“What I enjoyed the most during my study exchange in Epitech was the people I’ve met. Everyone was very nice and extremely helpful, since we don’t have professors in Epitech. When I needed help, there was always someone there to support me including students, instructors and of course the Epitech staff. I’ve made so many friends here and I had such a wonderful experience that I’m sure I’ll never forget…”
About Hugo
Hugo comes from Mexico and he’s studying software development at the University of TecMilenio in Monterrey. He was always fascinated about France and its culture and he was very keen to have a study exchange experience abroad. In his second year of studies he choosed to follow the semester exchange program in Epitech (in 2022) – “which turned out to be one of the best experiences of his life”. Below we can find his full testimony:
Why did you choose to study in Epitech?
It may sound kind of funny, but my dad works in a technology company and wis work partners who have studied in Epitech have told him about it. So when I saw that my university offers a study exchange opportunity in Epitech, I didn’t think twice and I’ve applied. I was also very keen to live in France which is one of my favourite countries.
What are the biggest differences between education in your home university and Epitech’ learning methodologies?
First of all, in Epitech we don’t have professors; we only have instructors that are there to support us in case we need an answer to our questions. I have also had the feeling that I was more in a company than at school as I had the liberty to manage my own time and schedule and work at my projects in full autonomy. I’ve also liked when I managed to finish some projects before the deadline giving me the possibility to enjoy some free time and discover the city. But the biggest difference is that in my home university the professors tell me how things should be done, and here in Epitech I need to search solutions on my own.
What did you enjoyed the most during your study exchange in Epitech?
What I enjoyed the most during my study exchange in Epitech was meeting new people. Everyone was very nice and extremely helpful, considering the fact that we don’t have professors in Epitech. When I needed help, there was always someone there to support me including students, instructors and of course the Epitech staff. I’ve made so many friends here and I had such a wonderful experience that I’m sure I’ll never forget…
What is your best memory of this study exchange?
As said earlier, the best memories of this study exchange were meeting some wonderful people in Epitech. I still remember like it was yesterday, the first day I arrived in France. On the first day, the International Relations Team putted me in contact with a Spanish speaking student and that was great because he made me a tour of the campus and gave me all the necessary information I needed. I didn’t spoke so well French, but this was not a barrier at all. The other French students and the staff were really friendly and nice with me and it was easy to interact with them. They started teaching me many new things about French culture and my integration went pretty smooth. I have also taught them things they didn’t know about my culture. Another funny memory was when I have brought some Mexican candies at school, and we had a very good laugh with my colleagues when they tried them because they were way too spicy for them. ?
What did this experience bring you? (on a professional & personal level)
This new experience has taught me a lot of things but one of the most important of all was that I have learned how to “learn by myself” developing my autonomy skills in the same time. I’ve learned where on the internet I can get the answer I need and thanks to this I have developped a nice coding style, much more understandable than before that I will use further in my professional life.
Do you have a funny story to share with us regarding the cultural differences between France and your home country?
Yes of course. There are many but most funny of all was that at first, I didn’t know that I have to say hello to people I don’t know everywhere I go. This is not common in Mexico. In France when you enter in class you need to say hello to everyone and that was very different and nice. Also, in every shop you enter you need to say “hello” to the staff and at the end of your shopping you need to say “goodbye” and very important: wishing them to “have a nice day”. If you don’t do that I heard it’s considered kind of rude.
If you could give some advice to our future international students, what would that be?
What I can advise them is to be prepared to embrace a whole new way of learning that at first will seem difficult but in the end, it will be very helpful in their future professional life. Speaking from my personal experience, I will admit that I was not very well prepared for this new way of learning and at the beginning it was difficult for me but I am happy because I have learned a lot of new things. I think the best tip I can give to future international students is to start learning how to find solutions on their own on the internet; that will help them adapt faster to this new way of learning.