Studying abroad: how to choose the right business school?

Sigrid, an economics and econometrics student at Exeter University in England, recounts her experience of the English university system, where autonomy and self-discipline are the order of the day: « I think it’s important to realize the importance of personal work in the English system. We are very free, most courses are not compulsory and you have to ask for help. It’s a system that’s not for everyone: English students have learned to be independent very early on (as many come from boarding schools), but this isn’t generally the case for foreign students. You have to be prepared for a certain shock. Fortunately, first-year grades don’t count towards your final degree grade, so you’ll have a first year to adjust. Translated with DeepL.com (free version) »

Alice, a third-year Bachelor student at HEC Lausanne, explains why she made this choice: « After my baccalauréat S in Annecy, I was thinking of doing a “classe préparatoire commerciale” in France, but I couldn’t see myself following such an intense rhythm for at least two years. So joining HEC Lausanne just after the bac seemed like a very good solution, enabling me to enter a highly reputed business school straight after the bac.

HEC is part of the University of Lausanne – so it’s a university system with very little supervision: this means you have to work very independently, as there are almost exclusively lectures with several hundred students in the first two years. However, the teachers are very approachable and, on the whole, really excellent. I really liked the system, as it’s very flexible and allows you to organize your work as you wish. Other students find it harder to organize themselves and work independently. However, from the third year onwards, there is a lot more continuous assessment and group work. The only requirement for admission to HEC is at least a 10 average in the baccalaureate, but the first year is reputed to be highly selective: only 30% of students go directly on to the second year (around 900 in the first year and only 400 in the second). The mathematics and statistics tests in the first year often pose problems for students, but I found that my Bac S in France had prepared me very well for success! The majority of courses are in French, but from the second year onwards it is possible to take certain courses in English. In the third year, students can choose between specializing in Political Economy or Management. I was also lucky enough to be able to do a six-month exchange at the Complutense in Madrid during my third year.

With over 25,000 students, student life in Lausanne is very rich and there are many parties and events organized by HEC, even if the bars close relatively early (Switzerland obliges!).

HEC Lausanne’s tuition fees are very attractive (around €1,000 per year), even though living in Lausanne is relatively expensive. During my first two years, my shared accommodation cost around €800 a month. There are some residences within the University of Lausanne, but unfortunately there are more requests than offers!

Life in Lausanne is very pleasant – I chose to leave for only six months because I love living here. I’ve made a great group of friends and the university’s lakeside setting is really idyllic, the environment very clean and comfortable. What’s more, the sports center offers over 120 sports and is completely free! I’m still hesitating whether to take a year off before continuing my graduate studies at HEC Lausanne, which offers excellent masters in finance, accounting, management… In any case, I have absolutely no regrets about my choice! »

Yanis, a student at BSc in International Business Administration (IBA) at RSM, recounts his experience : « After my Bac S in the international section, there were two main options open to me: classe prépa or university abroad. At first, I was convinced that studying in France was the next logical step in my studies, but to be honest, I had no desire to endure the stress of a “classe prépa”, nor to be conditioned to become a “competition beast”. No, what I really wanted was to start learning things that would be useful to me, and above all, that interested me! So I researched a few universities and applied to the ones that seemed to suit me best. That’s how I came to study at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University in the Netherlands.

The program I’m studying,International Business Administration (IBA)It allows me to discover new subjects every term and see which ones interest me most. For example, in the third term, we studied finance, economics, statistics and the use of Excel, enabling me to discover an interest in macroeconomics. What’s more, this program is very inexpensive for European students (around €1,000 for the first year, then €2,000 for subsequent years), compared with other courses. We also have many opportunities to work in groups on various projects with people from all over the world, join all kinds of university associations, take extra courses to learn a language, and so on. In the third year, you can even go on a six-month exchange to one of our 100 partner universities to discover a new educational system and potential schools for further study.

However, I don’t think this system is right for everyone either. You need to be able to organize yourself and work on your own without being given homework from one class to the next. Classes, which are all in English, are mainly held in amphitheatres. readings) of around 500 people and don’t exceed 15 hours a week! There are also workshops, usually four a week (twice a couple of hours) with about 70 people and a TA (teacher assistant) who does the course to help us with what we’ve already seen in the lecture hall.

