Case studies: Studying in France: Aleya Begum

Aleya Begum graduated from City University London, but decided to do a Master in European Business (MEB) at ESCP Europe Business School some ten years later

Before I started my Masters, I was working in Norway. My first role was as an analyst for a private research and consulting company in the energy market, before I became a journalist in the same industry.

Norway is a very well-educated country. I felt like if I wanted to move jobs or progress, it would have been really difficult for me without a Masters because over there they are almost like a Bachelors degree - extremely common.

I decided to do my MEB with ESCP Europe Business School in Paris because I really like to move around. In the last ten years I've lived in Australia, Scotland, England, Norway and now Paris.

Nowadays I don't think you can always limit yourself to one culture if you want to eventually work in an international company or environment.

I've learned a lot from this Masters and I really like the make-up and organisation of the classes. There are only 70 students on the course, with between 20 to 30 different nationalities represented. I think one of the main focuses of the institution is being truly international, and this has helped me learn a lot about the different cultures of my peers.
 
In addition, because it's an Master of Business Administration (MBA)-type programme, everyone came from different academic backgrounds. For example, you have doctors, lawyers, engineers, businesspeople, and then me, a journalist. The mix of the class was good, because you had access to many different perspectives and opinions, but it was also sometimes challenging because it could be difficult to come to agreements when working in groups.

The business school in Paris is very well known across the whole of France school in France. I feel like if I wanted to stay in France and spoke good French I could probably walk into a lot of management positions.

The French university system is very different to what I've experience before and I found that quite challenging. There is a much more authoritative approach to schooling there - it's like what we're used to in high school or college in the UK.

I've always liked Paris and it was a big selling point for me. It's best to try and know a bit of the language if you want to go there, though. I studied completely in English so I didn't need French to complete the course but I think it's important to have some knowledge for your day-to-day life in France.

International students get a lot of support from the university in Paris. There are course administrators who were very helpful, along with people who helped us organise all the necessities of living abroad. However, you have to find accommodation yourself, which in Paris was the biggest challenge. But there are people who can advise you with this along the way.

To fund my Masters I managed to secure a grant from the Norwegian government; if you have lived or worked there for a certain number of years as a European Union (EU) member you are eligible for a student loan.

It can be very expensive to do a Masters, but there are various means of funding available, even if you are studying abroad. As a student in France, for example, you can apply for help with your rent and living costs.

In Norway I felt I couldn't progress into the more senior roles because I didn't have a Masters like everyone else. However, now I want to go back and apply for these kinds of jobs.

I would promote studying abroad wherever it is - I think spending time in different cultures is priceless. However, make sure you have done a lot of research to make sure it definitely fits in with your ambitions.