Monthly Archives: November 2016

Rey Juan Carlos University

Posted on by

It has already been 3 months since I started lessons in Madrid. I got to know my university, that’s why today I will tell you more about campus life in Rey Juan Carlos.

15310312_10211555850153766_2095092980_n

Campus of Vicálvaro

15320348_10211555850513775_460426865_n

Library “Miguel de Cervantes” in Vicálvaro

University of Rey Juan Carlos is the second biggest university in Madrid with almost 40 000 students. It gathers 5 campuses located in Madrid (Vicálvaro), Aranjuez (only for summer courses), Alcorcón, Fuenlabrada and Mostóles. It is a public research university created in 1996.

I am currently studying in Vicálvaro’s university in the southeast of Madrid. It is the seat of the Faculty of Legal and Social Sciences since 1998. This campus welcomes a lot of Erasmus students. It is not that big that is why it’s easy to find your way. Moreover classes take place most of the time in the same classroom so there are no reasons becoming nervous.

The quality of its infrastructure facilities is satisfactory compared to others campus in Madrid. There is a huge and modern library open from 9 am to 8.30 pm where most of students get used to work. It also includes numerous study rooms for group work. Concerning the catering, the campus has a cafeteria and a restaurant. Around the school you can find a university residence, a small shopping mall and a Burger King.  As I already told you in one of my previous article, Vicálvaro’s Campus is a bit far from the center (about 45 minutes by metro). Still, I advise you to find an accommodation in the center because the majority of Erasmus students live in share flats in city center and it’s the best way to discover the “real Madrid”.

Concerning education, teachers are not very demanding for homework. The majority of them organize only one mid-term exam. But, it is required to provide a constant work to pass the final tests because there is no free week before the test week.

If you want more information about the school and the degrees, I join the link for URJC: www.urjc.es

Have a good week!

Direction Stockholm

Posted on by

On 13 and 14 november, ESN organised a famous event with name “Pirates of Baltic sea”. That doesn’t tell you Nothing, but the principe is to gather more than 1000 Erasmus students who come from Finland or the countries of Eastern of Europe to make the crossing on a ferry. Several activities were organized during the journey which lasted from 17:30 to 8:30. And in the early morning, we arrived in Stockholm (Capital of Sweden).

IMG_2477

Snow in Stockholm

SAM_3409

The city consist fourteen islands

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was fantastic because there was snow everywhere on the city, and some people skied or sledged in the park. The city has very nice buildings but what I found the cutest was the old centre with pretty colorful buildings. We also visit the Stockholm Cathedral and we assisted at the changing of te guard.

 

SAM_3418

Pretty colorful buildings

IMG_2506

The old centre

Feedback on a semester in Dundee :

Posted on by

If you are thinking about spending a semester in Dundee next year you might be interesting in some student’s feedbacks on their experience.

That’s why I ask three of my friends to share with me their thoughts on their semester at Abertay University.

 

 

Anke from Germany :

” I really enjoyed my semester in Dundee as Scotland is one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever seen. I can’t really tell what I enjoyed the most. I guess it was the mixture between the trips through whole Scotland with the friends I made here and my modules which have been the perfect choice for me. In one of them I created a children’s book which was very challenging but at the same time I enjoyed being so creative. I would totally recommend spending a semester in Dundee as I would love to stay for another one. The beautiful landscape, the very friendly people, the challenging and supportive lecturers and the whole lot of creative modules have given me a lifetime experience and I’m very thankful for that!”

 

Jeremie from Switzerland :

” Did you enjoy your semester in Dundee ?

Hell no!  Ok ok I’m joking… Did I enjoy Dundee? On paper the brightest and sunniest city, it does not derogate to Scottish principles – 90% rain and 10% mist. Nevertheless, you will be flabbergasted by its beautiful bridge and the view from the Law hill. Should I mention a single word, it would definitely be: pubs. And pubs. And more pubs. Do you want to enjoy a quite evening with friends? Go to the pub! Do you want to party? Go to the pub! Of course, having fun is one part of the deal but let’s not forget the studies. Abertay University holds two main societies: – The hacking Society – Game development Society If you’re lucky enough to be part of one of them, expect to have at least once some free pizza! On a side note, the courses are great, you do learn a lot of practical stuff. I would recommend overall to study abroad. Traveling will never be in vain and will help you create the person you want to be. If you found a specific course that interests you, don’t hesitate and come here! Otherwise, why not chose somewhere warmer…? “

 

Elena from Germany :

” I definitely enjoyed my semester here in Dundee. It was a great time and an awesome experience.