Examination sessions take place at the end of each term and last around a week, the time needed to assess the three to four subjects in the term. Assessment also sometimes includes group work, which is carried out during the term and accounts for a certain percentage of the final grade. Nevertheless, most of the work is done alone, in front of a book. This is why, in the first year, around a third of students are forced to leave the program because they fail to achieve sufficient marks. On the other hand, the teachers and their assistants will never refuse to help you; they are very approachable and happy to share their knowledge.

I live in an individual apartment outside the university, but there are also student residences close to the campus! Finally, the icing on the cake is that the campus is very well designed, with study rooms always available, a large bookshop and numerous sports facilities. Looking back now, I have no regrets whatsoever about my choice. »

Elisa, a third-year student in the same bachelor’s programme, adds : « Like many students in their final year of high school who wanted to study business at post-bac level, my first thought was to do a “prépa”. However, the international option soon seemed obvious to me, as I wanted to have more autonomy and challenge myself by living far from my parents. What’s more, I was lucky enough to spend a large part of my schooling in an international school, which prompted me to look into the options abroad. After careful consideration, I finally took the plunge, and was very excited (but also very nervous) when I received my offer of admission from the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM).

RSM is the business and management faculty of Erasmus University Rotterdam, named after the humanist philosopher Erasmus, whose home town is Rotterdam. The university has its own campus (called Woudestein), just a 15-minute bike ride from the city center.

As far as teaching methods are concerned, we have very few hours of lessons a week, but a lot of personal work. This has really taught me self-discipline and enabled me to manage my time better, between lessons, going out with friends, shopping, housework etc.

You don’t think of the Netherlands when you want to study abroad, yet life here is very pleasant, and it’s easy to adapt. The weather is not extraordinary (it often alternates between rain and wind) but there’s no language barrier because all Dutch people have a good level of English. Many bachelor’s and master’s degrees are taught in English throughout the country. What’s more, because the Netherlands is so small, it’s easy to visit other cities like The Hague, Amsterdam or Utrecht in a single day (always nice for a change of scene at the weekend). Rotterdam is a very student-heavy city, with over 30,000 students at the Erasmus University alone, many of them international. As a result, the city abounds in bars, cafés, restaurants and nightclubs: you’ll never get bored!

The cost of studies is low compared to French grandes écoles or English universities. All European students benefit from the same tuition fees as Dutch students. This means that tuition costs just over €2,000 per year. This is, however, slightly offset by accommodation costs, generally between €500 and €600 per month.

RSM enjoys an excellent reputation in Europe. L’ International Business Administration bachelor is no exception to the rule, as there is a selection process on entry. The workload is heavy but manageable, especially coming from the French system where we’re used to a lot of hours of lectures and personal work. The first few months are clearly a time of adjustment, because the university system has nothing in common with the high school system. But you soon realize that everyone’s in the same boat, which makes things easier. The Bachelor’s program is super international, and in a class of almost 600 students, over 60% are foreigners. It’s very rare to find so much diversity at Bachelor level, and that’s why I think it’s one of the biggest advantages.

What’s more, we have the opportunity to go on exchange to prestigious universities around the world in the first semester of the third year. I was lucky enough to be able to study at the National University of Singapore, which is one of the best universities in Asia. Finally, the university offers interesting opportunities to develop outside our studies, with the possibility of joining numerous student associations. I had the opportunity to take part in an extracurricular program focusing on Silicon Valley and entrepreneurship. The highlight of the year was a week-long trip to San Francisco, where we visited companies such as Google, Salesforce and Dropbox. It was a truly inspiring and unique trip. In short, the almost three years I’ve spent at RSM have transformed my perspective on the world and really helped me grow as a person. I’m lucky to have had some unique experiences and met some great people! What’s more, it has enabled me to consolidate my level of English, both written and spoken. I know it can be very scary to take the plunge, but I think RSM is a good starting point for anyone who wants to challenge themselves both academically and personally. »

Jeanne, a graduate of the bachelor International Economics and Management at the Bocconi, explains : « The Bocconi campus has the great advantage of being located in Milan, very close to the Navigli district. Milan is very pleasant as a student, and there are many weekend options: lakes, mountains, sea. » She also adds : « The Italian system can be confusing at first, but it’s very empowering and allows you to significantly raise your overall level: instead of just barely passing an exam and telling yourself you’ve done what you can, you can choose to rework and retake the exam until you’ve mastered the subject in question! »

As the Victoire, BBA student at IE : « I am a fellowI had to offer tutoring in math, and I’m in charge of touring the campus and being one of IE’s ambassadors at open days. »