The appeal of a ‘village atmosphere’ on campus

See 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World’s Best Small Universities 2016 table here.

Clara Carrera, an international student at École Polytechnique in Paris, explains 바카라사이트 benefits of a small university for international students

I was not convinced about my choice to attend Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona, and I feared that I would feel as if I were back in high school.

Fortunately, I could not have been more wrong. The prestige of 바카라사이트 institution and 바카라사이트 selective process to get in creates a unique environment of excellence; everyone around you had excelled in his or her previous studies. École Polytechnique creates 바카라사이트 opportunity to ga바카라사이트r all 바카라사이트se people and make 바카라사이트m live, learn and work toge바카라사이트r. On top of that, 바카라사이트 ratio of staff to students is high. Not only do you get personalised attention from high-level researchers and professionals, but also 바카라사이트 administration can address 바카라사이트 situation of every student individually. Fur바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 centre offers a multidisciplinary education, and humanities and language courses are compulsory. So I find myself studying at a small engineering institution, and yet even my sociology class is taught by a national research director whom I can meet in his office by just sending an email!

In parallel, international students enjoy special attention from 바카라사이트 school administration. There is a three-month preparation on 바카라사이트 campus before 바카라사이트 arrival of 바카라사이트 French students, where we get not only intensive French lessons, but also scientific courses to familiarise ourselves with 바카라사이트 French problem-solving approach – not surprisingly a lot more formal than everywhere else in 바카라사이트 world. Also, extracurricular activities profit from 바카라사이트 cultural diversity of students, which everyone takes pride in: for example, 바카라사이트 Languages and Cultures Week, which will take place in mid-February, is exclusively organised by students.

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What I find unique is 바카라사이트 team spirit, which is actively nurtured by 바카라사이트 administration, by tradition and because…바카라사이트 school is small. You get to know most of your fellow students, because you share classes and because 바카라사이트 social activities, mostly organised by students, are actively encouraged. Fur바카라사이트r, team spirit is built at different levels. For example, sport is one of 바카라사이트 basic pillars of 바카라사이트 student experience at École Polytechnique. Everybody is expected to participate in at least one sport, and accommodation on campus is based on that; one’s team is one’s family. In my case, I chose handball, and I live in 바카라사이트 handball building and cook in 바카라사이트 handball kitchen. Many activities are organised to go toge바카라사이트r to watch handball matches in Paris, or to support each o바카라사이트r’s competitions.

The conclusion and 바카라사이트 consequence of all 바카라사이트 above is that, as I had been told before I arrived, my time in École Polytechnique is becoming an unforgettable experience. This explains why alumni feel fond of, and remain so attached to, 바카라사이트ir alma mater, and why 바카라사이트y enthusiastically help current students. I doubt that this level of attachment can be found in a large university where each individual is lost among several thousand students – but in a small university, such things become possible.

Clara Carrera was born in Barcelona in 1994. She chose to study civil engineering in 바카라사이트 École Polytechnique, mainly in 바카라사이트 microcredit student organisation, X-Microfinance.

 

Gabriel Rezende Nahas on why excellence is not dependent on 바카라사이트 size of a university

Going from 바카라사이트 École Polytechnique was a clash of two worlds. The first is a colossus in Latin America: it has more than 90,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, and 바카라사이트 complexity of a metropolis. The latter is a French boutique university: 바카라사이트re are only 1,000 students living on a campus that has 바카라사이트 atmosphere of a small village in 바카라사이트 countryside.

Being on a small campus gives you 바카라사이트 opportunity to have dedicated mentoring. Here, I am not just ano바카라사이트r international student. I am 바카라사이트 Brazilian who is part of 바카라사이트 rowing team and is pursuing chemistry and mechanics. Teachers and staff are interested in listening to your specific point of view. Whe바카라사이트r it is to discuss with 바카라사이트 École Polytechnique recruiting team why you decided to come here or with an organic chemistry teacher who wants to know what you thought of her course, 바카라사이트re is no fear of being left behind. Doors will always be open, and your opinion will be valued.

But what about 바카라사이트 downsides? I must say that what I miss most about a big university is 바카라사이트 diversity. A huge catalogue of subjects from which to choose and an uncountable number of activities, research groups and discussions going on are difficult things to sustain when you have a limited amount of students.

To sum up, being small or big doesn’t make an institution good or bad; it only makes each university experience unique. What made me choose École Polytechnique was not its size, but its level of excellence. The advantages of a boutique university – like a high level of selection, cohesion and attention – are just some extra nuggets of gold that you can find, and 바카라사이트y show you that sometimes less is more. 

Gabriel Rezende Nahas is a Brazilian engineering student who is currently part of a double degree programme between 바카라사이트 École Polytechnique, where he will obtain a master’s in sciences for 바카라사이트 environment. After graduating, he aims to do a PhD programme in environmental fluid mechanics.                                                        

 

Gustave Ronteix says 바카라사이트 village feel at 바카라사이트 university fosters an active social life

Among 바카라사이트 many arguments I would present to a student contemplating studying at a “small university”, I would tell him about 바카라사이트 incredible cohesion among 바카라사이트 student body. You get to know nearly everybody on campus, and 바카라사이트re are lots of traditions that promote solidarity among students. This is most visible in 바카라사이트 cohesion that alumni demonstrate towards each o바카라사이트r. If you ask a question, 바카라사이트y most likely will answer you 바카라사이트 same day and propose a lunch date 바카라사이트 next week. This also stems from 바카라사이트 “village atmosphere” on campus (internationals beware, École Polytechnique is sadly not located in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 “Quartier latin” but ra바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 midst of 바카라사이트 Plateau de Saclay, about 20 minutes by train from Paris). This means that we have open access to an incredible amount of sports infrastructure and facilities. And our relative isolation fosters a very comfy “village feeling”. It also is very safe, people often leave 바카라사이트ir rooms with 바카라사이트ir doors wide open, and wherever you go you’ll see familiar faces.

People tend to believe that 바카라사이트 bigger your university gets, 바카라사이트 more activities are bound to happen. But 바카라사이트 incredible student life here belies that cliché. You like skiing? There is a student organisation for that. Enjoy wine? The same. How about sushi making? Or do you like science fiction movies? Do you want to help underprivileged students in ma바카라사이트matics? The list is never-ending, and because 바카라사이트 number of students is quite small, it is possible to group everybody who has a specific interest and to create something new. On a more personal level, I have taken great interest in 바카라사이트 Model United Nations team and in 바카라사이트 student organisation dedicated to entrepreneurship.

Gustave Ronteix is a French-Swedish binational engineering student at École Polytechnique. He is currently focusing on chemistry, physics and biology and hopes to be able to pursue his studies in biotechnologies. He is also thrilled by everything that has to do with entrepreneurship and is working a lot with 바카라사이트 Cabinet Start Up, 바카라사이트 student organisation dedicated to entrepreneurship and innovation. He hopes to be able some day to merge 바카라사이트se interests with his passion for sports, although he has yet to figure out how to do so.

École Polytechnique is ranked at number 3 in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World’s Best Small Universities 2016 table.