Studying at EDHEC Business School
Maria Maksimova, a Master’s student in the “Business Development Strategies: Management and Consulting” program, chose EDHEC Business School in France for her exchange semester. In her feedback, Maria shared her thoughts on studying abroad, recorded several video testimonials, and posted beautiful photos from Lille.
My name is Maria Maksimova. I’m a student at the Higher School of Business at HSE University. I’m currently in my second year of the Master’s program “Business Development Strategies: Management and Consulting.” As part of the international mobility program, I spent the spring semester of 2021 studying at EDHEC Business School in Lille, France.
From the moment I applied to the Master’s program, I had a clear goal — to study abroad. During my Bachelor’s studies, I had the opportunity to try myself in project management, research, and business, but I never got the chance to go on exchange. I decided to fix that and make the most of my student years.
I had originally planned to leave at the end of the first year or the beginning of the second, but due to the COVID-19 situation, this little dream kept being postponed and was on the verge of falling through. But I’ve learned to do everything I can and trust the process — and that’s exactly what I did. I submitted all the necessary documents and received an invitation from one of the top 15 business schools in Europe.
By the time the exchange began, I had already completed my Russian curriculum, which gave me two big advantages: first, I was able to independently choose my course load and focus on subjects that truly interested me and fit into my personal development path; second, I could fully immerse myself in each day of this new experience of living and studying abroad.
Classes were held in a hybrid format — we started online, and once restrictions in France were lifted, we moved to on-campus learning. The professors were very engaged, and my classmates were active and open to communication. Interestingly, in a single course, students of different levels — Bachelor’s, Master’s, and even MBA — could all be learning together, which added not only cultural but also generational diversity to the way we approached academic challenges.
The COVID-19 restrictions didn’t make travel easy, but I made a conscious decision to stay in France a bit longer. Once things eased up, I managed to visit Paris, Nice, and Biarritz.
Meeting a new international community, experiencing different mentalities and worldviews, adjusting to a different pace and lifestyle, discovering new places — all of this helped me see the world from a new perspective. At times I would catch myself thinking, “Wait, is this really how things can be?” When I left France, I didn’t feel sad, because I had fulfilled my little dream. I knew I’d gained invaluable experience, and that the best and most exciting things were still ahead. I’m deeply grateful for this opportunity and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who’s ready to get the most out of life.