A series of alumni testimonials about French colleges and universities. The alumni share their personal experiences about their courses, part-time jobs, internships, job search, etc. I have focused on alumni because it can help prospective and current students get a complete picture of the course and future opportunities.
In this particular article, Sridhar was kind enough to share his Automotive Engineering Masters experiences from Polytech Orléans and ISAT.
Alumni & Course Information
| Name | Mr. Sridhar Rajaram |
| LinkedIn Profile | Sridhar-rajaram |
| Degree | Master of Science “RNCP certified” |
| Course Specialization | |
| Year of Graduation | 2015 |
| Colleges | École polytechnique de l’université d’Orléans & Institut supérieur de l’automobile et des transports (ISAT) |
| Cities | Orleans (M1) and Nevers (M2) |
| Course Intake | September |
| Course Duration (including internship) | 24 months |
| Course Fees | 4750 €/year (check the latest values from the course website) |
| Funding for the course | Family Sponsorship |
| Monthly Expenses (Rent, utilities, etc) | 400€ |
| French level before the Course | A1 |
| French level after Graduation | B1 |
| Status after Graduation | Salaried Employee |
| Current Status | Software Project Manager (Automotive) at Bosch France, Paris |
MSc AESM Course Structure
Personal Experiences during the Course
- My Masters1 (M1) was in Orleans and so the student life was amazing.
- Coming to France and living in a student city and the university campus helped a lot. It was great meeting new people on and off campus.
- Plus living inside the university campus helped in saving lots of time.
- The course was amazing, we had the opportunity to learn a lot. The facilities at the university were amazing and easily accessible.
- As I was living in a CROUS residence, I had the opportunity to meet people from various countries and they were very welcoming.
- People welcomed me and used to include me in everything. Perhaps it had also something to do with me being an outspoken and open-minded guy.
- Overall it was a great experience. I would be lying if I said I focused really on learning French. I mostly got away with English or with some help from English-speaking French friends.
- For my 2nd year (M2), I moved to Nevers hence the experience was not as exciting as Orleans. It was a boring place.
- The course and facilities were good.
- But in comparison to Orleans, we had a better balance to all the aspects. Let it be study-wise or for personal life.
Return on Investment (ROI)
- I was able to recover my total investment in about 1.5 years after I got my job.
- Even though I traveled so much, I was able to recover it.
Multi-cultural Aspects of the Course
- Tricky one: My master had 13 students including 12 Indians and 1 American.
- So, No it was not so multicultural but now I have heard that it has slightly improved.
- I was in an university campus and CROUS residence. So, i had the opportunity to interact and make friends from different nationalities.
Part-time Job Experience
- Did not do any part-time job during my Masters
Internship Experience
- I did my internship at Ecole Nationale de l’aviation Civile (ENAC) at Castelnaudary.
- Even though it was a small town, people were very nice to me and curious to know me and about India.
- The workplace was fantastic. The colleagues were very professional and cool I would say. It was the place where my French learning curve skyrocketed!!.
- Plus, the French accent there was different, and hence that was also a difficulty to overcome.
Job search Experience
- After graduating in November 2015, I went back to India to spend some time with my parents. And came back to start my job search.
- It took me quite a few months to land my first job. I won’t say it was easy for me.
- I don’t have track of the number of applications or rejections I faced even after learning French. But it was just a matter of grit and time.
- Now looking back at the experiences and hardships I laugh and think it’s because of all those experiences, that I am able to stand where I am today.
- I mainly looked for jobs via APEC and LinkedIn. I was offered a job at ENAC but was not considered being an Indian National.
Advice for Juniors
- Learn French and don’t give up just because someone else is getting better opportunities than you.
- Perseverance and determination go a long way. 😊
Pro tip: If someone gets a job without French, they will struggle one day or another if they don’t learn French.
Information about ISAT and PolyTech Orleans
Practical Information
Course Overview:
- Duration: Four semesters
- Credit Transfer: Each semester accounts for 30 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits. ECTS credits are transferable.
- Number of places: 20
- Tuition fees: 11,500€ (5,750€ x 2 years) subject to change according to Board policy.
- Grants: The Conseil Régional de Bourgogne and the Conseil Régional de la Région Centre may offer grants depending on AESM S1 results.
Entrance requirements:
Students with outstanding achievements equivalent to UK First Class in the following fields can apply to this programme:
- mechanical engineering
- automotive engineering
- electronics
- computer science
- physics or chemical engineering
- material engineering
- mechatronics
How to Apply:
Documents Required,
- Application form: www.isat.fr or www.univ-orleans.fr
- Motivation Letter of application outlining motivation to participate in the programme.
- Curriculum Vitae (Resumé).
- Official copy of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with a transcript of records (English translation) and rank.
- Two Letters of Recommendation and their addresses, preferably from the university or institute that awarded the first degree, who will be contacted.
- A copy of valid ID documentation and passport.
- A copy of the score report for the English level (IELTS, TOEFL, etc)
- GRE
All the above documents must be sent to: master.aesm.polytech@univ-orleans.fr
Contact Information:
Polytech Orléans
- Prof. Pascal HIGELIN
- The Engineering School of the University of Orléans.
- Email: master.aesm.polytech@univ-orleans.fr
- Website: www.polytech-orleans.fr
ISAT
- Prof. Sidi Mohammed SENOUCI
- ISAT Research Laboratory
- Email: master_aesm.isat@u-bourgogne.fr
- Website: www.isat.fr
Disclaimer
- These are original testimonials collected from the alumni via Linkedin.
- Opinions expressed are from the alumni and so the author or the blog cannot be held responsible.
- These testimonials include both facts and opinions. Facts will not change but opinions might differ based on personal experiences, perspectives, etc.
