COL

(similar to my answer for the same question in Germany FAQs):

varies vastly on your lifestyle.

rough estimate:

  • rent: 600 (all the best finding a place 😭)
  • mobile phone: 20 (i used Free)
  • misc.: 50
  • food: 300
    • groceries: 200-250
    • restaurants: ~25 per visit, 4x per month = 100

managing your budget will keep the prices under 1000 per month in Paris. difficult, but doable.

accommodation

what are the facilities available to us when we arrive at EPITA’s off-campus residence Lion d’Or?

  • kitchen
    • electric stove
    • oven
    • microwave
    • refrigerator
    • washing machine + dryer
  • room
    • bed
    • mattress
    • comforter
    • pillow
    • cupboard
  • WiFi

contact EPITA if you’re unsure. the co-ordinators are very nice and will try their best to give you details of the appliances present.

where can i look for accommodation?

ask your Uni if they help with accommodation!

CROUS accommodation!

check websites like PAP, leboncoin, Seloger, etc.

beware of scammers!!

general questions

food?

cooking your meals at home is obviously cheaper.

CROUS was a life-saver. subsidized meals for students!

finding vegan/vegetarian options should not be very difficult too!

bank account?

my exchange co-ordinator set up an appointment at the Kremlin branch of BNP Paribas for me and i had a good experience with BNP Paribas, so i would happily recommend it :)
i’m pretty sure EPITA will help you if you ask for it!

residence permit?

honestly, i have no idea coz i didn’t have to apply for one.

should i learn French?

yes.

how feasible is it to find an internship or job in France?

i’m not the best person to answer this question, sorry.

public transportation

if you live in IDF and are under 26, apply for the Imagine R ASAP.

VĂ©lib

i had a VĂ©lib subscription and i think it is worth it if you bike more than twice per month!

EPITA / exchange

thoughts on EPITA, the faculty, and the overall value of the program

my specialization was Information Systems Management, and i think the program is laid out very well!

the teachers are amazing, and were really helpful every step of the way :)

i didn’t really pay anything to EPITA, so i would say it was 10/10 ;P

is a soft copy of the transcript sufficient for SRM?

YMMV but it was not enough for me.
make sure to clarify this with your class teacher & exchange co-ordinator from SRM.

how long does SRM take to issue the transcript for the semester once they get our transcript from EPITA?

i did my exchange in the 8th sem, so it was a little complicated.
it took around 25-30 days to get my final transcript in my case, but i’ve heard SRM will give you your result after you complete the pending courses (if any).

is an exchange program useful for a PhD student?

đŸ€·â€â™‚ïž maybe?

i don’t really have a lot of information about the PhD exchange programme, as i was just a Bachelor’s student when i went there.
you can have a look at this page to get the relevant contact information: https://www.epita.fr/en/contact-us/department-international-relations/

is an exchange program free?

i personally did not have to pay any fees to EPITA. i had to just pay the (normal) tuition fees to my home Uni (SRM). YMMV.

your overall exchange experience

an amazing experience.
i would definitely suggest you to consider spending a semester abroad (not just EPITA, any college would be amazing) if you get the chance!