Erasmus in Paris – half a year in another world

“Going on Erasmus was more than just changing universities for me – I treated it as an opportunity to step away from everyday life, see how I would adapt to a completely different environment, and find out what life abroad is really like,” says Aleksander. “From the start, we wanted to get as much as possible from this experience, not only academically but also personally.”

A beginning – chaos and uncertainty

“Going on Erasmus was more than just changing universities for me – I treated it as an opportunity to step away from everyday life, see how I would adapt to a completely different environment, and find out what life abroad is really like,” says Aleksander. “From the start, we wanted to get as much as possible from this experience, not only academically but also personally.”

We arrived by car – packed to the brim with things that seemed indispensable but turned out to be unnecessary. For the first few days, we didn’t even know whether we would get accommodation. We had no choice but to spend the initial nights in a hotel before finally securing a place in a private student hall of residence in Palaiseau, near Paris.

Uncertainty and chaos at first slowly gave way to new habits. The university was right next door, although for three months we drove there by car, not realising it was only a 15-minute walk.

New habits, new perspectives

Over time, life started to look completely different than in Poland. Baguettes replaced bread, and lunch at noon became a daily ritual. Interestingly, even without knowing French, we managed to communicate without major problems in most situations.

The university also surprised us – although we had not yet completed our engineering studies in Poland, in France we were enrolled in a Master’s semester. And we managed without major difficulties. Exams took place at the end of March, and afterwards we began an internship at the electrochemistry laboratory at Sorbonne – in the building named after Maria Skłodowska-Curie, just a few steps from Notre Dame Cathedral.

Courses – balancing theory and practice

All classes were conducted in English, which made studying much easier. Each subject usually consisted of three or four lectures, followed by practical laboratory sessions. Interestingly, as part of each course there was one meeting during which we were shown around a specific laboratory or research facility related to the subject.

One such trip was a visit to the French synchrotron SOLEIL – a huge research centre that made a great impression on us.

The biggest difference compared to studying in Poland was the spectroscopy course. Instead of classic lab exercises, we were given an entire laboratory, a research topic, and freedom of action. As a team, we carried out measurements, analysed results, and prepared a fully-fledged scientific article. We had never encountered such an approach – requiring independence and responsibility – in any course in Poland.

Erasmus is more than just learning

Looking back, we can say that Erasmus did not change us dramatically, but it showed how much lifestyle, studying, and thinking depend on context. In France, things that are often overlooked in Poland are essential – for example, lunch time. Between 12:00 and 14:00, life stops – no one answers the phone, no one works. It is sacred time for a shared meal. At the university, a three-course meal costs 3 euros – perfectly thought out for students.

Advice for future participants

Don’t worry about accommodation – previous participants told us that in the end everyone finds something. And it turned out to be true.

Don’t take all information at face value – always double-check whether a given cost applies to you.

Start sightseeing right away. I thought: “I’ll go tomorrow, I have a few months.” They passed in the blink of an eye.

Integrate with other Erasmus students – no books or podcasts will tell you as much about other cultures as an ordinary conversation with someone from another country.