Studying in Lausanne: how to make the most of your experience

Lausanne is one of the world’s most well-known university cities and offers a wide range of opportunities for students. 

Let’s see how to make the most of such a stunning experience! 

5 tips to face your study experience in Lausanne 

1. Enjoy the multicultural academic atmosphere 

As above-mentioned, Lausanne houses some of the best Swiss universities, which attract students from all over the world, giving life to a truly multicultural atmosphere, such as: 

• EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), one of the top 20 best polytechnics in the world, an internationally renowned center for tech fields like neuroscience and micro/nanotechnologies; 

• UNIL, the ‘Université de Lausanne’, excellent for those who prefer to study law, economics, languages, medicine, literature, or any other traditional field; 

• EHL, the École Hôtelière, the prestigious tourism and hotel industry school; 

• IMD, the worldwide known business and leadership school. 

2. Enroll in a French course 

Never forget that, even if you decide to follow an English-speaking program, you’ll need to speak French to interact with the locals. So, we suggest you to try: 

• The Centre de Langues EPFL’s courses, which allows EPFL and HEP students to follow their French modules; 

• The free online resources on the Cajoue portal, offered by UNIL; 

• The Tandem Program, to practice French with a native speaker and teach him/her your own language. 

3. Join a student union 

Then, another unmissable experience when studying in Lausanne is the possibility to join a student union or association, where you will meet new people and expats who share your same interests, enjoying several events and meetings. 

4. Try sports and cultural activities 

What’s more, Lausanne offers numerous students’ sports and cultural activities, such as: 

• UNIL’s sports courses and events, which range from fitness to ski, football, tennis, and so much more; 

• EHL’s professional gym on campus, which provides trainers who create personalized training and nutritional plans for students, as well as several courses such as yoga, Pilates, or boxing. 

• La Grange de Dorigny’s cultural events, in the heart of UNIL’s campus, which offers contemporary and classical performances, as well as theater, dance, writing, and art workshops; 

• EPFL events, with its exhibitions, student initiatives, concerts, and performances; 

• EHL’s amazing conferences and events such as the ‘Fête Finale’, the ‘Fête Universelle’, and the ‘Young Hoteliers Summit’.  

5. Taste the local – and international – cuisine 

Finally, Lausanne offers not just an exciting nightlife, as we’ve already seen, but also a huge number of places where students can taste amazing dishes, such as: 

• Zelig, the bar located on the UNIL campus’ meeting place, great for its competitive prices; 

• Montreux Jazz Café, on the EPFL campus, which showcases the famous Festival’s archives, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; 

• Gina Ristorante, the delicious Italian restaurant in the North Quarter of EPFL; 

• Holy Cow, with its fast-food style burgers and fries, and discounts for EHL students; 

• Burrito Brothers, if you like the Mexican cuisine.