Student review [#82276] for Political Science and Government
at Sciences Po

If you would have asked me from two years ago if I would be a second year student at Sciences Po Reims, I would have laughed in your face. Sciences Po was not really part of the plan. However, now, with my time at this university slowing coming to an end, I can say with no regrets, that I am glad I made this choice.
To be honest, first year was a shock. Having gone to a French high school, people spoke about Sciences Po as if it was their God, their religion. Safe to say my expectations were through the roof…and at first, they were not met. This is partly my fault, being an eighteen year old girl whose only expectation of university was like you see in all those American movies, or how my friends at uni in the UK described it. If you are looking for the true British uni experience – going out almost every night, a massive student residence, people very similar to you, not much work in your first year – then Sciences Po is not for you. For a couple months, I thought Sciences Po was not for me. My sky high expectations had not been met. However, it was when I settled in, and change my perspective, that this educational and life experience became one that I grew to love. At Sciences Po, in a classroom of 25 students, you are guaranteed to cover at least 10 different nationalities. We are all so different from one another, the paths that brought us to this school so varied, and yet, we all fit in. We all get each other. Being such a small student body (less than 2000), we quickly become familiar with one another – you will almost always see a friendly face in every hallway you walk.
On an academic level, the courses are good, sometimes not great, but I also think the level of effort and commitment that you bring to each course is a determining factor on your likelihood of enjoying what you’re studying. If you sit back, eyes wandering the class room, not having done your readings, you are not going to enjoy class. You are not going to feel like you are learning. Some teaching assistants will try to pull you from this daze, but others will let you float because quite frankly, that is not what they are getting paid to do. University is about teaching yourself to learn, without having someone holding your hand along the way.
Overall, Sciences Po does deserve the reputation it has, both for its international community, and the quality of education available, if one desires to access and invest in it.