Français

So lately I have been trying to practice my French a bit. This was the first semester that I havent taken French, which has been very sad. A a result, I feel like I have forgotten a lot of technical things but my vocabulary is still pretty good. I am planning on reteaching myself some stuff over Christmas break. I kept all my old French books and all of my old French notes since highschool so I have a lot I can refer to. I am also going to ask my mom to speak to me in only French over the break and perhaps watch some French movies. I think this will be good because it will keep me occupied a bit and also prepare me for Belgium.

Génial!

Today I had my final Belgium meeting. Ahhh! During the whole meeting I was so excited I could hardly focus, but I did my best. I made sure to pay attention when she was giving the details about our insurance and flight information. I kinda lost her at the instructions of how to activate our phones. Oh, yea, I was given a little cell phone! It feels like it is a toy, but it is still exciting. This phone is also pretty cool because I will have a UK number (why UK and not Belgian I do not know...) and I will also have a US number; so that way my family in America can call me easily and I can contact people abroad also. I believe it is a pay as you go phone which will be conveinent. I also received my international student card. But my favorite thing we received is a Belgium travel book. Of course Brussels is the main city focus of the book but it also features Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp. I have already started looking through it, getting ideas for what I want to see! When we first arrive in Belgium we will spend the first few days in Brussels and then head to Louvain-la-Neuve. While in Brussels we will do all the touristy stuff but we will also have a lot of free time, which I am most excited about. I want to venture around the city and just see what I stumble upon.

Anyhow... after we got all our goodies we had to fill out some paperwork. I am not quite sure what all of it was for but I know one form was about housing. This housing form gave us the option of living in normal campus housing or in a "Kot a projet" ( I am not sure how to make accents on here...). I chose the Kot a project option. Each little Kot flat has a different theme and we got to choose which Kot we would like to be involved in. I choose: Humanitaire, Culturel, Gastronomique, Accompagnement Social and Artistique et Musical. I think joining a Kot would be a great opportunity to get involved with fellow UCL students. It is not guaranteed that I will live in a Kot but I hope I do, I guess I'll just have to wait and see!

Oh, PS- Its snowing in Louvain...

Alors

So I have my finalized Spring schedule! Well minus the business classes. I am taking French 398: Directed Reading (Crash Course), French 317: Contemporary French Civilization, French 312: Writing in French I, French 398: Directed Reading. I am so excited! I fear I am out of practice though because this is the first semester that I haven't taken a French class. I am going to try to brush up a bit over Christmas break.

After Thanksgiving break we are going to have our last meeting before departing for Belgium! Ahhh!! I need to come up with a list of any last minute questions that I have because this is my last chance to ask. So far I want to ask:
• Did Philippe ever get back to you about what classes are available to me?
• Do you know where we will be living next semester?
• What are the exact dates of our holiday in January?
• Do I need to take a 400 level class to fulfill my minor requirements?
• What are the class times?

Also during this meeting we will get our international student ID card, our international cell phone, a guide book for Brussels, our insurance card & policy information, and we will also have to complete a couple of forms--one for our train pass and one to establish our contract for the courses that I will be taking at UCL.

I have been keeping an eye on the weather in Belgium and I am scared... Here is the forecast for the month of December:
http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/monthly/BEXX0005

Yikes!! And I am also going skiing during my break in the end of January so I am def scared of the weather! I went digging through my closet and found some ski pants and cold weather stuff from when I went to Quebec a few years ago so hopefully I will be fine. I have never been skiing before though so I am quite anxious but also very excited.

Sans Fin

Studying abroad is a lotttt of work! Now that I have finished all the required things I am working on my own stuff. I have been working on a lot of scholarship opportunities. I have already turned in one application and I am working on 2 more now. They are very time consuming because I want it to be perfect obviously in hopes of being awarded a study abroad scholarship. Here is my essay for the application I already turned in:

I first heard of the many study abroad opportunities Clemson University has to offer during orientation before freshman year. I knew I wanted to study in a Francophone country because I truly enjoy the language. I was going to find my own program in France but after hearing about Clemson’s exchange program in Belgium I was sold. One of my French professors, Dr. Kelly Peebles, the director of Clemson French Immersion: Belgium, recommended the program to me. This program is designed for students, such as myself, pursuing a business major and a French minor. Upon further research, I discovered that this program could not be any more perfect for me.

This past summer, when I studied abroad with Clemson, we visited Belgium and I fell in love. The Belgians were all so kind and willing to help me with my French. Unfortunately, I was only in Belgium for a few days, but I knew I had to return. Similarly, last year I bonded with many of the students in the UCL- Clemson exchange program over their culture. Knowing Belgians who attend the university gives me the opportunity to become more involved in student life on campus.

