u/Putrid-Tangelo4161

Hi! I’m moving to the Paris area soon to start a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering at Institut Polytechnique de Paris, and I was wondering if there are any Arab students/alumni here (or other international students with similar backgrounds).

Would love to hear what your experience has been like studying and living in Paris/Saclay, especially socially, making friends, adjusting to France, and generally finding a community.

I’d also love to connect with anyone studying at IP Paris or in a similar engineering/biomedical program. Any advice for an incoming student would be really appreciated :)

I’m feeling genuinely torn between two very different paths and would really appreciate some outside perspective. I have an offer for a well-paying 12-month internship in Dubai with a major healthcare company. The role itself is not exactly my dream job, but the company is one I have always wanted to work for, and the opportunity would give me strong industry experience, financial stability, and the comfort of staying close to family in the UAE.

At the same time, I have been accepted into a biomedical engineering master’s program at Institut Polytechnique de Paris, or IP Paris, with a scholarship. I have always dreamed of living abroad, especially because I did not get that experience during undergrad, and part of me feels that this may be my best chance to finally do it. Studying at IP Paris would also keep me closer to the technical and engineering side of healthcare, while giving me the opportunity to build a network and gain internship experience in Europe.

My biggest fear is that if I go straight into the workforce, I will become comfortable with the salary and stability and never return to graduate school. On the other hand, I’m worried that I could turn down a valuable career opportunity, move to Paris, and end up regretting the financial sacrifice or having a difficult year.

For anyone who has had to choose between a strong job opportunity and graduate school abroad, what did you choose, and how do you feel about that decision now?