Our booklet
You will soon find this year’s EPFL Survival guide booklet here.
App to download:
Zoom : this is the application that will allow you to follow the online courses.
Moodle : this is the application that will allow you to follow your course’s content. You will find there your professor’s slides and exercises.
Telegram: this is the application that will allow you to stay connected with your whole class and with your coaches.
EPFL Campus: this is the application that will allow you to follow all the information related to your schedule, your camipro card, your grades, etc…
To stay up to date:
In addition, all the very important information from EPFL will be communicated to you by email, on your EPFL email address. So stay tuned !
Welcome Day:
The welcome day will take place on Friday, September 16th on EPFL’s campus. Make the most of it, because it’s a great opportunity to be on campus. You will find more information about this day on this site.
You will be welcomed in your section and various people will come to introduce themselves, and AGEPoly will be among them!
Your coachs:
It is the students who will welcome you and follow you throughout the year to help you in this new stage of your life. You have normally received an email from them. You will see, they are full of enthusiasm and kindness. Don’t hesitate to write to them if you have any questions, that’s what they are there for! Especially since this year you will be a little less regularly on campus, so don’t think about it and talk to them!
AGEPoly’s events
The Integration Week (SI= Semaine d’intégration):
EPFL’s integration week is an incredible 7 days adventure to learn about the student life at EPFL (lots of activities, great parties and some nice surprises) while meeting many great people and soon-to-be friends! This week is entirely organized by students. It is the perfect occasion to get many tips and advices directly from older students who have already done their first year at EPFL. (Do not hesitate to go check their site just to see how amazing this week will be: https://polysi.ch/)
Students 4 Students (S4S)
Students 4 Students organizes a week to get prepared for your first bachelor semester. During this week, you will discover what a typical day at EPFL is, making friends and getting warmed up for your BA1 ! More information on the website : https://s4s.fun/) Please note that this year, S4S is full ! You will find courses videos on the website.
ESN’s Welcome Week
Are you a new exchange student at EPFL and did you just arrive in Switzerland? The association ESN (Erasmus Student Network) organizes a “Welcome Week” for you at the beginning of each semester. The next edition of the Welcome Week takes place from September 13th to September 19th 2021 and it will allow you to meet your fellow exchange students. During the Welcome Week, you will discover your new place of study and find out everything you need to know in order to have a successful exchange semester or year. The events like Chalet Weekend, Lausanne City Rally, Fondue Dinner, Welcome Party, Sports Tournament and Pub Nights will allow you to dive into Swiss culture and student life in Lausanne. For more information, visit the following https://epfl.esn.ch/welcome-week
Coaching:
The Coaching (It’s only love) is a group of students in each section who will be there to help you get integrated in an academic level as well as in your student life. They are the first people of EPFL that you will meet so don’t hesitate to ask for advice or to participate in their events.
The Welcome Party:
It is your first day at EPFL? Let’s celebrate! The coaching organizes a huge activity for the new students on the very first day. It starts right after EPFL’s official welcoming ceremony. It allows you to meet your section (the students who will be with you all year long) and make your first steps while having fun on campus.
PolyNite:
Polynite is the first event of the year on campus. For one night, EPFL transforms itself to host all its students in bachelor and master as well as students from other schools such as UNIL. It is the perfect chance to meet and get to know people. Take advantage of it, the tickets to get in only cost 5 francs!
The school book sale:
Stop right there new student. Don’t rush to buy yours books at the beginning of the year, there is a much cheaper alternative: The school book sale, (La boursobouquins).
It’s a week-long sale where you can sell and buy secondhand books, that are often the ones recommended by your professors, at a much lower price. ( 2 to 3 times cheaper!)
This year it will be held in September from the 27th to 29th in the Hall of the CO building.
Otherwise, during all the year, you can use this website !
Our social medias
To avoid missing out on our events, don’t hesitate to look at our social medias:
Our best tips for new students:
Before arriving on campus:
1. Register at EPFL’s integration week or at S4S ! It is the best way to get to know the school, and to meet new friends before the beginning of your classes.
2. Pay attention to the deadlines! It is necessary to register in time (You could get yourself in a bad position, having to pay a fee for a late registration…)
3. Get yourself ready! EPFL expects a good level in math and physics (EPFL puts forward a book to get prepared). But most importantly don’t forget to rest beforehand.
4. Pay attention to companies advertising preparation classes: there are all for profit and are not recognized by EPFL. We suggest you keep your energy for your first 14 weeks of school. Instead you can look at EPFL teaching material.
5. We recommand to follow EPFL’s Respect formation.
First steps on campus:
- If you have any questions, or if you want a better integration or anything of that sort, see with the Coaching. They are here for you, we suggest that you answer their e-mail to get to know who your coaches are and to let them know who you are!
- HOUSING: The student residences are usually a good solution for the first year’s students (For example: FMEL, Estudiantines…).
EPFL’s website on housing will tell you more about it: https://www.epfl.ch/campus/services/housing/en/ineedhousing/students/.
To get installed, the best locations are close to the metro M1 (close to campus and student parties but can be far from the city)
Another possibility is to be in the center of the city of Lausanne giving access to more services (Culture, shops…). In any case, being more than 30 minutes away can quickly become an issue.
- COOL PLACES: Satellite, the famous and intemporal bar on campus which we can’t get bored of, the lake for the sunny days (always nice and with a good vibe) but be wary of making too much noise after 10pm, expensive fines are easily given out.
- TO MOVE AROUND: EPFL has a very vast parking place for bikes with also a place where you can go to fix your bike (Point Vélo).
You can also open a cheap (25 CHF per semester) PubliBike account (it is a bike network in free access on Lausanne and its surroundings.) thanks to your EPFL’s login on: https://mycamipro.epfl.ch/client/bicreg
Last tips:
- Once settled in, register to your commune, and have them validate your insurance (or subscribe to a new one).
If you are a foreigner and you wish to keep your principal residence elsewhere, the law allows you to do so as long as you spend at least 2 days a month in said residence. If you feel lost, AGEPoly has an insurance advisor to that students can consult freely. (https://agepoly.ch/services/assurances/) - Don’t rush into buying your books. Wait for your professors’ recommendations to know which books are actually useful. AGEPoly also organizes a book sale every semester, and buying secondhand books from former students can also be also a good option. AGEPoly also has a little known permanent book sale on its website.
- Classes are EPFL’s heart but it doesn’t stop there. There are many associations, so there will be one for your taste, don’t hesitate to look at our different commissions (https://agepoly.ch/commissions/) and all the other associations (https://www.epfl.ch/campus/associations/fr/index-fr-html/)
Last but not least, do not hesitate to check out the page for EPFL’s new students:
(https://www.epfl.ch/education/studies/preparation-pour-epfl/nouveaux-etudiants-bachelor/)
If you have any questions, you can contact us at: contact@agepoly.ch