Could you briefly introduce yourself? 

Hi! My name is Florence, I am from New York in the United States and I am part of the Master 1 “Economics International” track. 

Hi! My name is Claus, I am from Oslo in Norway and I am part of the Master 1 “Econometrics and Statistics International: Data Science for Social Science” track. 

Hi! I am Andoni from San Sebastian and I mix both tracks. 

Looking back on your time at TSE, what are the three experiences that stand out as the most unforgettable?

F: First day of class, a professor said “Now I talked for an hour, you’ll ask me some questions and I am going to smoke!”  It was crazy, I really felt that I was in France.  I also remember the weekend of integration from BDE: Everybody had to introduce themself on the bus. I introduced myself as the girl from New York - you could hear the accent. Later on, when I talked to people they told me  “Oh, you're THE American!”. I felt like I was famous. 

C: On the first weekend, a lot of ERASMUS people went to a small lake. It was nice meeting so many people: I remember a Danish guy and I looked up a store which was close by, but it ended up in a four-hour walk. First, we spoke Danish and Norwegian to each other, it was tiring. After that we kind of had the feeling of being druggy, looking at each other and laughing. It was a strange feeling of having just met them and being so in tune with each other. We became friends which was pretty amazing honestly.  Another thing, I don't know if you’ve been in some churches: I think it's kind of breathtaking, it's such a difference to my protestant country where churches are just ugly. Here, you can almost feel the religiousness. 

A: I don't forget the first day of Welcome Week: There was a big stand with food. At my university, they have never fed me. Valé! On top, it's super common that people are on their phones during class, you see them so much. People at my home town university always hide it. As the last experience, I would stand out the queue to the CROUS Cafeteria. I think the price is really good but I will never forget the first week of trying to find a place to sit.

If you had the opportunity to merge the French university system with the education system in your home country, what would this 'ideal university' look like? How would it blend the strengths of both to create an environment that fosters learning, innovation, and personal growth?

F: All universities in the US are so different from each other. To give some background: My university “Booden Collage” is quite small, its 2000 students over four years and we all live on a campus. I would take my colleague, the academics, all the people, and the environment and put it in a city where people have more to do. I prefer that everyone lives in his own apartment and you’re not trapped in a bubble. Besides this, the countries are educationally very different. In the US, we do a lot more work on our own. We only have four classes but a lot more assignments every week. I wouldn't say it's better but I think you engage more with the material; we go a lot deeper in the lectures. The French system is more going to lectures and hearing professors talk.

C: For me, both schools would meet in the middle: In Norway, I would add more school work where you are in class. In TSE, I would reduce it, less TD, bigger classes, you have to learn more. In TSE, I am going from place to place trying to memorize it and I don't retain knowledge because I am just running from class to class. On top of th,at I really like a lot of these modern micro in TSE. There's a lot of math, I really enjoy it,  it's useful in economics. In Norway, we are more theoretical. 

A: I would definitely cut that fourth year of Bachelor’s in Spain. I would also try to have less classes but bigger in the amount of credits. Here they have so many two-credit classes. I lose track of what I am studying. For me a very important point is to have a more compact schedule: At my home university, we have classes from 8:30 until 12:30, so you do all your classes in the morning and then you have the afternoon to work by yourself or do sports. You can manage your time however you prefer! On top, I would add plenty of associations as TSE has. That's a strong point about TSE: You have an environment of people who seek to develop various strengths through their studies. You have an environment of people who seek to develop various strengths through their studies.

Reflecting on your own experiences, what is the biggest cliché about France that turned out to be completely false for you?

F: When I need to say what turned out to be completely false it's that all French people are judging and closed off. TSE has been super nice, encouraging and warm. I wasn't expecting people to be so welcoming. When I go to the Arsenal, I don't like that place. 

C: I think there are a lot of really hard working people. I don't know if it's true but you say this about Germans.

A: Before coming to Toulouse I heard plenty of times that French would just speak in French to you and wouldn’t be helpful to understand you when you're not speaking French. But that's completely inaccurate, I think that at least in the South of France people are really kind.  

Which stereotype ended up being strangely accurate?

All together: Getting a baguette for lunch every day! And of course, there's a lot more smoking here and the English level is bad for being in a country where people study English since they're kids. They know how to speak English but they don't feel confident while speaking.

Imagine you could take one aspect of Toulouse and bring it back to your hometown whether it’s a vibe, a tradition, or a hidden spot. What would it be, and why?

F: I would like to bring the culture of going out for a glass of wine or beer after class, the French call it “After work”. I feel like the people in the US just go to work and go home again. They don't take the time to have a social aspect in life.

C: I would love to bring a lot of things but especially the bakeries. I eat way too much of it. And I like the architecture: I love the red bricks, the warmth, especially in sunlight walking by the river. 

A: I would totally bring back the Velo-Toulouse. I have not taken any other type of public transportation. I go by bike everywhere.   

 What would you like to bring from your hometown to Toulouse?

F: From the US I would bring I say the sports engagement. Everyone goes to the sports games and cheers on their team. You ensure a close community.  

C: In Oslo, you just take the metro to be in nature where you can swim or go in the mountains. The Pyrenees are a lot further away, it's a lot more trip to plan. 

A: I would bring back the Sea. I live on the coast. I miss it.