One faces a multitude of challenges when encountering an entirely new culture, including adapting to differences in customs and learning the language. I chose this program because I believe it is a challenge I can overcome. I look forward to testing my French skills and applying my knowledge of the language, learning as I go along, in hopes of becoming fluent. Furthermore, this program allows me to experience the culture of a member of the European Union. I will be given the opportunity to improve my understanding of the world as a whole, from a more international perspective. This perspective would thus allow me to have a better standpoint in comprehending how the world works and ways in which I can influence it.

I wish to study abroad for personal reasons as well. I feel that an individual can grow and discover themselves when put into such a situation: gaining independence and personal responsibility. I vowed not to limit myself to simply obtain a degree; I want to seize all opportunities for intellectual enrichment and personal development available to me. In addition, I view spending a semester away from family, friends and daily habits as a “breath of fresh air” and personally constructive.

I believe I will not be fully satisfied by simply studying abroad. I wish to enjoy all of the other benefits of being abroad and to become involved at UCL, giving them everything I have to offer; this way we will all derive the maximum benefit from my experience.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Deux Mois Plus

Today I attended pre-departure orientation. It was not really as informative as I would have liked, most of it was common sense..."follow the law", "don't have sex with strangers" ... stuff like that. Most of the people in attendance were doing third party programs so a lot was discussed mainly for them. Thankfully since my program is through Clemson I do not have to worry about transfer credits, weird diseases or anything like that. Majority of all the confusing stuff, like applying for insurance and transfer credits, are included in the program.

I learned that there are a lot of little things I must remember to do though. I have to remember to email the study abroad office as soon as I arrive with my name, my local phone number and address. I need to make copies of basically everything: visa, passport, debit card, credit card, identification card... just in case any of it gets lost. I also need to register myself on the US Embassy website. I have to go to FIKE and get an international student identification card. And finally I need to figure out which business classes are going to be available to me because I have to get Clemson to sign off on them before my departure.

But despite all that annoyingness, a great thought is that in EXACTLY 2 months from this second I will be on a plane to Belgium!!!


Maybe I'll add this to the to do list as well...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmH1EwQfkQU

Presque...

I am almost finished with all my visa stuff! Finally! Some of the stuff they request is very difficult to obtain. I met with our banker yesterday and was able to check off two things on my list. Now, all I have left is the medical form and to get someone to notarize my parental form. I have also started on my study abroad stipend application. It is not due until November 15 but I would like to finish it this week. For this form there are many generic questions like "What is your major?" but then there are some more difficult questions like"...". If I am awarded the stipend it could make a big difference in my study abroad experience, which makes me a bit nervous as I fill out the application.

Yesterday I spent a long time looking up flights on http://www.ryanair.com/en and found some great deals! I guess I need to plan my trips far in advance though because the tickets seem to sell out pretty quickly. My mom also gave me the option of going to Lebanon and living with my aunt for 6 weeks and taking an Arabic class. If I decide against that plan I will definitely still go to Lebanon once or twice during the semester to visit my family. Yesterday I also taught my mom how to use Skype so we can stay in contact while I am away.

A video about Belgium...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ceg6NQKHd70&feature=geosearch

Beaucoup To Do

So I had my first official meeting on Monday the 18th to discuss some important issues. We went through the itinerary for the first few days as well as a general itinerary for the semester. I am scheduled to fly out of Charlotte Saturday, January 8 and arrive in Belgium the following day, Sunday, January 9. We will spend the first few days in Brussels and then head to Louvain-la-Neuve on the 12th. Classes will begin on January 14.

During the meeting we also decided our class schedules. As for me, in January I will be taking French 398- an intermediate French "crash" course. The from January 31- June 30 I will be taking:

• French 312- Writing and French I
• French 317- Contemporary Francophone Civilization (Which is only available to Clemson students)
• French 398- Intermediate Oral Practice

I am planning on taking one more class but am not really sure of my options. I emailed Kelly Peebles, the program director, some of my class interests and she is going to contact UCL and see what they have available. I am a marketing major with a minor in French and textiles so i would love if they offered something that could some what tie together all 3, or just something that Clemson does not offer. I requested a marketing or management retail class and/or international marketing. So we shall see what Madame Peebles finds out...

During the meeting we also went through the process of obtaining a Belgian visa. I am really not looking forward to applying for a visa, it sounds like a complete pain in the ass, but of course it will be worth it. Thankfully I am not going to be 21 before my departure which means I do not have to get the FBI background check. Applying for a visa hopefully will not be too bad but I just need to set aside the time to do it. For the visa I must:

1. Submit my passport along with a copy of the photo page
2. Complete, sign and date the visa application form
3. Get 2 identification photos made
4. Get a UCL admission letter
5. Get a medical certificate (go to Redfern get a physical and also get it notarized by the study abroad office)
6. Fill out the Financial Support Declaration and get parents signature
7. And finally.... write a money order to the Consulate of Belgium

I have to do all that by Wednesday November 3. So I am planning on completing it over fall break.