ESADE University has two campuses in the Barcelona area: Sant Cugat and Pedralbes. Located just 30 minutes from the Catalan capital, the Sant Cugat campus is home to students taking the Bachelor of Business Administration in English. After completing her baccalauréat in France, Céleste joinedESADE ‘s BBA program in 2020. Here she tells us about her journey and student life on campus.
Profile
FIRST NAME : Céleste
NATIONALITY : French
NAME OF COURSE FOLLOWED : Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
UNIVERSITY NAMEESADE
BACCALAURÉAT TYPE AND RESULT Baccalauréat général (general baccalaureate) in economics and social studies (ES) with honors, mathematics option
NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL Lycée Fénelon Sainte-Marie, Paris
Study abroad
Why did you decide to study abroad after the baccalauréat?
I’ve been lucky enough to travel with my family and I’ve always loved meeting new people and discovering new cultures. Since I’ve lived in Paris all my life, studying abroad was an experience I wanted to have before entering the world of work. I was more interested in staying in Europe, in England or Spain, so as not to be too far from my family. At first, my choice was more oriented towards English universities and their reputation. However, my mother told me about Spain and the IE and ESADE which I went on to discover!
Why did you choose ESADE?
IE andESADE were quite similar in terms of reputation and Bachelors offered. However, when I visited the campus before my admission, I had a preference for ESADE. To choose between England (where I was also admitted to LSE and King’s College) and Spain, I compared the educational systems. I found the Spanish system to be more of a “learning by doing” approach. ” learning by doing “ through group projects and numerous case studies in class. For example, companies often come to ESADE so that we can work together to help them find solutions. The Bachelor’s degree at ESADE takes four years to complete. I really liked the fact that the last year is reserved for a university exchange and an internship. More generally, I prefer the life and weather in Spain to England.
Which Bachelor did you choose?
I wanted to do a Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) because I didn’t know what professional field I wanted to go into, and this Bachelor’s degree enabled me to study both general and business-related subjects. The Bachelor’s degree is quite broad, which can be interesting but frustrating at times because some subjects don’t appeal to me as much and I sometimes wish others were more in-depth.
The admission process and administrative procedures
What was the admissions and selection process like?
The entry requirements for 2020 were the baccalauréat with a minimum grade point average of 10/20. With the help of Your Dream School, I submitted an online application and had to answer several written questions, which were for example: “How did you hear about ESADE? “What motivated you to join ESADE? and send my school reports since 3rd grade..
Contrairement à l’IE, je n’ai pas eu d’entretien oral pour être admis·e mais j’ai quand même dû passer un test d’admission.
L’ESADE demande également un niveau minimum de 7 à l’IELTS.
Je n’avais malheureusement pas obtenu ce score mais l’université propose des stages de remise à niveau pendant deux semaines en juillet.
What administrative steps have you taken to get back to school?
I didn’t have to take any particular steps other than obtaining a Foreigners Identification Number (NIE) needed to live and rent an apartment in Spain, for example.
1st year courses
What courses did you take in your first year of the Bachelor’s program?
In the first year of the Bachelor program, we have a core curriculum which means that all our courses are compulsory for both semesters. In the first semester, the teaching was similar to that received in high school, with a strong theoretical dimension. We took courses in Sociology, Economics, Accounting and Business Law.
Il y aussi beaucoup de mathématiques en Bachelor à l’ESADE.
Il y a ensuite une période en janvier entre les deux semestres où nous n’avons pas cours mais pendant laquelle nous devons choisir des elective” courses which we follow for a month. These courses enable us to obtain enough credits to validate our academic year. In the second semester of the first year, the courses change. We had courses in Leadership, Mathematics, Statistics and Tax Law, as well as a programming course.
Nous avons aussi eu beaucoup plus de projets de groupes et de rencontres avec des entreprises lors desquelles nous avons dû contribuer à trouver des solutions dans le cadre d’un cours comme « Designing Operations System “. It’s important to know that there’s always an element of applied mathematics in the vast majority of subjects at ESADE.
Did you find it difficult to adapt to the educational system in the first year of your Bachelor’s program?
I was used to working a lot in high school. This allowed me to always overcome my difficulties by studying and working on my own. Last year all the lessons were online and it was sometimes harder to keep up. However, I didn’t have any particular difficulties. I think it’s essential to get organized and learn your lessons over the long term, which isn’t always easy. You should also know that there’s a lot of mutual help between students at ESADE. We send each other our lessons, organize sessions to work together and explain to each other concepts we haven’t understood. The working atmosphere is really very good.
Did you have trouble keeping up in English?
No, I don’t find it difficult to follow and understand lessons in English. Of course, when I read texts in English, it can take longer, but that doesn’t affect my understanding of the concepts!
Do you have a lot of personal work?
I would say that the workload varies according to the period. For example, the first semester of my second year of my Bachelor’s degree was more complicated. The subjects were more specific and required a lot of personal work, whereas the subjects in the second semester are broader. The workload is not excessive, however, and you have to work over the long term to avoid being overwhelmed during the exam period.
How many hours of lessons do you have a week?
In my first year, the breakdown was different because the courses were online. In my second year, I have two classes a day, each lasting two and a half hours, so I have around 25 hours of classes a week. At ESADE, classes are either in the morning from 8am to 1pm or from 2pm to 7pm in the afternoon.
How do the exams work?
We have mid-terms and final exams. We usually have five or six final exams and two or three mid-terms. The exams are spread over three weeks. For subjects like Leadership or Marketing, the exams take the form of MCQs; for programming and mathematics, they take the form of exercises. We also have essays to write in some subjects.
Student life on campus
What’s student life like on the ESADE campus?
The ESADE campus in Sant Cugat is located 40 minutes by train from the center of Barcelona. That’s the only negative point. I don’t necessarily feel a campus life like you’d find in English universities, as the ESADE campus is quite small, even though there are lots of work rooms, a library, a cafeteria and all the students rub shoulders with each other. It’s also a very modern and pleasant campus. In my first year, I stayed on campus in the student residence. It’s a great place to meet people and I really enjoyed my first year there. In the second year, students usually move to Barcelona, which is a great and very dynamic city.
Do all first-year Bachelor’s students have on-campus housing?
No, not necessarily, because you have to apply early and the number of places is limited. There are another student residence located 15 minutes by metro from the campus. Some students also decide to live in Barcelona or Sant Cugat, close to the campus, right from their first year.
What’s it like to be part of an association?
There are associations but there’s a more limited associative culture than can be found in French universities. For example, there is no Student Union. Associations are more focused on professional or academic themes. For example, there’s a marketing association, an IT association and so on.
Do you belong to an association?
I am a member of the Luxury Society which specializes in luxury events and through which we organize a few events every year.
Into the future
What are your plans for the future?
I’m very interested in the fashion industry. I haven’t yet decided what job I’d like to do. I’m currently looking for internships between the end of May and the beginning of September. I’d also like to apply for an internship in a luxury fashion house during my fourth year of my Bachelor’s degree.
Do you have any recommendations or advice for students wishing to enter ESADE?
You need to appreciate mathematics, which is central to the Bachelor of Business Administration. I think it’s also necessary to know how to organize yourself over the long term. It’s important to have good grades, because it’s on the basis of our ranking that we may or may not choose our destinations for university exchanges in our fourth year. Living alone abroad is a great experience! You grow and learn a lot on your own. Barcelona is also a great city, and I’ve met some wonderful people! I can only recommend ESADE and the town!
If, like Céleste, you would like to join ESADE or a university in Spaindon’t hesitate to >contact us at to discuss your plans!
