Fabien Lopez, Romain Comtet, and Lucas Guichard, three friends and colleagues from Epitech Lyon, share with us their experiences from their fourth year studying abroad in Sweden, England, and South Korea.
Why did you choose this country and university?
Fabien Lopez (Jönköping University – Sweden) – I wanted a Nordic country and I mainly wanted to stay in Europe to stay close to my family and friends. I wanted to study AI or explore anything related to Data Science. Since my choice was mainly on Sweden, I looked at the partner universities in the country. In Stockholm, the program didn’t appeal to me much, but in Jönköping, there was a program on AI, so I thought ‘That’s where I should go.’
Lucas Guichard (Chung Ang University of Seoul – South Korea) – Because I wanted to go to Asia, out of curiosity and for the change of scenery and culture. The Covid situation made Japan and China impossible. Vietnam and Thailand didn’t interest me too much. So, that left Korea, a developed country, not too expensive financially, and with good university choices.
Romain Comtet (University of Kent in Canterbury – England) – I wanted to improve my English and have a double degree. I initially wanted to go to Canada, but when I found out they primarily spoke French, I preferred the University of Kent, which had a program in cybersecurity and an interesting curriculum. So I chose this university.
What are the main differences compared to France?
Fabien Lopez – The most striking thing that comes to mind is security. It’s a smaller city than Lyon, but it’s mostly filled with academics. There are police officers everywhere… a simple example: there, bus conductors and nightclub security guards are also police officers. So you have police cars passing during student parties, everywhere in the city, so you really feel safe, that nothing can happen to you.
Lucas Guichard – Koreans are much, much more respectful. I’ve never seen a situation that got out of hand, insults, violent people or theft. They are much more orderly, they queue up in front of the bus, the metro…
But there are also some bad aspects: for example, they don’t have dustbins in the street like in France, so you can sometimes find yourself keeping your wastes on you for a long time. Then, as they had a sudden development, you can find huge buildings next to temples, it’s really impressive. And then there’s the food. You totally forget what you know in France: there’s practically no cheese, even the fruit and vegetables are very different…
Romain Comtet – The food! In France we eat well and varied, and in England, it’s always the same meals… Otherwise, I’m on a very Americanised campus, big and with lots of services on site, which is a change from France. The people are quite easy to get to, they’re very nice.
What is (so far) your best memory of this international year abroad?
Fabien Lopez – The people I met there. I made a good group of friends, with whom we went on a trip to Stockholm. And I even got a tattoo as a souvenir of Sweden.
Lucas Guichard – I joined clubs. There are about 35,000 of us in the university and there are about forty clubs. I’m one of the only Europeans to be involved in this. I am in three clubs: photography, mountain climbing and running. I get to immerse myself in the local culture with the Koreans, I see things that I wouldn’t otherwise see, and it’s great fun to discover the country.
For example, I did a hike where we were overlooking Seoul, in a kind of jungle atmosphere… I could see Seoul, but when I turned my head, I had a natural landscape right next to it. I was with a club and it’s a great memory. The same day, there was an international fireworks competition, two countries were competing: Italy and Japan. It was magnificent. Even in Paris, you don’t see anything as beautiful.
Romain Comtet – We had a party in a bar, the DJ had identified us as the French group in that establishment, and now everyone knows us in that bar!
Any advice for future Epitech students going abroad?
Fabien Lopez – It may seem obvious, but first you must find out about the host university and the country you’re going to. It’s very basic, but you must find out about the climate, the cost of living, the administrative procedures, and life in general in the country, so that you don’t get lost. When I arrived in Sweden, I already knew where the university was, if I needed a bus pass, etc.
Lucas Guichard – Do as much research as possible. If it’s not an English-speaking country, learn the language a little and you’ll fit in more easily. Also, get in touch with students who have been to the same country to find out how much you will have to spend there. And get to grips with the administrative procedures as soon as possible so that you don’t get caught out. At least ask an alumnus for a point of contact before you leave.
Romain Comtet – Get detailed information about the programmes. For example, I regret that there is not enough code in the programme at my host university.