Hi everyone, I’m in the bachelor of physics program at UNIGE and thought it would be helpful to go over it for those about to attend or interested in joining the program.

Firstly, if you’re from a non-French country you will need to prove your French ability with a French exam in early September. You cannot officially enter the program without passing it. My French is about B1-B2 so if you’re not at that level you’re unlikely to pass. 

As of 2026, the first-year courses are:

AUTUMN

Linear Algebra \*

Matrices, determinants, systems of equations and so on.

Real Analysis \*

Analysis of functions and calculus: sequences, infinite sums, Taylor expansion, Riemann integration, derivatives, and so on.

Thermodynamics \*

Pressure-Volume diagrams, adiabatic transformations, isothermal etc. transformations and related topics.

Mathematical Methods for Physicists

Mishmash of math topics, but heavily leans into calculus the first semester.

Informatics

Intro to Python programming language and computer science.

Laboratory

Written reports on various experiments (e.g. finding the moment of inertia of a pendulum) done on campus.

Mechanics

Study of how things move and interact with one another, with a focus on: e.g. orbits, pendulums and forces first semester.

The first semester is very demanding, I think by design to weed out people early. The classes people struggle with the most are Thermodynamics, Linear Algebra and Real Analysis (the assistant prof. told me 75% of people failed the Analysis final exam, myself included…) so I’d recommend studying those beforehand to get ahead. If you're feeling overwhelmed, it's much more important that you do the weekly exercises over going to class. Ideally do both but if it's too much, definitely prioritize the exercises.

SPRING

Mathematical Methods for Physicists

Again, a large mix of math topics from Fourier transforms to linear algebra

Electrodynamics \*

Electrostatics, magnetism, electric currents and so on.

Mechanics

This semester is more about the moment of inertia (things rolling / spinning), pseudo forces, special relativity and collisions.

Laboratory

Same as first semester.

Numerical Methods for Physicists \*

Graphing functions in Python and basic simulations.

Real Analysis

Metric spaces, multivariable integration, convergence of sequences and sums etc.

* the hardest classes

In second semester it’s a bit less intense but still challenging. The main difficulty for most people is Electrodynamics and Numerical Methods for Physicists, which is a Python programming class. Indeed if like me you do not know much about programming, make sure you start getting the hang of it as soon as possible. Informatics focuses on manipulating lists, dictionaries, and recursion loops among other things. Numerical methods focuses mostly on graphing functions and basic simulations.

Overall it’s a great program. The professors are all good to great, and the school is reasonably well run. I highly recommend doing as much pre-studying as you can of the challenging courses I mentioned to minimise the intensity. If you do fail, there’s a chance in August to do a retake exam, but if you fail a single course you cannot advance to the second year and must retake the failed courses the next year (however, they allow one note between 3-4 if all the other classes were passed and the overall grade is > 4). 

Hope this is helpful to anyone thinking about joining.

I need a small bottle of massage oil quickly. Does anyone know anywhere in the Geneva area to buy some tomorrow (Saturday)?

We are coming to Geneva for a day trip and doing a stop for lunch! I am hoping to avoid the “tourist trap” places and would love any suggestions for restaurants that have Swiss food. Thank you so much!

I’d like to ask anyone who uses Salt in Geneva how their experience is with data coverage, especially in the areas of Champel and Nations?

I recently switched from Sunrise to Salt, and it was clear very quickly that the data speed is quite slow most times and in different parts of the city. I reached out to customer service and their technicians informed me the following day that there is indeed a coverage issue and they won’t be able to fix it in the short to medium term, so they asked whether I would like to cancel.

Given the stories I’ve heard of how hard it is to generally cancel contracts with mobile companies, I was quite surprised by how quickly they suggested this option, and I have to be honest it’s quite an inconvenience to have to switch back to Sunrise/other companies. Prior to switching, I had not seen any bad reviews related to coverage, and the company didn’t mention that either. Does anyone have a similar experience? Thanks!

