Interview Series: International Students at IMT Atlantique — Part 1
By: Julian Kopp
Tags: Interview, Argentina, It

Hi Ezequiel! Can I ask you — what fascinates you most about the IMT Atlantique?

The people! Or more specifically the students. Living together on campus is really cool as there is always someone to do something with. Be it cooking, playing cards, watching movies, talking or studying — you never feel lonely.

I also enjoy the quiet ambience of the campus as it is so closely connected to nature. We have a beach, sea and forest right beside us and the campus itself is very green.

And what would be your top 3 tricks for new students?

First of all, talk immediately to other students. Everybody is open to be your friend and help you out. I didn’t know many people so I looked for other foreign students from my country and from the french course I had with IMT students before. Don’t wait until people find you.

Then, make french friends and don’t enclose yourself with 3–4 people who probably share the same cultural background. As said, people are friendly and you can best learn a language from native speakers.

And then participate in every event available. They are posted in the Facebook group and are very versatile. Make some new acquaintances, go to the ‘foyer’ (an open space for leisure time) and expose yourself a bit.

Probably not everything went smooth. Did you encounter any difficulties?

Hmm, language was not really a problem and I was lucky that I was introduced to some french friends. I could imagine getting out of the ‘international student’ bubble could be a challenge.

Oh, I know. I used to cook a lot at home but here the shared kitchens are rather basic and they are shared with many people. If cooking is important to you, try to get a room with a dedicated kitchen.

Tell me, is there anything that surprised you?

I was surprised about the style of courses. In Argentina, we worked on topics in-depth, understanding and discussing every detail of a problem. The lectures here are much broader, so we cover more topics at the loss of depth. Actually, the courses are so condensed that you don’t have time to process all the tiny details of every topic which is by the way not needed to pass a course. It is your own decision on what topics you want to spend more time and energy on. This has the advantage of a lot of self-sufficiency but was a mental challenge for me in the beginning as well.

And before coming to France, how did you prepare yourself?

I started learning French one year before coming here. Duolingo was a great help in the beginning and I also had a local friend who started with me and we motivated each other. Later I did some courses at my university but they were not too great. I then took some private lessons and that was more effective for me.

I would recommend learning the basics, so vocabulary and the general structure of the language, on your own in maybe 4 months. And then, with a level of around A2, to attend official courses for grammar and everything else. I think having a basis in the language (for example having a very rough idea of what is described in a newspaper article) speeds up the process in higher courses. Otherwise, you are stuck in A1 and A2 for a longer time than needed. Maybe you can even find a french native in your city or an exchange student in your university to practice with.

Do you have any final words?

I’d said enjoy the experience of studying abroad, also outside of an academic perspective. You live on your own, communicate with different cultures and your character grows. It is a really nice experience as a whole — you don’t come only to study.