My name is Ben, and I’m a junior studying at NEOMA Business School in France. I have loved the classroom experience and the pedagogical approach in my program.

Business schools in France operate outside of the public university system and are all private institutions that only award business degrees. Because of this distinction and because most classes are taught in English, my classmates are all business majors and interested in international business. Everyone has been so friendly, and I have made connections with French students and other exchange students.

I love how professional the students and professors are; everyone dresses well and addresses each other with respect. Professors treat classes like business meetings, and lateness and distractions are unacceptable. French business schools seem to set students up better for the corporate world than their US counterparts.

I am currently taking two courses with French students, Intro to Investments and Organizational Behavior and Intercultural Management. My French peers have been very welcoming and are hard workers. The French classroom experience is much more interactive, with active participation expected. Professors have students engage with the material and each other on a deeper level than in the US. For a standard 3 hour class, the first half is generally lecture (with plenty of participation) and after the coffee break (smoke break for the French students) there is usually group work or presentations.

I am also taking two courses with other exchange students: Strategy and Sustainability as well as Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship. I’ve been able to make a ton of great connections with students from around the world.

In my studies at Pitt, I’ve found that the classroom experience is much more isolating than in France. The class sizes are much larger, and students are just less motivated. I dread group work in the US because, in a group of 5, 3 people will almost certainly not put any effort in. While in France, every group I’ve been in has been amazing; people do their work and communicate.

Overall, the coursework is easier, and the workload is less, but I am also the most academically engaged that I’ve been since high school. I am an active participant in class, and I really enjoy the teaching style here. I don’t feel like I’m being lectured to, but rather, I am a part of the lecture. Being willing to participate and work with your classmates are the only prerequisites to success in France. We have plenty of presentations, so public speaking is also useful, but overall, if you try, you’re going to do well.