Exchange to Science Po Lille

In the spring semester of 2022, I went on exchange at Sciences Po Lille in France. At NMBU, I study International Relations, and thus the university was a suitable destination for my exchange. Sciences Po Lille is a prestigious grande école in France, with a renowned name. Lille is a city in the northern part of France with around 230.000 inhabitants. The university is located close to the city center of Lille.

Housing:

First things first, my advice is to look early for housing! There is no official student housing from the university, though they offer you some help if you struggle with finding a room. There are some websites that you can use (Studapart, Housing Anywhere,..), but keep in mind that French landlords often require you to have a (French) guarantor before they rent you a room. This means that you need someone that agrees to pay the rent for you in case you can’t, most of the time that would be a parent. Some landlords accept non-French guarantors, others do not, and they request you to pay the full rent (so around 5 months) ahead in one payment. If a non-French guarantor is accepted, you need to provide a number of documents for the process. Furthermore, you have the possibility to use Studapart as your guarantor, and for this service you have to pay around 140 EUR. Keep this information in mind when you begin to search for a room.

Generally speaking, I was a bit surprised of the rent prices in Lille, they were a bit higher than I had first anticipated. Most of my friends paid around 500 to 600 for a room in shared housing, and a bit more for a studio. This is where the Erasmus grant came in handy for me, and it is a good support for your exchange semester overall.

Another thing that you should consider is if you want to live with other exchange students or with French students. Both has it advantages and disadvantages. If you live with exchange students, it might be easier to make quick friends, considering that you are living the same experience. Its also easier to plan trips together for example. If you live with French students instead, you could improve your French quicker, and it might be a good chance for you to make local friends (something that can be a bit of a challenge in the university setting, especially if you do not speak French well). Who you live with can have an impact on your overall experience, so just keep that in mind when looking for housing.

Lastly, if possible, look for something fairly close to the city center. It will be much more convenient, especially if you want to go out at night to meet your friends in bars or clubs. The public transport in Lille stops around midnight, 0:30, also on weekends, so it’s a bit of a hassle if you have to use the last bus, or if you have to walk far or have to use an Uber every time you go out.

Course Selection:

A large majority of the courses offered are in French, and they have many to choose from. As far as I know you don’t need to prove any specific level of French to choose French courses for your semester, and there is also the possibility to follow the course in French and hold your exam in English (though I would confirm that in the beginning of the course with the class instructor, just to be sure). Sciences Po Lille also offers English courses, a relatively wide selection on the Bachelor level (these courses are specifically made for international students, so you will not find French students in it), and some other bachelor and master classes in English. There were not as many English master courses as I had expected, and many of them had overlaps in the calendar, which made it hard to follow all the ones you were interested in. Luckily, I was able to take 10 credits on the bachelor level, which made it a bit easier for me to reach the credits I needed. Again, if you speak French your selection is vast, and if you are in your bachelor, you also have a broad selection. Lastly, I was there in the spring semester, where they have fewer international students, and the selection of English Master courses was therefore better in the fall semester instead.

You will receive all the emails for the course signup from the university, just remember to be fast during the signup process. This occurs before your exchange begins where you have a period of three days in which you can choose courses. Just remember to check ahead of time if the courses you are interested in are overlapping in the calendar or not. There is also the possibility to make changes in the Add & Drop Period, which happens after your first week at the university.

I was able to get into all the courses that I wanted to follow at Sciences Po, but I was well prepared when the portal opened and already knew my choices. Some courses have a limit of 20 or so students, and the first come, first served principle applied. The only struggle was the overlapping courses, so I was not able to take some of the classes I would have liked. Should there be a course that you did not get into, also not in the Add & Drop period, you always have the possibility to go either directly to the course instructor, or to Fabienne & Valentin, who are responsible for assisting exchange students. They are keen to find a suitable solution for you.

I did get all of the courses I wanted approved from NMBU, though the process took quiet a while after I had sent it in. You will likely need to send the syllabus of the courses with your course selection to NMBU, so they can determine if the courses are suitable or not. I advise you to do it as soon as possible, since you will only get your Erasmus grant transferred once the Grant Agreement is signed, and therefore you need the courses approved. It took me a while to get all the corresponding syllabus from the professors at Sciences Po Lille.

Exchange Experience:

Generally speaking, I am satisfied with my exchange semester, though it also depends a bit on what you are looking for. Is it the host country that is most important to you, the exact location, going to a well-known university, being academically challenged, having a less challenging semester etc.

My expectations for Sciences Po Lille were a bit higher in the beginning since it is a prestigious university. I was expecting a certain academic quality, and also a good organization. These expectations were not fully met. Some of the courses had fairly little course work to do and did not offer an academic challenge compared to what I am used to at NMBU, group works were frustrating because of different work ethics, and the organization was lacking. Still, the team responsible for international students were helpful in navigating certain problems, and there was also a flexibility for exchange students.

Would I recommend others to go there on exchange? If for you, an academic challenge is important during your exchange semester, maybe consider a different host university. If you want to have a more relaxing semester to enjoy your exchange, while also conveniently travelling to many locations in Europe, Sciences Po Lille is a good choice.

I was not able to achieve as much progress with my French skills as I have hoped. Since I had some French in high school, I did not invest so much time to fresh up my French before going to Lille, which I have regretted afterwards. I wish I would have spent 2 months or so properly preparing for the immersion into the French language. This would have made it easier for me in the beginning. The university offers a free French course (you can get credits for it, or just visit the course without getting it accredited), and I advise you to take it 😊. This course though alone is not sufficient enough in my experience and you should study separately before and during your exchange, to get the best out of the experience.

Life in Lille:

Lille is a charming city in the north of France. Because of its proximity to the Belgian border, it can at times feel a bit like a Belgian. I was happy to have been there in the spring semester, since I arrived when it was cold and rainy, but was able to enjoy spring in the city. Once the temperatures rise, everyone in Lille is spending time outside, and the local parks are full of people enjoying the sun and warmth. You have two organizations at the university, ESN and BDI, that make weekly events for internationals and french students to get together and do all kinds of activities. Through these organizations, you can make plenty of friends, and enjoy fun events.

Travel:

Many of the exchange students in Lille had chosen the city because of its location in the heart of Europe, which makes it ideal for travel. Not only are you in Paris in about 1-hour, other European capitals like London, Amsterdam and Brussels are easy and fast to reach. My advice, begin planning your trips ahead of time. You will be able to get great deals for transport if you book in advance. Look at Flixbus or BlablaCar for visiting places within and outside of France. For affordable train travel within France, browse Ouigo.