First Spring of 2026 in Lyon, France
I was blessed to experience two springs in 2026. I spent my exchange semester at INSEEC BBA Lyon from February to May 2026, which was still winter in Finland when I left. When I returned to Finland at the end of May, spring had just begun again. Spring has always fascinated me as a season of new beginnings, especially with flowers blooming and nature coming back to life. Yet, experiencing spring in Lyon felt particularly beautiful to me. The combination of the warmer weather, blooming flowers, and the city’s architecture made the season feel even more special.
Spare Time in the Target Country
Lyon quickly became a city that I enjoyed getting lost in. The combination of its Renaissance-era old town, modern metropolitan atmosphere, strong gastronomic culture, and the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers made the city fascinating to explore. There were endless options for spending my free time, from visiting museums and parks to simply walking around different neighbourhoods and discovering new places.
Another aspect I appreciated was how convenient it was to travel from Lyon. France’s location and transportation connections made it relatively easy to explore other cities and countries. For example, I could take a bus for around two hours and reach Switzerland, or travel to different cities within France. This accessibility encouraged me to explore beyond my exchange city and made the overall experience feel much broader than simply living in Lyon.
Studying at INSEEC BBA
I had the chance to study some of the most interesting courses I have taken at INSEEC BBA. These included Geostrategy, Financial Analysis, Consumer Behaviour, Global Data Management, Global Consulting and so on. Each course offered a different learning experience. In Geostrategy, for example, learning often happened through discussions about geopolitics and international events from different perspectives. In Financial Analysis, we worked with actual calculations, while Consumer Behaviour allowed us to connect theories with real-life examples.
The Global Consulting course was particularly interesting because we worked as consultants for a real company and were expected to address a real business challenge. Before my exchange, I had only a limited interest in geopolitics. But, studying Geostrategy during my exchange completely changed this. By the end of the semester, I had developed a strong interest in geopolitics and found myself wanting to learn more about international affairs.
Studying in France vs. Finland
As I am already familiar with the Finnish education system, I generally feel more relaxed and comfortable studying in Finland. On the other hand, studying in France, particularly at my host institution, challenged me to participate more actively and put what I learned into practice immediately.
One noticeable difference was the teaching approach. The lecturers at INSEEC BBA often encouraged us to try things out at once. Another significant difference was the assessment system, as I had a final examination for almost all of my courses. Overall, studying in France pushed me outside my usual academic comfort zone and gave me a different perspective on how learning can take place.
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