IUT2 Université Pierre Mendes, France

Grenoble it is then!

Starting in September I'll be off to Grenoble to study for a DUT qualification in International Economics - to say I'm excited is probably an understatement!

Grenoble is a city nestled in the foothills of the French Alps, in the Isère region. The city is practically built around the University there. The Uni itself is a big sprawling expanse that educates nearly 30,000 students and is considered one of the top places in France (so I'm told!)

There are many colleges as part of the Uni, and I'll be at IUT2, their management college.

While I'm there, I'll be staying in Student Accommodation (the challenges of finding the stereotypical ERASMUS house proved impossible from the start!) - my allocated one being Arsonval, literally two minutes from the management building. Talk about practical living...

As I've mentioned, I'm going as part of the Erasmus scheme, the Europe-wide mobility programme for students. It's something I always wanted to do and was one of the reasons I picked Lincoln in the first place!

I'll keep you updated with more details over the coming days about what I'm doing and how I'm going about my business :)

Mike :)

Well here we go again!

Well this is a bit awkward isn't it?

Back in my first year I created a blog about my university life and what was going on.  I got to the end of my first year and thought "well, that was good, so let's get on with it in my second year."
... and you heard nothing after that.

Shamefully, I didn't write a post for the entirety of my second year.  Now I'm a month away from my third year and suddenly realising that it ain't going to write itself. 

The thing is though, much has changed over the last year.

Firstly, I continued on the International Business Management course at Lincoln. I, naturally took up French again (being tutored by my personal tutor Ian Scott) and even got the chance to actually pick a module to do (something that obviously had evaded people's minds when they designed the course.)

I am currently in a delightful relationship with a lovely lady called Bethany, we have been together for over nine blissful months now. Bethany studies History in Lincoln and knows how to be great company and a wonderful girlfriend.

(Allow me to be briefly candid: my relationship with my ex-girlfriend Safia was not a healthy one, my previous blog gave off that impression, thinking back. I did have the odd person read and ask what had changed. She left Lincoln shortly after my last post and has returned home to study locally. We have not spoken in a year. Hindsight says that this was for the best.)

In September 2012, I accepted a nomination to become the president of the Lincoln Colonials American Football team. High hopes for a season were dampened by a persistent failure from the Student Union to support the team and the resulting departure of Coaches Alex Robson and Warwick Grosvenor. Souring relationships with the Lincolnshire Bombers lead to me declining to play in the BAFANL this season, though one day I intend to play in the National Leagues again.

Of course, all of this pales into relative insignificance.... For 2013 brings its own challenges.

September 2013 brings Grenoble, France.