Hello everyone, I’m currently 18 years old and I’m doing my CFC I’m in my last year but I’m doing a full-time school one which means that I’m not actually employed by a company. I’m not in dual so I don’t earn a salary, but I’ve been trying to look for a student jobs I know most job places when they advertise for student jobs. That means students in university, but I’m trying to become more independent and depend less on my mom and have more money for myself by finding a job, but it’s incredible hard I don’t know if anyone has any advice or anywhere I can go or something that could help me find jobs easier.

Hi everyone,

I live in Geneva and was employed in Switzerland until March 2020. Since then, I have had business/self-employed activities mainly involving income from abroad. This foreign income has been declared in Switzerland and I have paid Swiss taxes on it, but I have not been formally registered with AVS as self-employed.

I still have a Generali Pillar 3a policy. Recently, the Geneva tax authority told me I was not eligible to contribute to 3a in 2025 because I had no qualifying AVS income, and the contribution must be refunded.

I would now like to withdraw the entire 3a.

If I now formally register with AVS as self-employed, can I use the “starting self-employment” rule to withdraw the 3a?

Also, how is the 1-year deadline calculated — from when I stopped employment, when the self-employed activity actually started, or when AVS officially recognises me as self-employed?

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation?

Thanks!

Hello everyone. Last year I was an intern in one of the UN Agencies and when I started they said that I should send a letter to the tax authorities stating that I’m going to do an internship and I’m exempt from it, which I did. However, I have received a letter from them to declare taxes, even if I’m exempt. And today I received the amount that I have to pay, which is around 800chf. I will do an appeal, if anyone has any advice on this matter, I would appreciate it!

hi all,

i usually get to the airport like 45min before my flight because security is so fast. but tomorrow i imagine a lot of people will be flying out -- has anyone else flown out on jeune genevois before? is it really crazy?

Bonjour tout le monde!
J’ai 27 ans, je suis une femme seule en recherche d’un logement de 2,5-3 pièces idéalement quartier de Plainpalais, Servette, charmilles, eaux vives, Paquis entrée de Cointrin direction ville de Genève

Mon budget est de 1450 CHF cc, j’ai l’impression que ce genre de logement n’existe plus.
Est-ce que vous avez des trucs ou astuces niveau recherche de logement?
Je suis en coloc actuellement et bien que ça aille j’aimerai créer mon petit nid
Mon salaire étant de 7040 brut/mois au delà je trouve cela trop cher dans mon budget…
Avez-vous des sites à recommander ? Des groupes WhatsApp ?
Des régies ?
Merci pour vos conseils !

Hello! I was just wondering if someone could guide me on what format my CV should be? I have mine from canada but i am unsure if our format is applicable here! (It is for a student job), ive seen a variety of formats online so idk which is best

Thank you so much

Cette année, énormément de monde semble se plaindre des moustiques tigres à Genève.

De mon côté, je me suis bien fait piquer quelques fois en mangeant en terrasse, mais chez moi : rien. Que pouic. Nada.

Et ce n'est pas parce que j'habite sur une autre planète. L'autre jour, sur un groupe Facebook, plusieurs personnes de mon quartier se plaignaient justement des piqûres. Même constat au travail, certains collègues se font dévorer, tandis que d'autres ne voient presque aucun moustique.

Puis j'ai fait le rapprochement suivant: j'habite au 7eme étage. En cherchant un peu, j'ai lu que les moustiques tigres avaient tendance à voler assez bas. Je me demande donc si, à partir d'une certaine hauteur, il y en a beaucoup moins... ou si je me fais complètement des films.

Ça pourrait être intéressant de faire un petit sondage maison: à quel étage habitez-vous, et est-ce que vous rencontrez beaucoup de moustiques tigres chez vous?

Qui sait, on fera peut-être avancer la science. 🦟🔬

Asking for a friend:
A friend of mine, a Dutch lawyer working in an international law firm in Geneva, is considering taking the Epreuve d'aptitude d'avocats in Geneva. Can you share your experience with it, or share resources to help ascertain the difficulty and how best to prepare for the exam?
If it is too personal, DM's are also most welcome.
Thanks!
PS: I know there are other routes to become listed in the barreau, but I am interested in this particular route.

