RICA IV

Nowadays, in an international context, the international mobility is a priority for « L’Ecole de Mines d’Ales ». In the mechatronic studies, the school wants the students to leave in another country. In July of 2017 with the partnership with «The University of the West of England »in Bristol, we had the possibility of learning quality courses for a month in full immersion. This report describes the benefits of this international experience in the extra activities and the positive points concerning education but also cultural and human factors.

            First of all, after discovering the city of Bristol and thanks to «The University of the West of England » we went to visit some other cities roundabout such as Bath and Oxford. Then we decided to make our own plan and make our own « road trip ». 

We rented two cars for 10 people, booked an Airbnb and went down the south of England.

 

   We wanted to discover national Park and meet local people. So, we started to go to Weston Super mare before traveling along the cost and past in National Parks. Then, sunset we climbed the west coast and walked along the cliffs of Lynton with its many hills and sheep on the roads to return to our accommodation for the night. We rented an old barn in the natural park which was converted into many dormitories. The owner was a local woman. We talked a lot with her about the famous places to visit. Her English accent was very pronounced but we had a great time with her, and this barn was very rustic and exotic at the same time, a real moment of sharing! The day after, we went down to Dartmoor National Park, then Plymouth and to finish Salcombe. It was here that we were able to swim in the sea for the first time in England!

 

            After this road trip, we also went to London for a weekend thanks to a good public transport from Bristol. We discovered a lot of famous places such as City, the Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Camden Market where we were able to eat Cameroonian specialties ... It was delicious! London is a really multi-cultural place! 

            To finish, this international experience, in full immersion, with local people, allowed us to improve our English which is very important nowadays. We discovered also another culture which very important for us. We came back open-minded and mature! Also, the one-month experience at the University of the West of England allowed us to learn differently. Educational methods are not the same everywhere. You have to adapt. In Anglo-Saxon countries, teachers favor personal reflection, and there is also a close relationship between students and teachers. Finally, an international experience is good on the CV. Living outside France show ingenuity and adaptability. Qualities sought as a future engineer.