The Life of Exchanges: The Unknown Part of Campus

Every semester, Reims is lucky enough to welcome new exchange students, who arrive like a burst of fresh air on campus. They are eager to explore, be social, make lifelong memories, and of course, learn—well, at least some of them. Exchange students are known for having a lot of fun and possessing a social battery akin to the Duracell bunny.

Yet, for some reason, exchange students mostly stick to themselves. The reason remains a mystery, but maybe it’s because some missed the winter registration process thanks to the forms we didn’t fill out in time, others travel so much they are mere ghosts on weekdays, and the rest are simply drowning in a mixture of social events and mandatory readings.

Consider this a quick guide to the life of the exchanges at Sciences Po Reims.

First thing first, we are not a monolith. The exchange base at Sciences Po adds up to around 152 students (according to the WhatsApp group, which has more messages than any of us can realistically read).

We are a social bunch. Regardless of the day, someone sends a tipsy invitation in the group chat, urging people to join whatever chaos they’ve decided to organize for the night. Attendance, naturally, varies.

The regular rituals “Tipsy Tuesday” and “Tipsy Thursday” are official traditions, but lately, even Mondays and Wednesdays have been targeted by ambitious organizers. The events start later and later each week, from 19:00 to 21:00, and now we’re lucky if anyone shows up before 22:00. At this point, it’s hard to be a Norwegian who likes to do schoolwork in the morning.

Midterms, of course, thinned the crowd. Some people are just tired of trying to be in a different country every weekend, while others’ social batteries have finally run out.

Now, to the groups you’ll encounter: These stereotypes can help you understand us a little bit more.

The Aussies, Kiwis, and Americans: They’re on a mission. Every weekend, they can be found in a new country—Budapest, Italy, Ireland—you name it. They treat Europe like a buffet and want to taste it all before their visas expire. You can always hear them remarking how everything is so “affordable.”
The Nearby Europeans: Not seen traveling much unless it’s to Paris or on other quick trips within France. These are the people who came to Reims for the school itself (or the convenient location so close to Paris), not the European experience. They often complain about everything being expensive.
The Further-Out Europeans, also known as The Sun Hunters such as the Scandinavians. They are the ones in t-shirts while the locals are bundled up in jackets, just happy to see the sun. They mostly travel to places that promise warmth or cheap alcohol—preferably both. And then this group also includes Western Europeans who also wish to travel to the nearby spots and complain about the price of alcohol.
The Ones Who Don’t Get Grades: Some exchange students only need to pass their courses instead of getting grades. Naturally, this has an effect on the time spent at the library.

Lastly, there’s a recurring complaint that the grass is greener at our home universities. Sciences Po is… well, let’s just say it feels a bit like being back in preschool. From strict attendance policies to rigid rules, many of us are tired of feeling micromanaged.

Also, let’s not forget the underlying tension between younger students and those of us who are older and more used to some level of freedom. Sometimes, we wonder when a French person will actually take responsibility for their own decisions rather than following the instructions and doing what they are told. But jokes aside, we have a lot of fun. I couldn’t ask for a better bunch to spend this term with.