Université Panthéon-Sorbonne: Paris I

If you are expecting an anglo-saxon view on teaching, forget it immediately. Courses here are taught by extremely distinguished professors of the highest order. Classes usually include a famous professor reading into a microphone from his/her own textbook, which you will likely already own, and which you will recopy word for word. It is only in later years of study (3rd-4th and on) that you will experience guest lecturers or even meet your professor personally. It is rare that questions are asked in class - this is something you have to bother your tutorial professor about, not the official teacher presiding the course. If you choose to ask a question outloud to the professor in the middle of a class in the ampitheatre, don't be surprised if all the students look at you funny. Professors, however, seem to welcome this since it happens so rarely. All TA's or teachers of the "TD's" (travaux dirigés) are also extremely educated - No third year students passing you their notes here. It is mandatory that each tutorial leader be in the midst of preparing a doctorate, or he/she must have already obtained one. Overall, the professors are some of the best in their field, though they tend to be extremely unapproachable. See your TA. Also - Be prepared to work absolutely nonstop. You'll find yourself bringing your books when you go grocery shopping and to the bar. You will need to be a major geek to succeed in the demanding curriculum - especially if French is not your native language. Enjoy! :)

If French is not your first language or is not something you can manage with perfection, don't hesitate to seek help from tutors and other students. I've found the public to be extremely helpful and understanding of language barriers and they tend to be extemely willing to help, especially considering the stamina required to study at this school. The courses are difficult, and you will learn many interesting things from some of the best professors in the world. As a critique, however, I have to say that there is a sentiment that students are to be extremely dependant on professors. You are required to do a multitude of projects at home and on your own time (like in all universities) but the presence of your TA is very notable - Attendance is mandatory, and your absences are monitored as are your daily homework assignements. You can party hard in Paris, but you can't get away with it without working extremely hard as well.

We didn't really have much choice when it came to courses as the university told what we had to do by our university. The courses were okay, one to aviod like the plague, is Macro 2 in the first semester; very hard and very dull. On the other hand, one that was good, was development economics. A lot of the Erasmus students did it too.

A lot of people didn't know that it existed, but SEGLAS runs a french course for two weeks before term starts, which was really good. There are four groups and you have to do a test for them to decide which group they put you in. For more details, contact the people in the Maison Internationale (Bv Arago). I met lots of Eramus student from it, that i kept in touch with all year. The computer rooms' locations are ...SORBONNE: at the end of the Gallerie Dumas, turn right, then go down some stairs on the right, follow the corridor along and then the rooms are at the end on the left. TOLBIAC: 4th Floor Room C404 (follow signs to the libre service). PANTHEON: Escaliers G (near the accueil) 2nd Floor.

The courses what we chose are so limited. For example, I have studied mathematics and statistics in China and I got excellent grades on them but I have to choose some maths courses. And we only can choose 2 economics courses among 3 of the economics course. What I mean is we should be allowed to choose 3 economics courses plus 1 maths in stead of obliged to choose 2 economics plus 2 maths. In addition, the professors speak English with strong French accent.

Our international students are seperated from the native students in a small building, which has many inconvenient and disadvantage.

In order to follow the courses you need to get a lot of information and a good knowledge about how to acces the resources is important.

We should have more interectation with the teachers. Some times I felt the lack of communication between the students and teachers and therefore little problems appearede during the year

You really need to know French! Not just a few words. For some reason, every French denies to speak any other language than their native..

Please make it easier for foreigners and speak English sometimes.

Difficult, very different from the English university system as lecture theatres are overcrowded, teachers are unavailable to inquiries, local students rather not interested in helping out.

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