EPFL

• Home Faculty: Civil and Environmental Engineering
  
• Host Faculty: Environmental Science and Engineering

• Email: roeyyarom77@gmail.com
  

Courses:

• Hydrology for engineers (recognized – הידרולוגיה)
• Hydraulics and infrastructures (recognized – הדרוליקה)
• Solid waste engineering (recognized – טכנולוגיות לטיפול בפסולת מוצקה)
• French (recognized – קורס בחירה חופשית)
• Science of climate change (recognized – הוכר כבחירה פקולטית)

Academic:
The lecturers were excellent, and the level of difficulty was lower than at the Technion. Homework assignments were not given on a weekly basis in any of the courses, and there was extensive teaching support available.
The tutorial sessions are largely based on independent learning, meaning that you are expected to solve the problems on your own during the session. However, if questions arise, there are usually four to five teaching assistants available to help.

Social & Campus Life:
There are many events organized specifically for exchange students. Personally, I joined two or three trips, one of them included an overnight stay in Interlaken with the whole group, which I highly recommend.
You are constantly meeting new people, so it’s important to come with an open mind and not be afraid to initiate interactions (a skill that eventually becomes second nature). All students speak English, although some, mainly undergraduate students, can be a bit less motivated socially.
There is a large sports center by Lake Geneva that includes a gym and sports courts, which can be booked for free, as well as a water sports center (more relevant for those arriving in the spring). The city of Lausanne is very beautiful, but somewhat quiet. Since the university is not located in the city center (and my student housing was between the university and downtown), I did not spend much time in the city center.

Advice to Future Students:
Overall, the semester was successful in every aspect, academically meaningful while not overly demanding at the same time. It was possible to travel extensively around Switzerland, which I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys nature and hiking. It is also very easy to reach other countries in Europe. I traveled to France and Italy as well, which was a great experience.
That said, the cost of living must be addressed. Switzerland is a very expensive country (though not dramatically more expensive than Israel, in my opinion), so it is important to save money in advance and approach the experience without being overly budget conscious. Public transportation is expensive, there is an annual pass that gives a 50% discount for 100 CHF, but even with the discount, train tickets remain costly. Rent is not cheap, and eating out at restaurants was a rare occasion for me.
Despite this, I managed to live on a reasonable budget by being mindful of expenses, cooking at home, renting a bicycle, attending university events and spending time at the university bar rather than clubs, joining organized student trips (which are usually cheaper), and generally knowing how to manage day-to-day expenses wisely.

Important to know:
There is quite a lot of bureaucracy involved in going on a student exchange, especially in Switzerland. This includes preparing all the required documents, finding housing, registering with the municipality (both upon arrival and departure), mandatory health insurance (specific to Switzerland), and many additional small fees that you will need to pay once you arrive.
Personally, I paid around 220 CHF (approximately 800 NIS) upon arrival, including municipal taxes, fire insurance, and various other compulsory fees.
In any case, I would be happy to help students who are planning to apply to the university, and I highly recommend the exchange experience.