WHAT makes people study in Geneva, Switzerland? We asked Colin Paterson, originally from Canada, what he enjoyed about studying in the 'city of peace'.
STUDEMT WORLD ONLINE: What do you love about Geneva?
COLIN: The landscape, the accessibility, and the city's international dynamic. Geneva is beautiful, nestled at the foot of a lake and cradled by both the Alps and the Jura mountains. Hiking trails, great bike rides, ski hills, vineyards, and beautiful French and Swiss villages are all easily accessed from the city, with no need for a vehicle. Geneva also lies more-or-less in the center of Europe. You can catch an EasyJet flight to basically any other major European city within two hours, though this can also make it really, really difficult to study for a Monday exam if you jet off to Barcelona after class on Friday. One of my friends ended up trying to write an essay on an iPad while sitting around a pool at a beach resort in Egypt.
Another great aspect of living in Geneva is that the city is extremely international for its size. This is thanks to the fact that the United Nations and many of its agencies are based in Geneva, along with international non-governmental organizations like the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and World Economic Forum.
SWO: Did you feel differently when you first arrived?
C: When I first arrived, I was a little intimidated by the city, to be honest. It's not a large city (about 200,000 people), but the presence of the United Nations, World Trade Organization, private banks, and other global institutions definitely gave me a "you're not in Kansas anymore" moment. Growing up in a small farming community in western Canada is a different experience, to put it mildly.
That being said, I got accustomed to living here fairly quickly; turns out international bureaucrats also need to shop for groceries and like to grumble about the price of cinema tickets.
SWO: Is there anything you don't like about Geneva?
C: The cost. Geneva is one of the most expensive cities on the planet in which to live. A friend of mine came to visit last summer, and nearly cried when he spilled the (already tiny) coffee he had just bought, claiming it was like lighting a $5 bill on fire.
The other major drawback is that Geneva can be a pretty quiet city. Bars and clubs close extremely early relative to other major cities, and nothing (no, seriously, NOTHING) is open on Sundays.
SWO: Is it easy to get around Geneva?
C: Incredibly easy. You can essentially walk to anywhere, from anywhere in the city within half an hour to an hour, and if you get a bicycle you've cut that down to 15-20 minutes. There is also a well-developed public transit system composed of buses and trams that extends throughout the city and nearby towns, and the rail system to other towns or regions in Switzerland is… well, Swiss (so, punctual, clean, and efficient).
SWO: What is there to see and do in Geneva?
C: While there are a few landmarks worth seeing or visiting in Geneva (the old town center, the Reformation Wall), the best things to see and do in the area are the outdoor activities and local festivals. Hiking and biking are great ways to explore the country side in the summer, and ski enthusiasts should definitely try and make it out to a nearby hill during the winter.
A number of local festivals also make Geneva a great place to live, especially in the summer. The Fete de Geneve fills the city's parks with free music, food and beverage stands, and carnival rides; local wine festivals in the spring and autumn make for a cheap but classy (well… at least boozy) day out in the countryside; and the Escalade in December is a yearly celebration where visitors are transported back to medieval times, complete with cannon demonstrations and torch-lit streets.
SWO: Good shops?
C: If you're looking for a Rolex or Piaget watch that costs as much as a new car, sure. If you're looking for reasonably-priced clothes, supplies, or food, you may need to look a little harder or consider taking a sneaky trip across the border into France (which is extremely close… I've gone jogging and ended up in France a few times).
SWO: Good places to eat?
C: The can't-miss eatery is the Bain de Paquis, where in winter months you can get some incredible fondue in a communal tent on the lake. Chez Ma Cousine has two locations and does some nice, affordable chicken, while Spaghetti D'Oro serves pizzas the size of hubcaps and thus basically provides two meals for the price of one. Some nice cafes, like Wolfisberg, can also be found in the Carouge area.
SWO: Good places to drink?
C: The local expat community tends to congregate in a pub called Mr. Pickwick's, where live music, events and a reasonable beer selection help to attract the international crowds. For a more local experience, try La Petite Reine, behind the train station. In the spring and summer months, La Terrasse opens up on the lake-front, and sipping a cold beer while looking across the lake towards Mt. Blanc and the Alps is definitely not a bad way to spend an afternoon.
SWO: Good places to relax and hang out?
C: One of the best features of Geneva are its parks, and in the summer most of the city can be found relaxing, playing and barbecuing in the parks after work and on weekends. The parks also have free wifi. There are a few open-air cinemas in the summer as well. In the winter, the options are a little more limited.
SWO: What is the area like?
C: The area immediately around Geneva is beautiful. One of the best investments I made while here was to get a bike, and 15 minutes outside of the city you are back in rural Switzerland or France with rolling vineyards, small cobblestoned villages, and forested hills. Nearby cities like Lausanne, Montreux, Annecy and Yvoire are all beautiful, accessible, and well worth visiting.
SWO: What is the university like?
C: My experience with university was a little different than most students', since I went to a specialized program that wasn't held on the main university campus. The university is very near the center of town, however.
SWO: Do you live on campus?
C: No, I live in separate student accommodation out towards the northern edge of town.
SWO: How much is monthly rent?
C: Way too much. Rent is 670 francs in the winter (at the time of writing, that's about EUR 640), and climbs to 840 francs (EUR 800) during the summer months for a tiny, one-person studio student apartment.
SWO: How much is a cinema ticket, a two-mile cab ride, and a 1kg bag of rice?
C: A cinema ticket is a mind-blowing 19 francs (hello, Netflix). I've never had to take a cab since the public transit is so good, and a one-hour ticket for the city transit system costs 3 francs (2 with the half-fare card). A 1 kg bag of rice costs about 2 francs.
Learn more about studying in Switzerland with our guide to their thriving hospitality industry and hotel management courses.
