a year in Ireland This year has been a challenge to myself. Even while homesick, I have not regretted going abroad at any time ; a year as an Erasmus allows one to test oneself in a new environment so as to show open-mindedness, determination, adaptation and self-reliance. NUIG has been an excellent host university, with a model organisation and a very lively student life. This is an experience from which one will grow richer personally speaking, and more self-confident.

logbook This is an extract of the logbook I have to submit to my home university after studying in Ireland. "This year has been a challenge to myself. Even while homesick, I have not regretted going abroad at any time ; a year as an Erasmus allows one to test oneself in a new environment so as to show open-mindedness, determination, adaptation and self-reliance. NUIG has been an excellent host university, with a model organisation and a very lively student life. This is an experience from which one will grow richer personally speaking, and more self-confident."

what is the correct sentence to give a tip? I said this to a taxi driver to give him a tip : "you can round it up to eleven". Is itcorrect? It sounded like a question when I said it, as I wasn't sure wether the verb was right or not.

taxi driver Today I had a misunderstanding with a taxi driver. I think it's because I'm not fluent enough when I speak... When I gave him a bill to pay, I told him: "you can round it up to eleven". It's something we do in France, when paying a taxi: we round up what we have to pay to the next euro. So I do it in Ireland too, but I was hesitant and I guess it sounded like a question? He thought I had asked him to give me back €11 instead of €10, when in fact I wanted to give him €11 instead of €10... And I didn't have time to explain. Well, now someone else in Galway thinks French are stingy!

Procrastination I love this word, it is way more classy than saying you are lazy. Well, Procrastination/laziness is my vice -and, I think, the vice of a majority of students. I am in the middle of my exam week, I have two exams tomorrow, and I am supposed to be studying for one of them. When you are lazy, everything sounds like a good excuse. "I'll just check my mails a last time, you know, in case there is something urgent. And after that I'll see if I can read a new chapter of my favorite online comic. And facebook, let's not forget facebook. Remember this friend you haven't talked to in a freaking long time? Time to write something, it's not like I have anything better to do! Okay, I think I'm done. Wait, this room is really dirty. Gosh, I can't sleep there, I've got to do something. Cleaning time!" Yes, cleaning is a good excuse to avoid studying. When you have to do something you really don't want to do, the things you usually don't like doing seem exciting. Weirdly, procrastination helps get things done (not the right things, but I guess it is some kind of improvement?).