This was my university while I studied abroad in Paris and honestly it was great! For me it was an…read morehonor to have studied in La Sorbonne Paris IV and although all my courses took place here and not in the historic 5th arrondissement building, I did not complain whatsoever.
When you see the building from the outside it looks like an old Parisian building. There are two huge doors which just look beautiful from the outside. I remember that the first time I saw it I expected the inside to be old like the exterior but I was pleasantly surprised at how clean and modern the architecture is on the inside. The campus is really nice! The classrooms look new and the grand amphitheater is huge.Things are relatively very well taken care of, there is some graffiti like in every university but the desks and chairs are well taken care of.
As for the experience, it was a bit frustrating as an exchange student but I mean the French university system is just frustrating. When you enroll you have to go to each secretary to fill out a form. Unfortunately they assume that you know the system and will just enroll you in whatever you put on the form which can be bad if you are not aware that you need to take an accompanying class. I honestly wish there was an English speaking secretary JUST for ERASMUS/exchange students. I know that the point of studying abroad is to practice your speaking skills but there are such things like enrolling in classes that you want to make sure that you don't screw up since the grades will get transferred to your home university.
The professors on the other hand are great. While you may not get to know your professor in your lecture class (CM), the ones in your class (TD) will get to know you and for the most part are very understanding about the fact that your French may not be completely fluent yet. Usually they grade exchange and ERASMUS students differently so it won't be as demanding as the French curriculum, but it is demanding nevertheless.
If you're an American coming here you'll notice that there is a lack of a student life in France. There are no clubs, no teams to root for, you just go to school to go to class. The French students will not go out of their way to help you, which is something my friends and I quickly learned. You will have to get out of your comfort zone and ask them. ERASMUS and international students tend to stick together since we're all in the same boat while studying at La Sorbonne.
Now back to the university, there is a small cafeteria in the first floor which sandwiches, yoghurt, cookies, and other things. They accept both your MONEO card and cash which is good. There are also about 4 vending machines there with drinks, food, or coffee. I honestly recommend just walking to the nearest boulangerie rather than eating a bland sandwich from here.
Overall I really enjoyed my time studying here and I would recommend it to any student with a high level of French. I will always be proud that I got to study at La Sorbonne among some of the brightest French students. My year in Paris was an incredible experience and I know studying in the Malesherbes center was a big part of what made it special.
