Midterms were held this past weekend at Sciences Po. One of the biggest differences is that midterms for core courses are not held during class time, but rather on a Friday and Saturday in October. The first year students take mid terms at an off-campus facility a few minutes from campus, while the second year midterms are held in a giant lecture room. The format of the midterm is pretty similar to the format of exams in the United States. My Public International Law midterm was half multiple choice and half essay.
The biggest inconvenience in regards to midterms is that their exact dates are not announced until a week before. It makes planning rather difficult. For example, this past weekend, my friend from Italy was visiting Paris, so I went to Paris after class on Thursday, but was forced to come back Saturday morning because of my midterm. This last weekend made me realize how conveniently close Paris actually is to Reims. I was able to easily go and return before my exam.
In addition, talking to the locals in Paris also made me realize how well known Sciences Po is in France. Personally, I’ve never heard of the school until I decided to apply to the study abroad program. However, whenever I told any Parisian that I was attending Sciences Po for the semester, they looked extremely impressed. Sciences Po is one of the best Grande Écoles in the nation, but I never really thought of it’s prestige until talking about it with those who did not actually attend the school.