I´ve met really nice and friendly people here. We had lots of fun while cooking, going out or watching movies together. Also the trips to Stonehaven, Glasgow, Edinburgh, the Isle of Skye, Glenmore or Loch Ness were so exciting and we had so much fun together. The landscape in Scotland is just beautiful and worth it to discover by renting a car.

I chose the courses Digital Business Strategy and Operations and Supply Chain Management. The course Operations and Supply Chain Management was very interesting and I learned a lot. The lectureres were good and well organized. But I have to say that I didn´t really like the course Digital Business Strategy, because in the middle of the semester the lecturer changed and since that it was really unorganized and not very interesting.

Regarding the university I would recommend to spend a semester in Dundee. In my opinion it is a good choice. Dundee as a city is nice and cute with (for Scotland) lots of sun, but I would say there are nicer cities in Scotland which probably offer more activities for students. However, for one semester there is enough stuff to do and to explore “

 

 

Black Friday

Posted on by

On Black Friday, shops prices plummet for 24 hours. The goal is that people buy a lot of things before Christmas. . The day earned its name, as it’s often the day shops ‘move into the black’, meaning they have enough money to cover their costs.

But, frequently there are fights between people because they want to buy the same things. Indeed, people are crazy during this night.

The term originates from the U.S. The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday, It officially marks the beginning of the holiday season as retailers prepare for Christmas trade. Although in the past it has traditionally occurred within the U.S., now British retailers want to offer similar deals for UK customers.

Black Friday

 

This year, Black Friday will fall on Friday 25 November.

All stores, online and offline, offer big promotions on products. Larger retailers such as Amazon and Argos offer up to 75% off. It’s a big day for the purchase of electrical goods, mobiles and tablets (such as HD TVs, phones, beauty products, home accessories, fashion and toys)

Moreover, some retailers begin before such as “Amazon” who launched his Black Friday 12 days early.

 

But, be careful, unfortunately we can’t expect too many laptop bargains. Because Both Apple and Microsoft say they will raise prices in the UK by about 20 per cent due to the fall in the pound’s value since the UK voted to leave the EU.

 

A lot of shops are doing the Black Friday, even the most famous supermarket in UK : “Tesco”.

The nightclubs also do the Black Friday, such as “The Union”. We can have the enter at 99p (instead of £5) on 25th November but also one week before (18th November)

The real question is, at what time does it start?

In the US, traditionally stores opened at 6am. However more recently retailers want to open at midnight.

In Scotland, it will start at 6am and end at 8pm.

 

Husky safari

Posted on by

Last week, I went to Lapland with ESN. It is a wonderful experience, and I think it is one of the best times of my life. There, the days are short and snow covers the ground but do not worried you have enough time to do many activities. My favorite experience was the visit of the husky farm. Dogs are of rare beauty, with their blue eyes and their fur. We did have the opportunity to see some puppies, I wanted to adopt them! It was a truly experience, and I had a chance to be a musher. In pairs we rode a sled drawn by a dog team. It had no words to express my happiness.

husky 2

husky 1

Highland Games

Posted on by

Highland Games are a huge event in Scotland. Highland Games take place in more of 80 cities, villages, islands or castles in Scotland from May to September and it is governed by the Scottish Highland Games Association (SHGA). It combines sports, fun and Scottish culture.

Highland Games combine heavy athletic events like Caber Toss, Tug-o-War and Scottish Hammer Throw, and light events like piping, dance, running, cycling… And it all takes place in a Scottish staging, for example all competitors in heavy events must wear a kilt when they compete.

What about the Caber Toss and the Piping, two of the more famous events in Highland Games?

The Caber Toss

A long wooden pole is stood upright, the competitor takes it, runs and throws it vertically holding the smaller end in his hands. The larger end has to touch the ground first and then the smaller end has to touch the ground in the 12 o’clock position measured relative to the direction of the run. The winner is the one whose the throw is the closest than the 12 o’clock position.

Caber Toss

The Piping

There are two types of piping: the solo piping competitions where competitors play in a range of styles and the group competitions. You can see hundreds of pipers and drummers from different groups playing together and walking in unison.

Piping

Secondary events and attractions

Highland Games are not just sport events, there are also lots of other activities.

We can see principally the clan tents and lots of vendors of Scottish related goods. Visitors can have information about the Scottish roots and can join a clan if they want.

Moreover, armouries exhibit their collections of swords and armours, and they stage mock battles.

You can also see exhibitions and trials of herding dogs which highlight the breeder’s and trainer’s skills. There may be other types of Highland animals too.

