Jean-Eudes is French and is doing his Bachelor in Business Administration (‘BBA’) at the prestigious IE University on the campus of Segovia, a small town 30 minutes by train from Madrid. After completing his baccalaureate in Versailles, and graduating with first-class honors, he was admitted to IE. Read his testimonial below and find out more about his university experience at IE!
Profile
FIRST NAME:Jean-EudesNATIONALITY: Frenchçaise
RACE NAME : Licence en administration des affaires
UNIVERSITY NAME : IE University
TYPE OF BACCALAUREATE AND RESULT OBTAINED :Bac ES with honours
NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL:Lycée Notre Dame Du Granchamp, Versailles
A FUN DETAIL ABOUT YOU :I like to listen to the rain falling on the velux window when I’m in bed.
Why did you choose to study abroad?
Which course did you apply for abroad? Why did you choose this subject/curriculum for your Bachelor’s degree?
I only applied for a Bachelor in Business Administration, knowing that this was what I wanted to study. Interested in sustainable development issues, I thought that a BBA could only help me enter the corporate world, to work on these subjects that I’m passionate about.
What other universities did you apply to (in the UK and elsewhere) and why did you end up choosing this university?
In fact, I only applied to two schools abroad, Bocconi in Milan and IE University in Spain. Going abroad wasn’t an obvious choice for me, and I hesitated between this option and the French system of classes préparatoires aux écoles de commerce, knowing that I’d been admitted to a preparatory program at my lycée. After talking to several people, I decided that the practical and applied teaching at foreign universities, particularly IE, suited me better, and that the international outlook would be really enriching, having always lived in France.
What was the admissions process like for you?
Did you have to interview for the IE? If so, how did you prepare?
Yes, I came for an open day and took the opportunity to do my interview on the spot. I practiced with my parents, teachers from the high school, and friends of my parents. It’s important not to train only with people who are close to you, to get as close as possible to real interview conditions and to have more objective and critical opinions. Personality interviews require you to know how to talk about yourself, which doesn’t always come naturally. Friends can help you to describe who you are, your qualities and faults. 
Why did you choose this particular university?
Have you been influenced by the rankings? Do you think students should look at rankings to choose?
Les classements sont évidemment un des critères pour faire son choix, mais ils ne suffisent pas. Il est important de se renseigner sur l’expérience d’étudiants des universités qu’on vise, pour se faire une idée complète de la qualité de l’enseignement mais aussi de la vie sur le campus, des éventuelles difficultés qu’on peut rencontrer, surtout quand on part à l’étranger
Did the content of the curriculum at your particular university influence your choice of university?
Of course, knowing that IE encourages group work, offers some courses on entrepreneurship and tries to make the subjects as concrete as possible made me want to do it, compared to other programs that are much more theoretical.
What do you think of the campus and the city in which it’s located?
Coming to IE as a BBA, we are given the choice of spending the first two years in Segovia and then the last two in Madrid, or going directly to Madrid for four years. Segovia is a small old town, with beautiful monuments and surrounded by nature, making it a very pleasant place to live. The campus is housed in a well-restored former monastery, a pleasant environment in which to study. The atmosphere is obviously different from a campus in a big city. Here, almost everyone knows everyone else, goes out in the same place and so on. And it’s easy to get to Madrid, either by train (30 minutes) or bus (1h15).
What are the 3 things you like best about your university and the 3 things you’d like to improve?
The atmosphere, comfort and facilities of the campus, and the balance of life between activities and work, make studying here very enjoyable. I think the sports facilities on campus should be developed, however, and I’d like to see more language learning, especially Spanish. Perhaps also more activities mixing the two campuses.
Do you have any international friends (French or otherwise) at your university?
Are there many international students at your university? How easy do you find it to integrate and make friends at your university as a foreigner?
The class of 2018 is the one with the most French and Francophones, since more and more French people are applying to IE. But both campuses are very international. In my class, for example, out of 40 students, there are 13 nationalities. The people here are all very open-minded, but you have to make the effort not to group together people of the same nationality, although it’s obviously easier at first. 
What was your student residence like in 1st year (comfort, cleanliness, proximity to campus…)?
When I applied to the Factory in April, everything was already full. I managed to find a shared apartment with other first-year students, thanks to the Facebook housing group for IE Segovia. This arrangement suits me well, as I’m less than 10 minutes’ walk from the campus and have complete independence. There’s a good choice of apartments in Segovia to suit all tastes and at good prices.
How far are the halls of residence from the university? Where do 2nd and 3rd year students live?
Reyes Católicos is on the campus itself and the Factory is about a 10-minute walk away, but further from the historic center, where students spend a lot of their time. After the 1st year, all students take an apartment in or near the historic center, either on their own or with a roommate.
What’s the food like in your residence and in others? Is it possible to cook for yourself ?
La Factory includes breakfast and dinner, except on weekends, and the food is very average, from what residents say. Reyes Católicos (on campus) includes all meals, except on Sundays, and the food is better. Microwaves are available in both residences.
What was the process like to get a place in a residence? Which student residences would you recommend to French or international students at your university?
You need to get in early to secure a place, as the Factory Residence Hall is fully booked by March/April. This is where most first-year students are located. There’s also a residence on the campus itself, Reyes Católicos, with fewer rooms. This is more expensive, and many rooms have to be shared with a second person. The food is better, however.
Could you describe your experience at your university?
How many hours of lessons do you have each week?
This varies between 15 and 20 hours a week.
How much work?
If you’re well organized, the workload is not insurmountable. But it also varies by period : in general, the rhythm at the end of the term is very intense, with a succession of presentations and exams.
Do you have exams once or several times a year?
The first year is split into three and the subjects change at the start of each term, which means that three times a year we have a final exam period (December, March and May). In most subjects, we also have midterm exams, halfway through the term.
Are you involved in any student associations at IE?
I’m a member of the Ski Club, which offers a few days’ skiing in winter, either in the mountains (an hour from Segovie ) or in the Pyrenees. The university usually pays for transport. As a scholarship holder, I’m also part of the IE Ambassadors “, so we have to take part in various events such as open days, IExperience weekends organized for future students who have already been admitted, and so on.
Is there anything about the university system in the country where you’re studying that you’d like to improve?
I think the days could be a little busier to allow for longer vacations in the year (currently 2 weeks at Christmas and 10 days at Easter).
Do you have any other comments or advice for students interested in applying to your university or other foreign universities?
The best way to apply is as early as possible in the year, to give yourself as many chances as possible, bearing in mind that the application takes time to complete. IE offers a number of scholarships, so everyone can try their luck as soon as they receive their admission. So there’s nothing to lose by completing the application, and you can get up to 50% deducted from the annual fee. Another issue is the choice of campus. We’re lucky enough to be able to choose between town and country, but it all depends on you ! Personally, I don’t regret starting in Segovia at all, I think it’s a good option for integrating and making friends.
