International Master's Degree student

Why did you choose ENS Rennes ?

My university in New Zealand had established a connection with Professor Florence Razan a few years ago, and we wanted to continue that connection. As a result, it made sense for me to continue my studies with ENS as I wanted to move to France and continue my studies as well as learn a new language at the same time.
 

What studies did you do before ? What would you like to do after ENS Rennes ?

I did a 4 year Bachelor of Mechatronics engineering degree with Honours, and with ENS I will complete my Masters in Mechatronics with a focus on biomedical sensors. Afterwards, there is the potential for me to continue with a Doctorat here with the same focus, and/or begin to work in France.
 

Did you experience a culture shock when you arrived in France ?

Extremely! The lifestyle is completely different to NZ.  France prioritises late nights when going out to eat and drink, and I was used to early nights. There are also significantly fewer hiking routes for me to do here, so getting into a different sport routine has been a shock. Doing my groceries was a shock as well, as the stores here contain completely different items (most french people use long-lasting milk, not milk fresh in the fridge), the good peanut butter is too expensive here, and there are significantly more cheeses! The fresh bread here is also nicer to purchase, and I have found myself going to the boulangerie far more often than I ever did before.
 

What difficulties did/do you encounter during your international experience ?

As I am the first international student in this department with a PHD track, there were many things that were unorganised at the time of my arrival. Therefore, my first few weeks were unstructured and I had no idea what was going on. Getting all my french documents was a painful and time consuming experience (carte vitale, carte etudiante, complementaire assurance, crous, caf, etc). The language barrier in my courses is also a struggle, as often I won't understand the french in my classes. It is a learning curve And the way the french university system functions and is structured is a lot less organised than in NZ, so it has been difficult to manage that.