As you’ve moved into your new city and seen (most of) the sites and made your way through the various cafés, you might feel a little...Bored. Surprising really, as you’ve just moved somewhere exciting and cool, you’re the envy of all your friends back home and you can’t seem to quite get why. Sure, you’ve done the museums, you’ve met some cool people, sorted out accommodation and you’ve even got yourself an internet connection. So now what? Although many students choose to spend their year abroad partying and going on trips, that’s not to say there isn’t time to practice something you love, in another language. Read on to find out more...

Charlotte Evans is about to set off on her year abroad in Lyon and Córdoba. Here, she gives us an account of how her year abroad preparation is going...