Sweta MODA

The best thing about HEC is how approachable and welcoming the faculty is

After a rollercoaster of preparations just when the world was ready to move offline again, moving to HEC was one of the best decisions of my life.

HEC’s campus has a breath of freshness that rejuvenated me. My home university is situated in the main city, and it does not have a huge campus so HEC’s spread out buildings and massive greenery was certainly the highlight in my dreamy memories from last semester. Most of the exchange students were around for just a semester and were enrolled in a Master’s degree whilst I was an annual exchange student still in her bachelor’s degree. I was quite daunted with the entire setting once I arrived in France and my broken French just seemed to make things worse. In my opinion, the best thing about HEC is how approachable and welcoming the faculty is. There were milestones and flag posts for each obstacle I faced, and the professors well acknowledged the fact that each student is from a different background and thus not necessarily an expert in the subject. Being a vegetarian; food was quite a challenge for me when I moved in initially. However, with time I discovered my life saving vegan vending machine in the sports center and it has been my favorite ever since. I was surprised by how easily I connected with like-minded people and made a life-lasting network. The numerous events organized by HEC societies made a quiet place like Jouy-en-Josas livelier than Paris itself. The most memorable event for me was the 4th Annual Luxury Conference organized in the Champs-Elysées by HEC, giving me a chance to meet highly qualified speakers working in few of the largest brands of the world. The cultural diversity at HEC made me learn so much about a myriad of cultures and not just the French, in a matter of merely 4 months. Being situated in the heart of Europe, I could travel to a new country every weekend in a matter of hours and travelling was certainly a common hobby that bonded all exchange students. Finally, I had a really enriching experience that has made me a better cosmopolitan ready to take up any challenge in any cultural setting, thanks to HEC.