SPRING 2017 CHIK BOON HUNG KELVIN (MARKETING & INFORMATION SYSTEMS)

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "SPRING 2017 CHIK BOON HUNG KELVIN (MARKETING & INFORMATION SYSTEMS)"

June Doyle
6 years ago
Views:

1 SPRING 2017 CHIK BOON HUNG KELVIN (MARKETING & INFORMATION SYSTEMS)

2 Monthly Activity Log January The orientation of the school was on the 5 th January, and I arrived a day earlier to move into my apartment and settle down. The orientation lasted for 3 days, where we were given practical information about the school, the city, our social security and also other tips like doctors or dentists that spoke English. We were also taken on a bus tour around the city with a guide that gave us some brief background and history or Bordeaux. During the weekend, the Melting Potes (International Student Society) organized some other events including a house party, where we got to play games and meet other people. Then in Cycle 1, I only took French Language (Beginners). The course taught us the basics of French, which is extremely useful as many French do not really speak English, so it helps you get around the city easier (knowing how much to pay at supermarkets and at least knowing the meat you order at a restaurant). If you would like to learn more French then it would be suggested to take a higher-level French class in Cycle 2. During this month I went to Lyon and Andorra with other exchange students. Lyon is a nice big city more to the east of France which I think is worth visiting. Andorra is a small country along the border of France and Spain which is a tax haven and also famous for skiing. I went there for a weekend to snowboard. February In February, I took two courses; Wine Marketing and Luxury Marketing. As Bordeaux is renowned for its wine, Wine Marketing is a course to take to let you learn about wine, and how they are different from other products. We also had a wine tasting session to learn how to taste and differentiate wine. I think it is an interesting course and a course that you should take if you come to Bordeaux because it can only be found here, but it was not too exciting as the Professor is too knowledgeable in the field and that he expects us to also know a lot about wine beforehand, so the class gets a bit technical, and I as a person with no idea about wine found it a bit hard to follow. Luxury Marketing was very interesting but also a bit demanding. There were a few in-class case

3 studies where we had to complete in-class in like 2 hours, and we had to do a complete PowerPoint presentation and go out present right after. It was fun to learn about luxury consumption and also the brands. I did not have too much time to travel as I had two courses, but took a day-trip with some friends to Lege-Cape-Ferret for some fresh Oysters and seafood which was amazing. March In March, the courses only lasted for one week, and the Sustainable Marketing course I took was in the final week of March, which meant I had the first 3 weeks off. So I went travelling across Italy (Milan, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Bologna), Germany (Berlin, Hamburg), and Belgium (Brussels). As I travelled all the places except Milan alone, I panicked a bit and was worried about my safety. But it turned out there was nothing to really worry about. The most important thing is to be always aware of your surroundings and your belongings, to keep your important things close to yourself, preferably a fanny pack, and to walk away from people that look suspicious. And do not let your worries ruin your trip! After coming back from the trip I had the Sustainable Marketing course, which was intense as we had a whole month of course stuffed in a week. We had 2 days where we were at school from 08:45 to 20:15. There was a business simulation game where we were businesses that had to invest in CSR and sustainability, and along the way we had to make some posters, adverts, videos etc., but we got to learn some theories and ideas which were rather useful. In the end we also had a final exam which tested on some theories. April In April, I took Consumer Behaviour, which only lasted for two weeks (the last two of April), that meant I had the first 2 weeks to travel. I met up with a friend in Paris for a few days, then came down to Bordeaux for a few days before heading to Barcelona.

4 The Consumer Behaviour course was not too demanding; just had a project where we made a short video to explain a theory, and a final exam. And this was my last course during the exchange. May As all my courses have ended, so I travelled around Europe, visiting Amsterdam, Vienna, Salzburg, Regensburg, Munich and London before coming back to Bordeaux to catch my return flight back to Hong Kong General Exchange Information 1) Visa Procedures As I hold a British Passport, I did not need a Visa. 2) Orientation Activities The Orientation Activities were all held in the first week of January, and the information would be given to you maybe one week before you arrive. 3) International Services & Activities Melting Potes is the major society organizing events for international and exchange students. There are also many other societies that you could join if it interests you, but I heard that most of the people in other societies mainly just spoke French. 4) Accommodations The Melting Potes will help you search for accommodation one month before you arrive according to your preferences, but there is no guarantee that it fully suits your requirements. I did not book my accommodation through them because they were slow to respond and as they only started to search one month before, they would get back to you quite late. So I found an apartment on Airbnb. It would be good to find accommodation close to Tram B as you can take Tram B to school. 5) Courses Registration As the semester is broken down into Cycles, one month for one Cycle, and each Cycle you take 1-2 courses, the courses are registered one month before and the school will send you a detailed PDF explaining the procedures to do it online before you arrive.

5 6) Teaching & Assessment Methods Assessment methods are normally exams and projects, but one thing to note is that there is a strict policy at the school that if you miss more than 2 lessons, you immediately fail the course. Make sure you go to the classes as they take attendance each session. 7) Sports & Recreation Facilities There is a gym at KEDGE but it is not fully equipped and you have to join the sports club in order to gain access. 8) Finance & Banking I opened a Bank account with CMSO, which is a bank that Melting Potes had partnership with. It is good as you could tele-transfer money from Hong Kong to this bank account so you do not need to hold too much cash in hand. You could also pay using the debit card (common in Europe) and withdraw across Europe while you travel. 9) Health & Safety Europe is not as dangerous as people say it is, and Bordeaux is very safe too. A general rule is just to be aware of the people around you and just stay alert. Do not stay on the street till too late and you will be fine. 10) Food Eating out is definitely more expensive than cooking at home, so during my stay in Bordeaux I cooked most of my meals. There are cheap eating out options like Kebabs or Fast food. If you eat at a normal restaurant expect it to cost at least 18 (~$150) per meal. There is a cheap Supermarket called AuChan where you can get cheap groceries. 11) Transportation The TBM is the company responsible for all transport in Bordeaux, and you can purchase a TBM Monthly Pass for 31.3 (the Jeune / Young pass) for unlimited access on all public transport. Although they do not always check your ticket, it is always recommended to have a ticket if not you may face a fine. 12) Communication I joined the mobile plan at Free Mobile for per month, which comes with unlimited calls and texts, 100GB of 4G data in France, and 5GB of data in

6 Europe per month. This should be the best deal you could find. All you need is a credit card and you can purchase a card at the store. There is one at Hotel de Ville. Items to Bring 1. Sufficient Clothing 2. Laptop 3. Adapters 4. Camera 5. Credit Card & Cash 6. Identity Documents & Copies of them 7. Medicine 8. Umbrella 9. Locks to lock your backpack / bags when travelling Useful Links and Contacts Airbnb (Accommodation when travelling) Flixbus OuiBus RyanAir EasyJet Caroline Guilloux (in charge of student KEDGE) caroline.guilloux@kedgebs.com Elodie Goury (Program KEDGE) Elodie.Goury@kedgebs.com Incoming Exchange KEDGE incoming.bordeaux@kedgebs.com

Exchange report Tilburg University, The Netherlands Spring 2016

Exchange report Tilburg University, The Netherlands Spring 2016 Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one s lifetime.