University of York – Journal
Sunday, 15th May
Today we arrived after a long journey. We were introduced to our host family, which consist of Tony, Diane and Megan.
Monday, 16th May
Today we had our first day on the University of York, which was exciting. Joshua, who I’m living with, and I walked to the university with help from Tony. We started to get all the practical information about the university, the programme manager, safety etc. We were also introduced to some of the students and had a tour at the university where we saw the different colleges and parts of the enormous university. I found it a bit different to speak English all the time. It took some time to get used to, but it’s very nice to practice my English. In the last lesson of the day, we were introduced to a little project about culture, which we are going to make in groups the next couple of days.
In the evening I sat together with my host family, which was very nice. We talked about a lot of things for example the welfare system and cars.
Tuesday, 17th May
Today we started on our little project about culture. We were divided into groups of four people and my group decided to make a project about attitudes towards immigration. We started writing research questionnaires that we are going to use for the tea party tomorrow. In the last lesson we had finance with a man called Ian Money. Here we talked about how a company works.
Afterwards I went to the city with the rest of my class. We walked around in the central part, but didn’t had much time before the shops closed. We went to a restaurant called Pizzahut to get something to eat, but Johan, Anton and I found he food too expensive. Therefore, we decided to find another place. We went to a little and very old street where we found a little Italian restaurant with more acceptable prices. We all bought a pizza and a small Coca Cola for almost 4 pounds less compared to Pizzahut.
When we finished eating we met with our other classmates and went home. Here I sat together with Joshua and my host family and talked about a lot of things as for example the health care.
Wednesday, 18th May
Today we went to the other part of the university called Heslington East, which is the newest and more modern part. Our teacher was Hector Gonzalez Jiminez, who talked about marketing. Because it’s hard to talk about marketing as one thing, he focused on Big Data and how they work. Afterwards we had some general information about the university and the city of York. They also talked about what the university offer. Later two of the students showed us around.
We took the bus back to Heslington West, where we were going to the tea party. We had prepared a little presentation of the life in Denmark, which lasted for approximately 10 minutes. It was actually very fun to talk in front of an audience in English, but also a bit scary. When our presentation was finished we talked to the other students in smaller groups. We hadn’t enough time to talk to everyone, so only talked with 4 different people, who were very kind. They all had different nationalities. One of them came from England, one from Turkey, one from Japan and one from China. We talked about a lot of things for example our education, leisure activities, politics and how university life is. It was very educative.
When we finished the day’s lessons, we went back home. Just after we had eating our dinner, some of my classmates and I went to the city to watch football, the European League Final between Liverpool and Sevilla. We wanted to go to a pub, because we had heard about the special atmosphere. When we finally found a pub where we could get in, we realised that you have be there a lot earlier. We couldn’t sit anywhere. After sometime we decided to go to another pub, where some of our other classmates were sitting. Unfortunately, we couldn’t watch the last part of the match, because we weren’t allowed to be in the pub after 9pm, due to our age.
Instead of trying to find another pub we decided to go to McDonalds where we streamed the match form Youtube.
Thursday, 19th May
Today have been a very relaxing day. I’m getting used to speak English all the time and I actually like it. We didn’t have any lessons today, so we went to the National Railway Museum. I didn’t find it very interesting, but it was nice to see all the old trains. I liked to way they were made with a lot of details and colours. Before I went there I also talked with my host family about the museum. They also said that it’s a lot more exciting if you are interested in machines which I’m not. When we left the museum, we drove to York Minster in a little train from the museum. We walked around in the city once again a saw a lot of shops. Some of the others bought some different cloths and shoes, but I’m too miserly to use money.
Friday, 20th May
Today we went to York Minster, which was very exciting. I’ve never been in a cathedral in the great size. We started walking around watching all the nice details. I actually think that it was a bit beautiful. Jeppe and I also walked under the church where they had a museum about the history of the cathedral. I especially liked all the old stuff, but I think they had too much of the new things from the newer history. Even though, I normally don’t like to go to museums, I found this a little more interesting. After a while we walked all the way to the top of the tower. It was a bit difficult due to the small steps and a very narrow staircase. It was a fantastic view from top. You could see the most of the city and the beautiful minster from the top.
