Why I chose EDHEC Business School

Exchange Semester Review by Ekaterina Tyutyugina, 3rd-Year Student of the “Business Administration” Program, Spring 2022

Hi everyone! My name is Ekaterina Tyutyugina, and I’m a third-year student of the “Business Administration” program. I spent the second semester of my third year on an exchange at EDHEC Business School in Lille, France.

Why did I choose EDHEC Business School?
There were a few reasons: first, I really wanted to experience life in France and get to know the country’s culture and mentality. Second, EDHEC holds high positions in global business school rankings. And third — my specialization is financial management, and EDHEC offered an ideal academic fit.

When applying for exchange, one of the required documents is the Individual Study Plan (ISP). Most of the universities on my list offered finance-related courses only in the first semester, which didn’t align with my timeline. EDHEC, however, offered a choice of three minors in the second semester — Entrepreneurship, Finance, and Marketing — each with three courses. I selected five courses, two of them additionally for my own interest (including French), and completed the rest through Coursera to fulfill my HSE credit requirements.

Where did I stay?
There were two housing options in the student residence:

• KOT – a shared flat with 7–8 neighbors and a communal kitchen

• Studio – a private space with a mini-kitchen

As soon as I received the email about booking accommodation, I immediately applied for a room in a KOT (spots go fast!). I was lucky to have wonderful neighbors — French students and two guys also on exchange. We quickly became friends and would often hang out in the kitchen. One of the biggest perks of living in residence was that the EDHEC campus and sports complex were just a 3-minute walk away. I regularly went swimming, played squash with friends, and jogged in a beautiful park only 10 minutes from campus.

The Campus
I fell in love with the EDHEC campus at first sight. The main building is a giant semicircle with glass-panelled walls, and in front of it is a big open lawn where students gather as soon as the weather warms up. Inside, everything is designed for comfort: a nap room for resting during the day, a game room (yes, including billiards!), beanbags everywhere, coffee spots, and plenty of food and snack options.

Academics
The coursework was quite challenging (after all — it’s finance!), but very engaging. Professors were always open to questions and willing to discuss any topic in depth. Fun fact: only students in the Finance specialization have midterm exams — other tracks have only final exams. These finals carry a lot of weight in the grading formula, so a week before the exams, the campus was filled with students in deep study mode.

International Community
During my time at EDHEC, I made friends from all over the world — Canada, the UK, France, China, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Italy. We spent a lot of time together both on and off campus and formed a large, fun, international group.

Travel
Despite a busy academic schedule and a constantly changing timetable, I still found time to travel. I visited cities in Belgium (Bruges and Brussels), Spain (Barcelona), Monaco, southern France (Nice, Menton), and of course, Paris.

Conclusion
Unfortunately, every exchange has one sad part — the day you leave. The day you say goodbye to the school, the country, and your new friends. But the knowledge, experiences, impressions, and connections that an exchange gives you are unforgettable and will stay with you forever.

I encourage everyone to experience it for themselves :)