Exchange Report SKEMA Business School, Paris

AU Hok LaiFINA & IS, Year 32018 Fall Term

�1

Monthly Activity Log

�2

September I arrived Paris the day before the orientation day. On that day, they introduced SKEMA and explained how things worked there. The next day was MSc welcoming day and also a meeting for your major. They explained the course structure and some numbers. There was also a city hunt in the first week which allowed us to explore around Paris. Our group were all from the same major, Corporate Financial Management, so I met classmates for the coming semester on that day. There was a cruise trip on Seine River at the end of the day. In the first week, my friends at SKEMA and I went to the Palace of Versailles, the Notre Dame and also picnic under the Eiffel Tower.

The schedule was not tight in September therefore I went to Belgium and the UK. This was my first time travelling in Europe and I took an 8-hour bus to Brussels. My friend and I spent a week in Belgium and visited several cities. I went to the UK after that and it was so far the most important trip in my life because I have been a big fan of Liverpool Football Club for over ten years. I watched a football match against Chelsea and spent a day in Liverpool discovering its great history.

Monthly Activity Log

�3

OctoberAssignments and tests started to come up. However, we had a flexible schedule at SKEMA, I still travelled to 3 countries including Netherlands, Italy and the UK. I had a great time in Netherlands and stayed in a small town called Maastricht. There were an old castle and an underground city. It was a special experience as we had a chance to experience an absolute darkness during the tour.

In the middle of October, I went to Italy with one of my friends in UST and the friends he met in his exchange university. We went to Naples and Rome. Rome is probably my favourite city in Europe. There are great buildings around the city and delicious food with a low price. We also went to Pompeii, an old city destroyed by volcanic eruption in the year 79 AD.

At the end of October, I went to Manchester and London to visit my two friends studying abroad. I had some great asian food there and that was the time you started to have a craving for asian food. I also spent a few days in London and visited some travel spots. Unfortunately, the Big Ben was under maintenance until 2021 so I did not get to see its original

Monthly Activity Log

�4

NovemberSince I had a break at the beginning of November, I went Iceland directly from London. The view there was exceptional (also the price lol) and we were lucky enough to see the aurora. We joined 3 tours to discovered the southern part of Iceland. We went to waterfalls, ice cave as well as a horse riding tour. After the trip to Iceland, I started to focus more on study and stayed in Paris for the rest of the

DecemberDecember is the month for assignments, projects and exam. Some of the exams were took during the semester therefore I only had 3 exams in the exam period. I went to several European countries after finishing all the exams.

General Exchange InformationVisa ProcedureThe Visa application is divided into two sections, Campus France and the Consulate. You first need to arrange an interview with Campus France by email, then submit your documents to the Consulate. You can arrange them on the same day to save time. To speed up the application process, make sure you have all the required documents before you go. Those documents are generally easy to prepare except the housing proof especially when it is hard to find a housing in Paris as SKEMA does not provide any. There is one little trick if you are reaching your appointment time but still unable to obtain the housing proof. You can book free cancelling hotel through whatever agent you prefer, then submit the confirmation to the Consulate and cancel the hotel after getting the visa.

Orientation ActivitiesThere were total 3 days of activities. The first day was for exchange students which they introduced SKEMA and explained the system in SKEMA. They also mentioned some rules and reminders. The second day was a welcoming day for all students. The last day was the induction day which is a city hunt.

AccommodationsAs mentioned above, housing is the most complicated part. It took a really long time for me to find one. SKEMA does provide a housing agent and you can search for a suitable one according to your preferred location and budget. Apart from that, there is also a facebook group “Housing SKEMA” where you can search for a room. I do not find the group useful as it is quite unorganised and there is only few posting. You can also find housing in other ways like Airbnb but it costs much more. The most effective way would be searching through the agent but it may took a long time so you better start earlier.

Course Registration You will receive a course list before you arrive at SKEMA. Basically you can only enrol in the courses under your major and there are around 30 ECTS for one semester which will be pre-enrolled for you. You can add or drop courses in the first week by editing your course list. Then you will have to sign a finalised one.

Teaching & Assessment MethodsThe teaching at SKEMA is similar to UST. Each lesson lasts for three hours and usually one or two breaks in the middle. The workload is lighter at SKEMA and not many assignments were given. There is still midterms, presentations and exams but it is manageable. One thing to notice is that the attendance policy at SKEMA is strict. You cannot be absent from the class more than twice (for each course) otherwise you will fail the course.

�5

Sports & Recreation FacilitiesThere is no sports facilities at SKEMA but there is one gym around called Neoness. There is also one band room in the school building.

Finance & Banking If you wish to open a bank account, you can go to the booth at SKEMA as they usually can speak English. Otherwise it is advised to go with people who can speak French for easier communication. Personally I did not open a bank account there and rather withdraw cash from my HK bank account. For HSBC, handling fee is $20HKD for one withdrawal.

Social Clubs & Networking OpportunitiesThere are a few clubs at SKEMA and they will introduce themselves in the orientation day. You can join them if you are interested. I did not join any as I spent most of my free time travelling. For networking, you will get to know all exchange students at the beginning of orientation. It is easy to make friends in class and you are staying with the same people throughout the semester.

Health & SafetyI did not encounter any safety issue throughout the exchange period. Paris is famous for pickpocketing so make sure you keep your belongings well. Paris is quite safe for me actually. I did not lose anything during the period . Just for your reference, I put my wallet and phone in the back pocket of my jeans and they are still intact. However, to avoid being pickpocketed, you may pay more attention to people around you.

FoodDining at restaurant can be quite expensive and I usually cook at home. It is better to buy food from supermarket and the price level is similar to HK. Some products like diary products are much cheaper than those in HK. There is also asian market in the 13th arrondissement where you can buy Chinese seasoning and asian food.

TransportationIf you live near SKEMA, you may not need the metro card. If not, it is 75 euros a month for all kinds of transport.

ClimateIn September and October, it is usually sunny in Paris with temperature at 15-25 degrees. You may need summer clothing but only for the first two weeks. After that, it is all about hoodies and jeans. Paris is getting cold in November and December, you will need a winter jacket as the temperature will be around 0 degree.

�6

CommunicationAccording to my own experience, French people can at least understand or speak some English. For those working in bank, post office or restaurant, they can speak fluent english but for those working in supermarket may not. However, they can at least understand some. You can still live a life there even if you do not speak any French like me but do expect some inconvenience. It is better to learn some French before going.

Cautionary measuresMake sure to bring a pair of sunglasses and a windbreaker. People do not really use umbrella in Paris, to blend in the local culture, it is better to have a water repellent jacket.

Items to BringBasically you can buy everything in Paris but here are some essential items.

Useful link:Course catalog: https://www.skema.edu/international/Exchange%20IN/grande-ecole-programme

If more information is needed, email bmugexch@ust.hk.

Summer clothes Winter clothes Sweater Down jacket

Scarf Gloves Sunglasses Waterproof jacket

Charger Adapter Camera Medicine

Credit card ATM card Documents copy Rice cooker (if you are a Chinese food lover)

�7