Afterwards we walked around in the city once again. It wasn’t very fun, so some of us decided to go to an outlet called Designer Outlet, which is placed just outside the city. We walked around for some time, but none of us bought anything.
When I came home I saw a programme with my host family about the EU election. We also talked about the positive and negative sides of leaving EU.
Saturday, 21st May
Today we didn’t have any plans. We slept very long after a hard week. We were very tired, but decided to go to the gym for a workout. It was very nice to train after a week with only walking around the university and the city. It was very hard, but nice to see that they offer good facilities for leisure activities. It was also fun to train with some of the others guys, who you don’t normally train with.
Today was also the day for the FA Cup final between Manchester United and Crystal Palace. We talked about going to a pub once again, but too few wanted to go. Therefore, Joshua and I decided to stay home and watch the match with Tony. It was a very exciting game, but unfortunately Manchester United won the trophy.
When we had eaten my host family suggested that we could see a movie together, so we did. It was very nice just to sit there and relax.
Sunday, 22nd May
Today was sadly the last day together with the host family. I really tried to enjoy it as much as I could. Some of my classmates suggested that we could walk on the old city walls, which I thought was a great idea. We met in the city centre once again. It was a totally different city compared to the other days where I was there. There were people everywhere and a little orchestra playing in the town square. After walking on the old city walls in around half an hour decided we to go looking in some different shops.
Yesterday I trained, so I tried to keep the healthy lifestyle. Therefore, I decided to go for a run when I came home. I talked to my host family about where to run and they told me about a very nice place by the golf club. It was great weather compared to the earlier days, so I really enjoyed the run, even though it was a bit hard.
Because my host family can’t come to the farewell party on Thursday, due to Megan’s operation, they invited us out on an Indian Restaurant. I’d never been eating in an Indian Restaurant before, so I didn’t really know what to choose. I chose something called mild chicken tikka, which was very mild. I liked the food, but maybe I should have chosen something with more taste.
We went home an enjoyed to the evening. We talked about travelling and Megan showed some pictures from some of hear many exciting travels.
Monday, 23rd May
Today has been both good and bad. We started leaving the host family in the morning, because we are going to stay on campus in Franklin House the next days to experience this kind of university life. They drove us to the university and said goodbye, but it something really annoy me. I don’t feel that I said goodbye in a decent way, maybe because I didn’t really understand that I’m not going to live with them anymore.
In school we started having about football and finance, which I found really funny. Maybe it’s because the fact that I really like both football and finance. Afterwards we had about how to present our project on Wednesday with Helena. It was very difficult to concentrate in the warm classroom, but we managed to finish in proper time. Afterwards we continued or project where we decided what each person should talk about.
When the lesson was over we found our suitcases in the room we’d put them into the same morning. A women named Sally showed us Franklin House and gave us our key card. Jeppe and I wanted to sleep together in the same room, so we switched room with some of the others. We had to get something for dinner so Jeppe, Anton and I went on an adventure to find a supermarket. We walked around 3 kilometres, but when we found the supermarket the only thing we wanted was a water for the walk home. Even though you can call it a bit waste of time, it was nice to stretch my tender legs. When we came home we went to the supermarket placed on the university. Here we bought some precooked food.
Tuesday, 24th May
Today we didn’t have any lessons on the university. We went to a town by the sea called Whitby, which is known for the gothic culture and its Fish n’ Chips restaurants. We drive was very nice due to the beautiful landscape. When we arrived in the city we walked around on the one side of the harbour. We started walking to the monument of James Cook. From there you could see the fantastic wide beach. It was shallow, which made the view even more amazing. It was almost majestic. We went down to the enormous beach. You felt very small in that landscape. After a while we walked to the restaurant called The Magpie Café where we tried Fish and Chips. It was peculiar to taste, but it wasn’t my favourite at all. I don’t like that much deep fat.
After lunch to walked over the bridge to get to Whitby Abbey. We had to walk a lot of steps before we reached the top, but it was a really nice view from there. After some time walking around we decided to go down the steps to the town. Here we walked around for some time when waiting for the bus.
On the way home we went to a very little town called Goathland. Here we found the railway station, which imagine a station in one of the Harry Potter movies. We waited for a steam train to come on a bridge. It was very fun to see it.
