Following a meeting with a couple of people at Birmingham and with my dad also, I may have some assuring news! I am filing mitigations for my time in France with the doctor's note that will be ready tomorrow. My good news is that my French residency requirement could be waived, meaning that not going to Strasbourg not mean that I can't go into final year.
We have also been discussing whether or not I could or should do a summer course for France as well as Germany. I think it would be goodas I hardly spoke any French in Strasbourg and also to get hopefully a more happier end to 'France'. I should decide this week whether I would like to do one or not.
I also have a form for extension on my essay deadline which is Friday! I didn't have access to anything relevant in Strasborug as well, so I may request up to a month. In any case, I will not be able to finish it by then!
Wednesday 18 March 2009
Monday 16 March 2009
#34 - woi!
I have been to see the doctor this morning about possible anxiety or depresseion. It runs in the family unfortunately. But he is going to write me a note that I can show to Birmingham uni about my time for France which helps because I am going to submit some mitigations, and hopefully have the French residency requirement waived. If not then it's almost certain that I will not be able to finish my degree. I am going back to Birmingham again tomorrow to speak with someone else in the French department and see if anything else has happened.
Essay deadline for French is soon, on Friday. I have done almost 500 words out of 3000. It is going slowly...but I am pleased with what I have written so far - even though it is only a very well written introduction to my essay!
Essay deadline for French is soon, on Friday. I have done almost 500 words out of 3000. It is going slowly...but I am pleased with what I have written so far - even though it is only a very well written introduction to my essay!
Friday 6 March 2009
#33 - Hmmmmnnnnn
I saw my French tutor to discuss what is going on at the moment regarding my degree. The possibility that is the most likely - almost certain is that I will not be allwoed to carry on French into next year, and will lose French from my degree completely. The effects on my German are not known yet. Some people are against me passing the year abroad as a whole (meaning if I wanted to get my degree I would have to take another year out and pay back all my grant and whatever else which is not something I particularly want to do).
Another small possiblity is that I am allowed to do a French summer course as well as the German one I was originally goign to do. However, various people are very much against me doing this - the main reason being that if I stop semester 2 as I have, and do a summer course instead then it would 'apparently' make other people in the future do this too, which does not really hold water.
I left because I did not like the place at all, spent the vast majority of my days alone and was becoming depressed. That is very different from people who leave France just because they are lazy or don't want to stay there in exam period.
So at this moment, nothing is happening for sure too. The French essay deadline is in a couple of weeks. I plan to work hard on this essay to ensure a good mark. Maybe it would help my case...
Another small possiblity is that I am allowed to do a French summer course as well as the German one I was originally goign to do. However, various people are very much against me doing this - the main reason being that if I stop semester 2 as I have, and do a summer course instead then it would 'apparently' make other people in the future do this too, which does not really hold water.
I left because I did not like the place at all, spent the vast majority of my days alone and was becoming depressed. That is very different from people who leave France just because they are lazy or don't want to stay there in exam period.
So at this moment, nothing is happening for sure too. The French essay deadline is in a couple of weeks. I plan to work hard on this essay to ensure a good mark. Maybe it would help my case...
Thursday 5 March 2009
#32 - In Bham
I am in Birmingham right now. I was supposed to come yesteday to see my tutor but I could not make it to the train station so I couldn't get to Bham. But I am here today, should have some time to talk with my tutor about things.
But until then I have nothing to do as anyone I know here is not free until this afternoon or later! So I'm just at uni on the computers looking at all the students I don't know. It's odd to not randomly see people I know. They aren't here because they are abroad too!
On a seperate note, my hair seems to grow faster/longer when I am in France, so now it is too long to stick up like it usually is. Instead I have no choice but to shamelessly let it flop down on a fringe. This means I will need a haircut.
But until then I have nothing to do as anyone I know here is not free until this afternoon or later! So I'm just at uni on the computers looking at all the students I don't know. It's odd to not randomly see people I know. They aren't here because they are abroad too!
On a seperate note, my hair seems to grow faster/longer when I am in France, so now it is too long to stick up like it usually is. Instead I have no choice but to shamelessly let it flop down on a fringe. This means I will need a haircut.
Tuesday 3 March 2009
#31 - Back home
I am back from France for now and it feels great! But as always there were a few problems.
The first problem came when I got to the airport and found my flight was cancelled. Not delayed, cancelled. I was supposed to fly from Strasbourg Entzheim to London City Airport. Instead I had to go from Entzheim to Paris Charles de Gaulle, and then from there to London Heathrow.
The next (not really a problem but more of an) annoyance was on the second flight. I was sat next to a couple. The guy told a few bad jokes and wouldn't leave the girl alone, and then proceeded to read poems that he had written from his book about Jesus, and then started on some sermons. The girl would randomly interject by reading passages from the Bible she was carrying.
The last problem was kind of expected. I knew Air France would do something wrong. I was waiting to get my luggage from the conveyor thingamabob and I heard my name called over the speakers along with some mumbling which was repeated. So I headed towards the desk where I was informed that my suitcase was in France. Oops. It seems that Air France didn't want to transfer my suitcase to the next flight. I had even asked the office there if I needed to get my suitcase my self etc. But no, they said it was fine. It wasn't too much of a problem - I filled out a form and they sent my suitcase by mail, which arrived the next day. Brilliant.
So all in all it was a bit of an adventure! Oh! And because we flew over, I saw the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe in real life for the first time in my life!
The first problem came when I got to the airport and found my flight was cancelled. Not delayed, cancelled. I was supposed to fly from Strasbourg Entzheim to London City Airport. Instead I had to go from Entzheim to Paris Charles de Gaulle, and then from there to London Heathrow.
The next (not really a problem but more of an) annoyance was on the second flight. I was sat next to a couple. The guy told a few bad jokes and wouldn't leave the girl alone, and then proceeded to read poems that he had written from his book about Jesus, and then started on some sermons. The girl would randomly interject by reading passages from the Bible she was carrying.
The last problem was kind of expected. I knew Air France would do something wrong. I was waiting to get my luggage from the conveyor thingamabob and I heard my name called over the speakers along with some mumbling which was repeated. So I headed towards the desk where I was informed that my suitcase was in France. Oops. It seems that Air France didn't want to transfer my suitcase to the next flight. I had even asked the office there if I needed to get my suitcase my self etc. But no, they said it was fine. It wasn't too much of a problem - I filled out a form and they sent my suitcase by mail, which arrived the next day. Brilliant.
So all in all it was a bit of an adventure! Oh! And because we flew over, I saw the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe in real life for the first time in my life!
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