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“My life in Bangor is a two-part story since I first discovered this mystical city in 2022 as a BA student part of the Erasmus exchange program. Away from my study city, Brest, I arrived in Bangor where, and I did not know it yet, I would create some of my best memories and meet some of my dearest friends. It only lasted a semester but it was more than enough for me to wish for more, leading me to apply to Bangor University to return to this world as an official postgraduate Bangor student in 2023. 

Before entering my studies’ subject, allow me to tell you a bit about my personal life. I am a French woman living in a lovely city in Germany called Jena. But when I return to my parents’ place in France, people can find me in a small village near Brest in the wild region of Brittany. I am a woman of many hobbies. For example, I love playing video games (I’m definitely a geek and a nerd), hiking, cooking, playing the guitar, weightlifting, singing at karaoke, going to Metal concerts and festivals. I am also really into astronomy, languages and tattoos. In a nutshell, I am a curious, extrovert, easy-going, funny (according to my friends) AuDHD student. 

I took part in the Translation Studies MA, to which I graduated with Distinction in 2024. This MA gave me everything I wanted and everything I didn't know I craved. The friendly and passionate teachers made me look forward to the next class. Stimulating and challenging activities are what keeps me motivated to participate and puts me out of my comfort zone, the teachers managed to do just that. From theory to practice, I was genuinely captivated. During the year, we had the opportunity to exchange with professionals from different backgrounds and with different areas of expertise (poetry, interpreting), showing us what happens behind the scenes and offering advice as language experts to grow our skills and our maturity. Even though we were just four students in the program this year, it was a great opportunity to talk more freely with each other and gain new perspectives on the world as we were representing Wales, Morocco, Libya and France. 

My two-story life in Bangor means that I had the opportunity to live differently and still enjoy both experiences. My semester as an Erasmus exchange was filled with nights spent at Bar Uno, especially during Karaoke nights and match nights, and at the nightclub Academi. Academi and Trinity, the second nightclub in Bangor, complete each other pretty well. Are you into 80s music or more traditional nightclub music? Then Trinity is your go-to nightclub. Are Rock, Metal music and popular Pop anthems more your jam? Then Academi has your back! I lost count of the number of times I screamed my heart out at Metal anthems in Academi and ended up voiceless in the morning. And it would not be Wales without bars and pub crawl! Many societies will plan pub crawls all year but you can definitely plan one with your friend! I would recommend starting at Bar Uno, ordering your favourite pint (Guinness in my case), then going straight to Bellevue. This bar has a lovely and cosy inner patio where you can chill, drink, smoke and talk with strangers. Next stop is The Harp Inn where you play a bit of pool and enjoy creative (and tasty!) shots. Further down the road is Wetherspoon, all too-famous in the UK. Last mandatory stop on my list is The Castle, a cozy bar near high street serving good food. 

While I still did all these activities during my MA, I spent more time discovering the area since I am a walking and hiking enjoyer. Situating between the mountain and the sea, Bangor in itself has a lot to offer. I remember both Winters spent there where I was drinking a warm coffee at the pier while watching the snowy summit of the mountain close-by, this mixed scenery was a first for me! There are so many hikes to do and places to visit in Wales but if I had to select a few, I would recommend the Isle of Anglesey, Beaumaris, Portmeirion, Llanberis, Llandudno, the Eryri National Park, Betws-y-Coed, Cwm Idwal and Aber Falls. I have this sweet memory when I went to Aber Falls in March: I was waiting for my bus to return to Bangor in wet and dirty clothes because I imagined being in Lord of the Rings and decided to run in the muddy hills… Not my brightest moment. So I went to this coffee shop in front of my bus stop to wait and treat myself. The owner, a lovely man, while I was drinking my tea, taught me how to improve my Welsh pronunciation and showed me the proper way to eat Bara Brith (spoiler alert: it is sliced with butter on top, an absolute delight!). 

Both during my semester and my MA, I lived in halls. In my first flatshare, it was two Erasmus students (she was from Germany) facing an army of English freshers. We all got along pretty well! Everyone was always bringing friends over and with my fellow Erasmus flatmate and other international students from other buildings, we used to prepare food from our country. I had my first bite of authentic gnocchi in homemade tomato sauce and German Christmas cookie there; I think I made Poulet Basquaise and Mont d’Or, two typical French dishes, a Barbecue and even a 100% original risotto recipe to my Italian friend (bold move, I know but she really enjoyed it). During my MA, I shared a postgraduate student flatshare with 6 other international roommates coming from China, India and Malaysia. One of my English friends was still doing his BA here, so he came over a few times to try more French delicacies and scare me with unconventional ways to eat French dishes that would turn my ancestors into their graves. 

After my semester in Wales, I returned to France to start the last semester of my BA and, due to the nature of my degree, spent a couple of months doing research in Ottawa and Montreal. 10 years before my research, my parents and I spent two weeks in Quebec and Ontario; the country left such a mark on me that I decided to get a maple leaf tattoo as a promise to return there one day. This opportunity was definitely a dream come true and a promise fulfilled. Then, in September 2023, I returned to Bangor to start a new journey: get a Translation degree. As the year flew by, I realised something: I wanted to obtain a second Master to get a specialisation in a similar area as my BA (English and American History, Literature and Linguistics), hoping to one become a certified translator for the EU. Since I started learning German a couple of months before this decision (both for my German friends and for my future life in Germany), I applied to several Master programs all over Germany. In June 2024, decisions started arriving including the one from my n°1 university and here was the verdict: Accepted. The Friedrich-Schiller Universität in Jena, Thuringia accepted me into their English and American studies MA. From this point until the end of September 2024, my mental load kept me on my toes. In 3 months, I had to finish my MA thesis before the 29th of September, find a flat in Jena, take care of all the infamous German bureaucracy, finish my university application and move out. Fun times isn’t it? But in the end, I managed and since the 1st of October, I am proud to say that I am a postgraduate student at the FSU. 

Despite having graduated and now living a much different life in Germany, I keep describing Wales (especially Bangor) as an underrated and hidden jewel to my friends. They probably think I showed them too many pictures or talked too much about it but, in my opinion, it will never be enough to actually put words on how amazing my time there was and how magical this place is. Due to the school schedule, I don’t know when I’ll be able to return to Bangor but I am looking forward to rediscovering the place that allows me to grow as a person and to visit some of my friends.”