#47 - end of Aachen first week

This week I had various things to do. One of the first things was the placement test. When I applied I suggested I would be in group B2 but after my test the lady suggested I should be in M1 which I agreed to try because I think they do more speaking in class which is what I need to work on. My writing is absolutely fine!

I have met a lot of cool and interesting people so far, from various countries, much like when I was in Nancy. We have had a couple of welcome party like things which is cool. We also went on a game around the town where we had to find out information about various sites and buidlings etc! Here are some photos I took of Aachen:The lessons are ok, but the class I am in is too easy for me, and I have learned all the grammar we are doing before. If it doesn't get harder next week then I am going to move up a set.

Tomorrow is our first excursions to Cologne and to Bonn, which should be interesting. The forecast says it might rain, but at any rate it seems as if it will be cooler than it is now! It is too hot! At least I can see clouds outside my window now, I havn't seen clouds in days.

#46 - Aachen, Germany!

I am now in Aachen for the start of my German summer course! I will be here for 2 months so I hope it will be a good time!

I have not started lessons yet as we will be having a placement test on Wednesday, where I will hopfully meet other students of the course. For today and yesterday, I was taken to where I will be staying. They told me I was in a special room, because I was going to be there for 2 months. I thought it would be student accommodation - it turns out I am staying in a room in a flat that a girl rented out for 2 months when she is not here, sharing with 2 Germans! I don't know if we will be close, but my room is fairly big and its nice, so I am happy.

I have been given a form that has the different trips for each weekend planned, and I have to tick whether I want to go or not (for an extra cost of course). There are 3 trips planned: to Cologne and Bonn, to Amsterdam, and to Paris. I havn't made up my mind yet if I want to do them all, but I think I will end up doing them anyway!

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the placement test, and after a reception and lunch, there is a "Rallye" planned around Aachen. From what I can make out, it is a kind of game where we will walk around the city and look for different things, which sounds quite fun. Then classes will begin on Thursday.

Seeing as I have internet in my room, I will have enough time to update this I think!

#45 - Nancy, France

Excuse me for the massive delay in posting, but I didn't have proper internet access in France, and was never given time to use it anyway!

The summer course at Nancy was amazing. I met so many nice people from all over the globe and will try to stay in touch with all of them. The animateurs for the course were really friendly and fun to be around. The city of Nancy is also quite nice, with beautiful buildings, and Place Stanislas is a square in town surrounded by cafes and shops, and at night there is a light and sound display against the Hotel de Ville which is spectacular!

On the university main campus

The organisation of the course was well thought out. There were various trips and weekends away (such as to Paris, Luxembourg, Val d'Isere and Vittel and the European Parliament). It was really nice to get to do these! The classes themselves were not too difficult. I was in the top advanced group but because of the variety of levels of French, it was mostly like revision. I had a selection of classes I could do in different areas such as literature or language. The teachers were really nice and it was all very informal so I felt relaxed.

Hotel de Ville at night in Place Stanislas

I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn some, or to brush up on their French! Here is the website that I applied through:

http://www.france-summercourses.com/

One thing to note if you travel to France: take care travelling through Charles De Gaulle airport. I went through there twice for Nancy (and once for Strasbourg). 3 times out of 3 they lost my luggage or didn't put it on my flight, meaning I had no clothes for the first half a week in Nancy!

#44 - the wait is ... over?

I havn't had an e-mail or letter from my university yet about the board meeting.

But, under my results section when i log onto my uni page, I have got a 60 for my Japanese part of the year abroad, and a 40 (the minimum pass mark!) for the French part. And then above that it says that the Exam Board recommend that I continue into the next year.

So...I assume that I have been let into final year on the condition of completing my summer courses and been given a pass mark in exchange! Which would be good news!

Also, now I can apply for my student loans...if only they had a working website! There is no way for me to actually apply for anything there, and according to the council, the website will never work so I have no idea how people are supposed to apply for tuition and maintenance loans!


Going to Nancy on Saturday! Need to pack!!!

#43 - the wait goes on

I still havn't heard from Birmingham about the meeting yet, so I can assume it hasn't yet happened.

I am not sure whether I want to hear the news before I go to France for a summer course end of this month or not. If it is good news then I will have a great time away! If it is bad news then I might not.

This week would be a good time to book travel to Aachen and back, so I can be safe and not rush things in the week break I have between summer courses. Apparently my dad has enough air miles to get a flight for free so - good times!

#42 - the wait

In a few weeks the meeting will be held at Birmigham in which the members will discuss my situation and decide whether it is acceptable for me to enter into final year or not, or if I would be required to once again study abroad in France. The guy in the French Department is going to recommend I be let in, after I complete my French and German summer courses, seeing as I have done my Japanese studies before and also completed all the essays and work I had to do.

I cannot stress enough how much I want his recommendation to be followed.

If I was not allowed to enter final year, then one of two things could happen.

The first would be having to the year abroad. This would mean at least 6 months study in France or another Francophonie country. Of course the downside with this is the cost. And also, because I already had an Erasmus grant and now am being told to pay it back (although they are investigating now due to some complications), I will not be allowed to apply for another one. Meaning I will have to fund this completely on my own.

The second option is to drop out of uni. Well, perhaps defer for a year or two or more. As I said, with no Erasmus grant it will make it harder on finances, especially considering the money that me and my parents are paying for the summer courses I will be doing, and of course not forgetting flights and travel. If I did defer, I am planning in my head to live in Birmingham somewhere and to get a job there, seeing as that is where I want to be and not in Bristol with parents. Plus, I really don't like Bristol...

Now just comes the wait.
Which is completely stressful.

I tend not to think about it, and I do feel quite scared that I might not be able to complete my degree.


Wish me luck.

#41 - A way to Nancy

I have now booked my journey to and from Nancy. To get there I take a plane and then take the train from Paris, and the opposite on the way back! It will be a fairly long journey so I have to make sure I take enough to occupy myself !