbonne and the City Universitaire offer a wide range of sports acitivities. For nightlife, there are countless places to discover (jazz bars, indie clubs, student pubs). While the southern parts of Paris are more academic and calm, the northern neighborhoods like Belleville and Le Marais are perfect for going out. During the day, Paris is full of beautiful spots for walking or relaxing. Parks like the Jardin du Luxembourg, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, or Bois de Vincennes are perfect for escaping the city buzz
Doing an exchange semester takes a bit of preparation and comes with its fair share of paperwork. It’s good to keep that in mind and plan enough time for the administrative steps. As long as you stick to the deadlines, though, it’s all totally manageable.
Whenever small issues came up, the contact people at both the University of Zurich and the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne were super helpful and always replied quickly and kindly to my questions.
One thing I’d really recommend is to read all the emails from the Paris university carefully before you go. They include invitations to welcome events and to the “Integration Week,” which takes place the week before lectures officially start. The week includes about four hours of French language classes per day and I can’t recommend joining enough! It’s not only a great way to improve your French, but also where I met most of my closest friends.
That week was the perfect start to my exchange life in Paris.
Rent was around €495 per month, which is quite affordable compared to the Paris average. I also highly recommend applying for CAF housing support (Caisse d’Allocations Familiales). In my case, I received around €205 per month in support, which made living in Paris much more affordable.