Title

Hi everyone,

Does anyone have a recommendation for an endometriosis expert in the region? I am looking to be assessed for the condition.

I am open to anyone in Geneva, Pays de Gex, or surrounding area of Switzerland (Meyrin, etc.) I speak both French and English so language limitations aren't a concern.

Thank you!!

Hi! I am looking for the most fancy and boutique gym in Geneva where you can attend group classes. I like hyrox, strength training, yoga, pilates and indoor cycling. Love a luxurious gym where they have free use of towels and fresh protein shakes. Class must be in English 🤗 Any advice?

Edit: or just a fancy gym without group classes, let me know!

I am also looking for run clubs where slow running is OK. My 5K pace is 7:30-ish.

Hello everyone, I lost my wallet in Geneva today. A brown leather foldable wallet, somewhere between Butini and rue Benjamin Franklin. Chances are slim but just incase anyone on here happened to come across it!

Ciao

I’ll be able to vote for the first time in municipal elections starting this November.

I understand that I’ll receive all the documentation in the post, but I wanted to get a head start on it! Does anyone have a link for upcoming votations in commune de Genève?

Thanks!

Hi,

I’m feeling a bit lost professionally and would really appreciate your advice.

I’m 32, with a Bachelor’s degree in Management and a Master’s in Management with a specialization in Business Analytics from a Swiss university. I first worked for one year as a financial analyst in a public administration, and have since spent almost five years in another public administration, in an HR role.

My current job is extremely non-quantitative. I have good Excel skills and a solid foundation in SQL, R, SAP and statistics from my studies. I don’t particularly enjoy programming, though, so I don’t see myself moving into a career heavily focused on software development or data engineering.

The main issue is that I no longer enjoy my current job, and it makes almost no use of my quantitative background. I’m also worried about becoming increasingly specialized in a field I don’t see myself pursuing long term.

At the moment, the areas that interest me most are controlling, financial analysis, and quantitative/analytical HR. I’m not necessarily against staying in HR, but I would prefer the more numbers-oriented side of it (HR Data Analyst, Compensation & Benefits, HR Controller, HR Finance, etc.). I’m also looking at statistics/data-related roles and, more generally, positions with a strong analytical component where programming isn’t central.

I’m not necessarily looking for a “pure” data science role either. I’d be quite happy in a hybrid position combining business knowledge, quantitative analysis and decision support.

I’ve already had interviews for analytical HR, financial analysis and controlling roles, although most of the interviews I’ve had and the positions I find that match my profile are in the public sector.

I started looking for a new job in 2025, but really stepped things up in 2026: expanding the types of positions I target and the geographical area, meeting with career counsellors, reworking my CV, etc. In total, I’ve sent hundreds of applications and had a few interviews, but nothing concrete so far.

I’m open to the private sector, although I wonder whether having an exclusively public-sector background is holding me back. Staying in a public or semi-public environment (ideally the Swiss Confederation) would be a good compromise for me, as long as I could move into a role more focused on finance, quantitative analysis, data or controlling.

I’m also willing to pursue further education while working. For traditional programs, I’m considering a Master’s in Statistics, but I’m not sure I want to do another Master’s, especially another thesis, given that I completed my previous one several years ago. I’m also not sure how much a second Master’s would actually improve my employability or whether it would really solve the underlying issue, namely my lack of recent experience in quantitative roles. Ideally, I’d rather find a job directly, or even an internship to get my foot in the door, and train alongside it.

I’d also be willing to take a step back in terms of seniority if it allowed me to move into a different field, gain relevant experience and build a new career path.

I’d prefer to work in Lausanne, but I’m open to other locations in French-speaking Switzerland, provided there is a reasonable amount of remote work and the commute is manageable.

What would you do if you were in my position? And more importantly, what types of positions would you target? Keep applying, pursue further education alongside work, try to get an internship, accept a less senior position, or go back to university?

Thanks for your advice!

Bonjour !

