My term at Sciences Po has come to an end. I wish that I had kept you more updated on my studies during the past couple of months, but it is all this studying that has meant I haven't had time to keep the blog updated as much as I would have liked.

One of the interesting differences between WBS and Sciences Po is the assessment methods for modules. At Warwick you might have one large essay, or a presentation and an essay, or just one exam, to assess a module. At Sciences Po each module has multiple assessment methods including exposés, essays, presentations, group projects and exams. So this meant that November and December I have been so busy with various projects and essays and other assessments that I haven't even had time to write about them. Here I will give you a short recap of each of my modules at Sciences Po and the different things I have handed in and achieved for each one.

Fortunately I only had one exam during this exam period in December. Unfortunately this exam was for my least favourite module and it was 4 hours long. The very prospect of this exam was so daunting and terrifying and the fact it was for the module I really struggled to understand made it even worse. I had to illustrate a map in the exam to explain the concept of my one essay, which I wrote based on one of two questions.

I also had to an essay, a 'literature review' based on 3 "ouevres". I thought this meant articles, comparing and contrasting three articles on a subject. Imagine my shock when I find out a week before hand in that I actually had to read and analyse three whole books!! What an achievement to hand that in on time and not fail.

I had to do an individual (scary) exposé presentation in front of the whole class, accompanied by a beautiful map. See example below. I was so relieved to have this module finished to be honest and I am honestly honestly not even sure if I passed the exam. I worked hard in the run up to it but I really don't know if the french method of essay writing has clicked in my head yet. 

I really enjoyed this module. Every week the lecturer invited a speaker who has started their own company and they explained their journey and answered questions. The lecturer, formally working at Disney and Club Med, was a really engaging and interesting guy (and also randomly friends with my Godfather who lives in America).

For this module we had to do an individual business project. I chose to build on my Unearth Fashion idea from my business project in the first year of uni. I still actually believe there is a lot of potential and a real need for this concept but you can read all about it on the website:
www.unearthfashion.com
I am actually very proud that I was able to write a 10 page business plan all by myself for this project and that I was able to apply everything I had learned in the module to something I actually believe in. I'm sure there are countless errors in the french writing but I think this is a good place to start.

For this module the main assessment (as well as group presentations on set topics and press reviews) was based a group business project. To be honest I thought this was a bit of an odd assessment and I feel like the two lecturers need to decide whether they want this to be an entrepreneurship module or not, because they are from consulting backgrounds, and I expected to learn more management techniques, strategic business from this module. Anyway, my group's idea was called Avenir - a sustainable fashion basics clothing line.
We believe that fashionable can be sustainable.  It is our mission to involve you in our journey to make fashion fair and responsable. We want to make the process as transparent as possible so that you know where your clothes are coming from and can see the difference that you are making.

I think this could be an interesting idea. I believe in this less than Unearth Fashion, but I think that's because ideas like this exist already and I think that there were some flaws in our business model/plan that we could have better adressed. There is always going to be compromise within a group project and I think we still managed to succeed in coming up with an interesting and viable idea.

Check it out here: http://avenirclothing.weebly.com/
* I don't own the domain name for this site (yet)

This was another module I really enjoyed. The lecturer was interesting and I liked the content of the lecture. That said, each week a different person did an individual exposé which I think it mostly beneficial to the person doing the presentation, and not so much the rest of the class.

My exposé was on Design Thinking, a topic which really interests me. I studied a module on Design in business last year and it was one of my best grades. I think its interesting how design principles can be applied to management and to start ups and can help shape and guide innovation.
My presentation is here:

As well as this I had to write an essay on how American universities are using and embracing digital technology and the impact that this has. This was interesting although I struggled with the structure and finding information on the topic so we'll see how well I did when I get the feedback.

Sciences Po has been in many ways very similar to Warwick, and in many ways very different, as I expected. I have definitely learnt a lot and I am so impressed and proud of myself for completing a whole semester in a french university, studying all in French. I am grateful for the prestigious name which will now display proudly on my CV for the rest of my life, and I am grateful to have met so many interesting and different people. Now i'm ready for the next adventure. Bring on working life. 

Finding an internship here in Paris has been almost as stressful as finding an appartment here back in August. But finally I have succeded!
I have been wanting to write about this as I go along, writing about the struggles, the various interviews, the different opportunities I have applied for etc. but I have also been directing potential employers to this website and I didn't want them to see any negativity. So I have chosen now, that everything is secured and my convention de stage is signed, to tell all.

I began sending off applications back in October. I applied first to all the major fashion houses like Chanel and Dior. Hitting the send button on these applications is one of the most nerve racking things I have ever had to do. I worked really hard to write a creative and interesting cover letter, to perfect my one-page CV, but sadly I had no responses. Not one. My dreams of working in the luxury goods industry shattered. I have to be honest I was very disappointed and upset. I have no idea why my applications weren't pursued. I don't know if it's because of my level of study, the fact I'm not french, my lack of something else. It has always been my dream to work in luxury goods so to not even progress to a single interview in this industry was discouraging.

However I was determined to do an internship so I continued to explore as many other opportunities as possible. I found that France generally is very laid back (or maybe disorganised) when it comes to organising internships. Once we started to get to mid november I was really starting to worry I wasn't going to be able to find an internship at all. In the UK applications were closing for summer 2016 internships but in France no one was responding to my applications, or they would say they would call me in for an interview in a few days time, and then email 2 weeks later because they'd been "busy".

I tried lots of different ways to make contacts and to meet companies. I went to a really interesting Start Up Fair in November and subsequently met with a cool Start Up who have built a new instagram search engine tool to provide businesses with user generated content.  I interviewed for a company who have created a new software tool in collaboration with Microsoft (these people offered me an internship but it was to do their US relations so would consist of working mostly in English which I didn't want). But I didn't seem to find any opportunities that could give me what I wanted in terms of learning and experience.

I started to think about what I liked about the fashion industry and what other industries had the same skills. I love the creativity involved in fashion,  how designers can take inspiration and then turn it into a business. I wanted to work in a fast-paced, creative and strategic business. So I started looking into advertising and applying for internships in this industry.

I had spoken to BETC back in July regarding an internship but they had told me it was too early so I should get in touch again in the autumn. After meeting with them at the Sciences Po jobs fair, and after 3 different interviews they finally offered me a job!! It was one of those moments in life when I felt so proud of myself because I had done this all by myself. I had written the applications in french, done the interviews in French and proved that I could be good enough to work for them. I am very excited, and also relieved to have sorted an internship because January is fast approaching!

BETC is the best advertising agency in France (ouf). They are hugely creative and renowned in the industry in France, and part of the Havas group worldwide. Their most notable campaigns include the Evian baby adverts and they regularly win advertising prizes for their campaigns. So i am beyond excited to have the opportunity to spend 6 months working in such a dynamic company. I think it will be a challenge for me because I don't really know what the advertising industry is like but I am excited for the chance to learn lots, to improve my french even more (I will be forced to speak at work which I am not in lectures) and to work hard.

I will probably do an update nearer just before I start, and of course and end-of-uni recap. Congratulations if you have read this far. Sorry this was a long one.

Today was a typical Parisian Sunday. I woke up late, made myself look effortlessly chic (using a lot of effort), headed out to a department store, grabbing a pain au raisin on route, and came home with a Moncler coat.