When we came home we continued making our project for Wednesday. I was hungry and wanted something to eat, but Jeppe locked us out by mistake. Therefore, we tried to find out what to do for almost an hour I think. Finally, we got in and I had something to eat.
Wednesday, 25th May
Today was the final day in school. We had to present our project for the rest of the class and Tudor as well. We weren’t ready to present, so we started having 45 minutes to be ready. We were the third group, who was going to present, which was okay, even though we wanted to be second. When we had fine-tuned it the presentations started. I think our presentation went fairly well in the light of the fact that we didn’t had that much time to prepare. In the end of every group’s presentation we had a seminar where we discussed different topics according to the topic of the presentation.
When all groups were done it was time for lunch. The lesson after we were going to evaluate. We had to answer some questions about our stay at the host families and how they had treated us. We should also answer questions about the teachers, their teaching and the stay in general.
When you had answered all the questions you were free to go. We decided to go to the gym to work out once again, which was very awesome.
The rest of the day I’ll just spend relaxing and enjoying the time together with my classmates.
Thursday, 26th May
Today we went to the museum called York Castle Museum. Normally I don’t like going to museums, but I think that this one was okay. It was very big and showed different things about the history of England for example toys and clothes. The nicest place was something called Kirkgate, which should depict an old British street. You walked in the street yourself and you could walk into some of the old shops, the prison, the classroom etc.
When we were finish at the museum, we walked around in the city centre. Some of the others bought something for themselves or for a gift. Anton and I went to a very nice and old fashion café called Bettys. Here Anton bought some marmalade and I bought some tea for the ones at home.
Afterwards we went home and relaxed in the lounge. Some of us also prepared something for the evening, where we were going to have a little “party” with our host families. Anton and I prepared and quiz about Denmark.
I the evening we went to Wentworth College to have the party. We started sitting and talking. After some time, we had some food and drinks. When we were finish eating Sofus and Tudor hold a speech. Afterwards Anton and I introduced the quiz. I think that they found it funny to try.
When we came back to Franklin House there was rap battle. It was funny, even though not everyone was that good.
Later we went for a walk and when we came back, some of us played something called “Pandora” where you write some anonym questions to a person.
Friday, 27th May
Today it was time to leave the University of York. We had to wake up a bit early to get breakfast before we got picked up by the bus, which was going to transport us to Manchester. Before leaving Sally and Tudor came to say goodbye to us. The bus left York at 11.30. We arrived at Stay Inn Hotel in Manchester around 1pm. On our way we saw a lot of Jews or Amish and a school only for girls.
When we came to the hotel we left our bags and went to a shopping centre to get something to eat. The centre was enormous and had a lot of shops and customers.
In the evening we all went eating together. The school paid the food, so it was very nice. We went to a Thai restaurant, where I had some hot and tasty dish.
Saturday, 28th May
Today we had breakfast at 9 am. Afterwards we walked to the National Football Museum, which was free. It was very nice to see and hear about the English football history. It was different floors with different things. We spend almost 2 hours there and then it was time for lunch. We went to Arndale Centre, where some of the guys looked and bought some clothes and shoes. We split up when we went for lunch. Many of the others wanted to go to get some fast food, but my and Anton went to Aldi to buy some bread, cheese and water.
We had to be and Science and Industry Museum and 1.30, so we had to go right after buying lunch. We didn’t have any Wi-Fi, so we couldn’t find the way to the museum. The only thing we knew was that we had to go south, so we did by using the sun. Anton called Bjarne to ask how we could get to the meeting point and Bjarne told that we should follow Deans Gate. On our way we asked a waste collector how to get to this street, but he told about walking in the one direction, but pointed for another direction. After a while we remembered that we had a map in my rucksack. When we looked at the map we saw that we were on the right way. We were just on the street next to Deans Gate.
When we finally arrived to the museum it was 21 minutes later than agreed. We were the first of the students though. We waited around 40 minutes before some of the others came. We were in the museum for an hour before we went shopping again. We looked at a lot of shoes, but also T-shirt.
At 6am we met at the National Football Museum. Here we walked together to a Chinese restaurant where we had a buffet. I ate way too much food.
We hurried on our way home to watch the Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. Unfortunately, Real Madrid won the game after penalties.