Learning At A Business Institution In France & Professional Interactions!

What isn’t there to love about school? In France especially, there is everything to love! The Strasbourg Business School has been nothing shy of spectacular. The school itself is gorgeous and is in a very central location to the city. It is surrounded by the main campus, your typical dining halls, a fitness facility, and lots of beautiful architecture. The dining hall has everything you could ask for and the walk to class is absolutely beautiful. I never expected to fully enjoy attending classes day after day. 

Here at Strasbourg, I am enrolled in six different courses. There are a lot of differences between the course structure between Ohio State and EM Strasbourg. Let me explain! For starters, I was used to the classes being between fifty minutes to an hour and a half back home. Here in France, the shortest class are around 3 hours long. My longest class here is four hours. But don’t you worry, with the longer classes comes lots of benefits. Also, the professors give coffee breaks and understand how difficult it is to sit still for longer periods of time, and are very good at checking in on their students.

Secondly, each course only meets once a week. This is a lot different than what I was used to in Ohio where my classes would meet twice, even three times a week. Another benefit is that these courses get everything done within the class time. This means that homework, quizzes, or online lecture videos to watch before the next course are not a ​requirement. Each course breaks down into a project and an essay or exam as your final grade. Of course, attendance is counted, and you need to be attentive in class. Overall, it is a great equivalent to Ohio State’s setup.

All of my courses are in English and you are able to choose the classes you have an interest in taking! My course list includes Leadership and Influence, Digital Transformation, Human Resources, International Strategy, Innovation Management, and Intercultural Management. These courses all fall under the business school and leave me with the perfect schedule.

I have loved getting the chance to take courses with subjects I am really interested in. ​Given that they're related to business, they've provided me with the chance to deepen my love for the career path I want to pursue. I have amazing professors and they have provided me with the tools to truly succeed after this semester. One professor, in particular, has gotten the opportunity to teach, work in accounting and finance, work for the French Embassy, travel the world, and study at multiple universities. Conversations with him have helped me expand my knowledge about how diverse and interesting the business sector really is. This just shows that you really are able to interact with your professors here even though there is a slight language barrier at times.

Another example of professional interactions I have experienced abroad would be in Paris. I had a scheduled call with a PwC professional while I was abroad because he knew I was studying abroad this semester and wanted to schedule a call before my internship this summer.  Once I talked with him, he explained the different offices that are directly in France and the rest of Europe. He introduced me to their global opportunities and explained that if this summer went well, I would have the chance to take part in one of the global exchanges PwC does through their company network. Then, when I visited the Paris area, I had the opportunity to travel near the office and actually get a quick glimpse of it myself. This is one moment that will have a lasting impact on me, having to do with my professional goals and allowing me to hopefully travel and do something I love. I am getting so much knowledge and learning about how to interact with new people from different parts of the world, and this will be a huge tool in my internship this upcoming summer. I will be living in a new city with my brand-new internship and I believe this experience is helping me to prepare!

Studying abroad is something you will be able to touch on and relate to for the rest of your life. Whether you are including your experience on your resume, describing it during an interview question, or just bringing it up through photos and conversation, it is an experience most people do not get the opportunity to engage in. It helps you to stand out, learn from others, and truly immerse yourself in another culture.

EM Strasbourg has been a great school so far and I look forward to finishing out the rest of the semester. While exams, essays, and projects can be intimidating, it is also good to reflect on what I have been able to take away from being here in my courses.