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Sciences Po or Oxford?

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Original post by f.timberlake
Hi. How did you get along at Sciences Po as a foreign student, in terms of the university and also with the social side of it?


The school itself was welcoming to foreign students; I can't say much about the students at Sciences Po, but I'm sure once you get to know them well, they will open up and treat you the same as they treat their friends.

Personally, I can't say much from the social side of things because I did not hang out a lot with French students, but I was able to hang out a lot with exchange students, since it was much easier to get along. I'm not saying that the French students were hard to get along; it's just kind of awkward when you weren't able to speak too well in French and sometimes you would feel distant when they tend to their friends more and somewhat exclude you from the conversation.

Sometimes, people can be snobby in Sciences Po, so it might be hard to fit in with that crowd, but I have met some French students whom did not fit the stereotype.

As a foreign student myself, I really liked Sciences Po while I was there. Since I didn't stay for long, I can't really give you an in-depth response to your question, but I could say that students here are really studious, meaning that you will have to put an extra effort on your part to do well and stay at the top of class. When I say studious, I mean being unable to find seats in the school library, which means having to go around campus to search for a place to study and work. Another thing is that you might feel stressed, annoyed, or even overwhelmed with work if you don't plan things accordingly, since they take oral presentations really seriously and it is not a laughing matter when you have 3 of them within the same week, followed by readings and papers. I have a lot to say about the French bureaucracy, but I will not begin, since it will take up a lot of your time to read about it.

All in all, I really enjoyed it and I'm sure you wouldn't have a problem with it. It was a great experience for me having studied in Paris and I'm sure you'll think the same too if you are going to Sciences Po.

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