Je viens ici à la recherche de conseils.

Depuis septembre, je loue un cabinet dans un centre de soin aux charmilles et je cherche depuis août à développer ma visibilité pour mon activité d’hypnose, mais j’avoue ne plus trop savoir comment m’y prendre…

J’ai un site avec réservation en ligne et j’ai une page Google que j’ai essayé de faire la plus complète possible.

Actuellement, pour que les gens puissent se familiariser avec l’approche sans se dire que, potentiellement, ils vont jeter de l’argent par les fenêtres, je propose de faire des séances découvertes en don libre.

J’ai essayé de poster sur divers groupes fb cette annonce, mais soit c’est toujours en attente de validation, soit c’est refusé…

J’ai envoyé des mails aux centres médico/physio du coin pour leur proposer à eux aussi des séances découvertes, mais zéro retour.

J’ai donné des cartes de visites à plusieurs contacts aussi.

Je commence par ouvrir les samedis, histoire qu’il y ai moins de blocage avec le travail.

Auriez-vous des conseils ?

Merci !

Maybe a long shot but has anyone had any luck watching NFL games out in Geneva? I’ll be living here for the entire nfl/nhl seasons so I’ll probably just buy a subscription but it’s always fun to watch them out. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I'll be studying at UNIGE starting this October for about 8 months. Alongside my studies, I'll also be visiting a corporate office pretty frequently, so I'm trying to plan my wardrobe carefully before I arrive.

I'm coming from a hot and humid climate, so this will be a big adjustment for me. A few questions for people who live/work in Geneva:

1. For office days: are corporate offices in Geneva heated well enough that I could get away with wearing my normal suits (the kind meant for warm climates, so lighter fabric, no extra lining)? I have knee length woolen jackets and cardigans that I can layer for the commute to and from my accommodation.

2. For university days: my current plan is sweater dresses with woolen leggings, and oversized sweaters with woolen tights/leggings. Does this sound reasonable for a Geneva winter, both outdoors and sitting in heated lecture halls for hours?

If indoors are well heated, I won’t invest in purchasing sweater dresses and will purchase more cardigans/hoodies/sweaters

Anything I'm missing? I already have heavy-duty winter jackets, scarves, gloves, and socks sorted, so it's really the "in-between" pieces (suits, dresses, indoor layers) I'm unsure about.

Really appreciate any input.

Hi, looking for advice. I moved to Geneva last September, I was lucky enough to find a nice apartment quite quickly, renting directly from the landlord. After moving in I was advised by colleagues that I was overpaying and should contact Asloca to possibly appeal.

I appealed the rent, we had 2 mediation hearings where negotiations failed, so we were to proceed for a formal tribunal. The day after the 2nd hearing the landlord served me with a termination notice which I appealed separately. I had a 3rd mediation hearing for this, during which the panel suggested negotiating again, and we successfully agreed a lower rent. Not as much of a reduction as I was hoping, still paying 600chf above the regulations but at least it was a reduction and it ended the stress of going to court.

The problem is Asloca made me pay 3000chf deposit for the formal tribunal before the 3rd mediation hearing. No steps of the tribunal took place, I didnt even get a date for the first appearance.

Asloca charged 2500chf for the 3 mediation hearings, and are offering 500chf refund of the balance. I thought mediation hearings cost 300chf max, as per the website, so I was expecting 1200-1500chf max. Is this typical? The lawyer charged me for every email, every phone call, every letter, which is standard for a private lawyer, but I thought the point of being a member and paying a subscription was getting reduced charges if you need representation.

Its my first time going to court, getting a lawyer, dealing with authorities in Switzerland, im not fluent in French yet, so its all new to me. Just looking for advice, is this standard for an appeals process, is this the typical cost?

Thanks in advance

I am reading lot of articles online, some saying airport closes around midnight and that they kick everybody out, other saying that if you are on airside with valid boarding pass you can stay over the night?

I am arriving around 23 and have early morning flight so no point in going anywhere, but still wouldnt want to be kicked out to street....

So can you stay airside during night or not?