Life's a picnic !

Hi guys!

Some of you might remember me, I was at St Jo from 2007 to 2010, and an active member of the GEC at its beginnings.

CPE Lyon

About my studies first. I left Aurillac 2 years ago, after my Bac, to go to Lyon. I just finished the “prépa intégrée” CPE, and I’ll enter in September the engineering school CPE Lyon, in the Chemistry course. I have to say, I haven’t been able to make the most of this amazing city during the past 2 years, but yet I’ve made great friends, had a really great time, and I’m looking forward to the 3 years coming up, because I know it is going to be awesome and I’ll have more time to enjoy Lyon and my friends. If it can reassure you, prepa is not that bad! Yes, it’s difficult, you have to work a lot (I mean a loooot) but anyway, you make true friends there because you have to face many difficulties together and have to work them out together. And actually, a prepa “intégrée” is way easier than a prepa “générale”. Because even if you have to pass a competitive exam to enter it, you will go directly into the school after 2 years if you work hard enough and have the required marks. And it’s less stressful, there’s a nicer athmosphere, not competitive one at all. So, don’t be afraid to apply for a prepa! And come to Lyon, it’s AWESOME! :)

Now, I have to tell you that I’ve been in London for almost a month, and I still have 3 weeks here. I am actually working on the Olympic Village, in the restaurant where athletes can eat all day and night long. I am a server supervisor in the British food area (there are all the kinds of food: American, European, African, Asian, Halal, etc.). That means I am with 3 or 4 other supervisors to manage a team of 30 to 45 servers, with the help of 2 managers. Our role is to organise the team and the servers’ breaks, to make sure everything is always clean, the dishes full and fresh and in accord with the menu of the day, etc. I really like it because I have some responsibilities, and yet I get on very well with the other supervisors and my managers. And the best of all, I see the athletes all day long! I’ve been able to talk to Andy Murray, Yannick Agnel, Tony Parker, Jessica Ennis, Alain Bernard, Nicola Karabatic and so many more! :)

I faced some difficulties at first, but now I have got used to them: for example, the servers are between 17 and 60 years old, so I have to be careful how I talk to people, because I have to ask them to do the same things but I can’t always ask them in the same way of course. Also, many people of the staff are Muslim and it’s Ramadan, so just imagine an 18 year old girl who doesn’t eat or drink all day long and still works 8 hours... We have to keep an eye on them to make sure they’re all right, and give them extra breaks if needed.

You’re gonna ask, "How did you find this job!?" Well, actually, I signed up to Intern London (http://www.internlondon.com/), a job search Web site for students. It’s expensive, but it's worth it! They provide internship opportunities and jobs and also the accommodation, 24/7 assistance before and during your stay, and many activities: I’ve already been to the theatre, seminars, pub crawls, and, soon, a cruise on the Thames, a trip to Brighton, paintballing, a musical evening, and more pub crawls! I’ve met people from all over the world and it is really nice to always find someone to go to visit London with during your days off. And the people in charge of Intern London are 2 young guys (about 27 years old), and a 19-year-old girl who is in charge of all the events. That’s to say they are young and know exactly what you need to spend an amazing time away from your home.

Well, I guess that’s it, if you have any questions about my studies or my Olympic experience, do not hesitate to send a comment to Life's a picnic!

Have a good end of summer!

Clémence