Selina Grell (B.A. Journalism and Corporate Communications, Media University Frankfurt) recently spent a semester in the French capital. During her stay abroad, she got to know students from all over the world as well as university life at ISCOM, Institut Supérieur de Communication et Publicité. She told us more about her experiences here.
I completed my semester abroad at ISCOM, Institut Supérieur de Communication et Publicité, in Paris and the semester there ran from 12.09. to 16.12.2022. It was my 3rd semester.
Paris was great! I was there with my fellow students from the Media University in Berlin and Frankfurt, Madeleine Roters and Khadidja Kordowou. I also lived in an apartment with Madeleine, together with 5 other flatmates. As we were already very good friends beforehand, Madeleine and I also did a lot of things together in Paris and always had a lot of fun together.
Studying in Paris was a special experience. The city is beautiful and I got to know a lot of people with whom I am still in contact today. We have already planned to visit each other.
One of the biggest challenges was definitely the language. Although the lectures at ISCOM were in English, I needed French at times in everyday life. I had studied French at school but was out of practice. In emergencies, I called my French flatmate to translate or used a translation app. You can manage without French, but it’s better for everyone involved if you at least know the basics. All the bureaucracy was also difficult, for example reading the French rental contract or opening a French bank account.
What I particularly like about ISCOM is its central location, right next to St. Lazare station. The Galerie Lafayette is just around the corner and the building is typically French.
There were some differences compared to the Media University. In general, ISCOM was more like a school than a university. The rules are much stricter. For example, you are not allowed to go to the toilet during lectures with some lecturers. We didn’t know rules like that from “back home”. We also had some days when we had to be on campus from 8:30 in the morning until 18:30 in the evening. I can’t remember ever being at Media University for ten hours a day. You can also work more independently at Media University, which I personally like better. What was similar to Media University: small groups in which classes were taught and a family environment. There are also modern technology rooms with Macs at the Media University and at ISCOM, which we often worked on, for example in the graphic design course.
My time in Paris motivated me to improve my French and attend a course even after my return to Germany. I also decided that I definitely want to live and work in Paris again. I might even come back for my internship in the 5th semester. Living and going to university in a foreign country is an experience I wouldn’t want to miss. I had never been to Paris before my semester abroad and had to find my way around on my own, which helped me to develop personally.
I can only recommend a semester abroad to everyone. For me personally, it was by far the best experience of my entire time at school and university. Even if you might be unsure or nervous about this new experience at the beginning, it’s definitely worth it.
I have made friendships that I am sure will last a lifetime – and I have a boyfriend or girlfriend in at least 7 countries around the world that I can visit at any time.
Thank you very much for the insights into your semester abroad. All the best and continued success for your studies!