In addition, various traditional and modern Celtic arts are shown like Harper’s circle, Scottish country dancing, traditional music, song and others entertainments.

To finish, if you are hungry, some food vendors are here to offer you various types of traditional Scottish foods and refreshments.

A lunch at the NHH !

Posted on by

Hi ! Today I would like to present you the canteen of the NHH!

There are three main buffets at the NHH’ s canteen : a salad buffet and two buffets with different hot dishes. However at midday the main buffet is closed during two hours! Surprising ?! Not really..The Norwegians have a different pace of life than us. They eat only some snacks at around 11 AM and they eat their bigger dish of the day at 4 or 5 PM. This explains why the buffet is closed at midday.

One of the Norwegians’ favourite course is a kind of porridge with rice, cream, milk, cinnamon, grape and sugar. You can savor it  every Friday !

canteen 2

The prices are pretty expensive (Of course we are in Norway..). You decide which quantity you want and then it is 15 NOK for 100 g so between 1.5 and 2 euros for 100g !

canteen 1

What will I miss  ? For sure not the cinnamon that they put in all the deserts ! But probably drinking as much coffee and tea as I want ! Indeed at the beginning of the semestre you can get a flask for 300 NOK (around 33 euros). And then you can come when you want to fill up the flask “for free”. Perfect for enduring winter !

canteen 3

Cultural aspect of Spain : its 4 languages!

Posted on by

Over 25% of Spaniards uses other languages other than Spanish as their mother tongue! In fact, besides the main language, Spanish or Castellano, there are a series of dialects and languages spoken in various corners of the country, out of which three are considered official languages. These are an important part of the Spanish cultural patrimony.

Spanish or Castilian

Castilian language is official throughout the country and is one of the most spoken languages in the world. Besides Spain, it is also used in Gibraltar, Andorra, Latin America and North America. The Spanish language as compared to other European languages is relatively easy to learn, especially for English native speakers.

Catalan

Almost 4 million people speak Catalan as their first language. This major language is spoken by in the Catalonia region, Arragon and Balearic islands of Spain, as well as parts of Andorra, France and Italy. If you speak Spanish, it is not difficult to understand Catalan. A mix between French and Spanish, Catalan is quite an interesting language to learn and use.

Today, it is the second most spoken language in Spain, next to Castilian.map

Galician

Galician is spoken mainly in Galicia, as well as Asturias and Castilla y Leon in Northern Spain. Out of the 4 million people who speak Galician, 3 million are in Spain, with the rest in Portugal and parts of Latin America. Resembling Portugese, Galician is similar in terms of pronunciation and usage.

Basque language or Eureska

Spoken by 600,000 people in the Basque Country, Northern Spain, Euskara or Basque is an intriguing language that does not belong to any group of languages.

Basque is distinctive with verbs and phrases of its own. Even Spaniards from other regions of Spain cannot understand the language.

 

In Madrid, there is no dialect, people speak only Castilian. If you are planning to go to Valencia, Barcelona or north of Spain people will be able to speak Spanish. So don’t worry!

See you next weeeeek

Exam at NHH

Posted on by

Hi folks,

Today was my first exam day and here are few funny facts about exams in Norway.

#1: Norwegians are so conscious of environment, property and rules. First of all, for the exam, they gave us carbon copies with gather the original sheet, the duplicata for them and the third one for us, in case we want to check our work later. That’s pretty smart actually! Than, regarding the number of people passing the exams, we were placed into the gym building, on the basketball field, and since they don’t want any dirt, we had to wear plastic bags over on our shoes… Super weird…

#2: No watch, no suspected things, it is like you enter naked into the room 😮

#3: Norwegians tend to bring as many Redbull cans as they can, like it would change anything…

#4: When it isn’t special rooms like the gymnasium, Norwegians feel the need to take off their shoes to be like, more comfy… Even at the gym or at the library actually. It’s pretty weird the first time you witness that, but I’ll confess I tried it once and I like it! 😀

Well, this pretty much I noticed today, maybe I’m going to see more in a few…

 

See ya!

Breaking It Down / Brexit

Posted on by

NEW!

Breaking a UK topic down!

Follow the Erasmus’ adventure in Southampton of the students from the IEMN-IAE, Nantes, France. Every other week, “Breaking it down” tries to make things as clear as possible about a tricky UK topic!

Summary Episode:
Brexit. People are claiming they want their country back: it happened to the UK, could it happen elsewhere?

See you the other week for breaking a topic down! Rdv: 1st December, 9am (Nantes hour) <3

Continue reading »