{"id":8395,"date":"2020-07-16T10:00:39","date_gmt":"2020-07-16T00:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.qut.edu.au\/gone-global\/?p=8395"},"modified":"2020-07-15T10:26:45","modified_gmt":"2020-07-15T00:26:45","slug":"paris-a-city-full-of-magnificent-architecture-history-culture-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.qut.edu.au\/gone-global\/2020\/07\/16\/paris-a-city-full-of-magnificent-architecture-history-culture-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Paris\u2026 a city full of magnificent history, culture and more."},"content":{"rendered":"

Eloise \u2013 University Paris Dauphine<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Semester 2, 2019
\n<\/strong>Bachelor of Mathematics<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I\u2019ve always loved France, and after doing an exchange to rural France in high school, Paris was an obvious choice! Leaving Brisbane, I was so excited for this adventure to begin. Still, there was a small part of me anxious about making friends and finding \u201cmy people\u201d. But now that it\u2019s over, I know that I never should have worried about that because there are so many people in the same boat, that you readily find \u201cyour\u201d group.<\/p>\n

University<\/strong><\/h4>\n

During my four months of study, I attended Universit\u00e9 Paris Dauphine, which is located about a 20min walk from l\u2019Arc de Triomphe. The university itself is quite different from QUT. The campus is the former site of the United Nations and is just one building (although they have another campus at La Defense that I never visited), that has a courtyard in the centre.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Universit\u00e9 Paris Dauphine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Universit\u00e9 Paris Dauphine had a number of differences from QUT. When it came to class time, unlike QUT there was one 3hr class with a 15min break per unit, as opposed to lectures and workshops. As well, rather than QUT\u2019s lecture theatres, rooms were more comparable to classroom size, depending on the subject, with approximately 30 students per class. I studied a plethora of subjects and particularly loved the two FLE (French as a Foreign language) classes that I did, in which I learnt about Art and Cinema. I would recommend attempting the French classes if you can, particularly if you are looking to learn French or extend your existing vocabulary.<\/p>\n

Getting to university is fairly easy, with a metro stop right next to it. Fortunately, I had a central apartment in the 8th<\/sup> arrondissement, so I chose to walk the 4km to and from university instead. Being in Paris, this was easy as my journey to university consisted of walking down the Champs-Elys\u00e9es each day!<\/p>\n

When it comes to food at University, Dauphine has vending machines that have coffee, drinks, snacks, sushi rolls and pasta. They also have a small caf\u00e9 where you can buy toasties, muffins and coffee. However, prepare for a LONG line-up! If your schedule allows enough time, be sure to grab the cafeteria lunch for only 3.30 euros!! You get a full plate of hot food plus your choice of tarts, fruit, salads etc. For that price, you can\u2019t go wrong!<\/p>\n

Orientation Week<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Whilst Dauphine does offer some activities during O-week, they also offer an Intensive French Seminar (for a fee), where for a few days you can either start your journey learning French or improve\/ refresh your existing knowledge. I found this was a great way to make friends and help me to brush up on my French.<\/p>\n

The Dauphine Erasmus Exchange (DEE) also hosts events during the first week, which for me included a picnic at Invalides and an afternoon of volleyball. It was during this first week that I made most of my friends, with whom I kept in contact throughout my exchange and ended up travelling with to many European destinations. Of course, I also made more friends during the classes themselves, but I found it a great advantage to already know a few people in my class by the time classes officially commenced.<\/p>\n

Accommodation<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When it comes to accommodation, I chose to rent a private one-bedroom apartment as opposed to student accommodation. Whilst this was significantly more expensive, I liked that I was able to choose to live in a central location and also so that I\u2019d have room for my friends or family members to stay when they came to visit! However, in saying that, student accommodation is a lot cheaper and a good way to meet new people. The locations offered in Paris, from what I heard from friends and other students, seemed to be slightly hit or miss, with some located centrally and others further north.<\/p>\n

Travelling<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Paris was a great spot to stay, not only for the beauty and rich culture that it offers but also because it\u2019s the centre of transport in France. You can find a plane, train or bus to go wherever you\u2019d like! For me, I only had classes Tuesday \u2013 Thursday, so I had a long weekend every weekend to travel! I travelled both with friends and solo and loved everywhere I went! My favourite places ended up being Finland, Ireland and Iceland. I made so many amazing memories.<\/p>\n

Beware of protests and strikes!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Whilst Paris definitely captured my heart, be prepared to experience the French bureaucracy! During my time there, there was a protest most weekends (mainly Saturdays). Most of that time, I was away travelling so this didn\u2019t really affect me. However, when I was<\/em> there, there was always a large police presence and I knew the areas to avoid, so I never felt unsafe. Unfortunately, for my last almost two months, the transport workers did decide to go on strike. So, most metros, buses and trains weren\u2019t working. My trains to Switzerland for Christmas also got cancelled, but luckily I was able to rebook free of charge. So be prepared for anything to happen with the French!<\/p>\n