Antje at Bayreuth University

My Pre-Departure Preparation to Germany:

Not in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined to sit in a class attending a Summer School in Europe, while being in my final year at the University of Stellenbosch, completing my Honours Degree in Political Science. A friend of mine awakened my aspiration to attend an international Summer School, when she shared her experiences of attending a Summer School in Berlin in 2013. Being a Namibian student studying in South Africa, opportunities like these are rare, which inspired me to apply to attend the 2015 international Summer School hosted by the University of Bayreuth, Germany.

Knowing that the application process would require the best of my efforts, I made a folder, in which I noted down, detail for detail, how I was going to go about and proceed with my application to the Postgraduate & International Office (PGIO). After weeks of waiting anxiously for an answer, I received the long awaited email containing the wonderful news that I had been accepted to attend the 2015 Summer School at the University of Bayreuth. I made another list containing information with regards to pre-departure preparations. As I am a dual citizen, with a German passport, I was very fortunate not having to go through the process of applying for a visa.

However, with regards to further pre-departure preparations, I have the following recommendations:

1. Meet up with fellow students from your university who will be attending the same Summer School to get acquainted with one another; to help one another with the visa application, travel arrangements or other issues you may come across.
2. Book your flight ticket as soon as possible – flight tickets get expensive very quickly.
3. Familiarise yourself with the town and the university hosting your Summer School via the internet – read up on it, Google it, familiarise yourself with the food, the people and various important information in order to avoid a complete culture shock.
4. Familiarise yourself with the modes of transport at your host university – taxis cost a fortune, therefore travelling by train or bus is the cheaper option.
5. Acquaint yourself with the weather abroad – particularly in Europe, the summer can be extremely hot and humid, with thundershowers –pack warm clothing too!
6. Be sure to exchange money in time. Carrying cash around is a little risky at times; therefore applying for a travel wallet from your bank is an excellent idea. Filling out the application form for a travel wallet does take a little time, therefore do not leave it to the last minute before departing overseas.
7. Plan this trip entirely on your own and do not rely too much on your parents. This ensures that you know what is happening, how you are progressing and it prepares you well enough for problems you may encounter.
8. Finally, do not be scared or insecure – go into this experience with an open mind, a hunger for adventure and experience.

My Experience at the Bayreuth Summer School 2015:

With the Summer School in Bayreuth taking place during my June/July holidays, I decided to travel to Germany two weeks in advance of the Summer School. In total I spent four lovely weeks in the South of Germany, visiting eight towns, including Augsburg, Ingolstadt, Kempten, Mittenwald, Munich, Passau, Regensburg and of course Bayreuth. I was also able to travel to Austria to climb up one of its most renowned mountain peaks, known as the “Walmendingerhorn”. The time spent in Germany has been one of the best, most enriching learning experiences in my life so far – particularly the time spent at the Summer School in Bayreuth.

All Summer School students (a total of fifty students) were warmly welcomed by the Summer School committee upon arrival in Bayreuth, making it a memorable experience for students to get to know one another. Throughout our stay in the Youth Hostel in Bayreuth, all students from different countries across the globe grew together as a family, with friendships being forged which will last a life time. The Summer School committee presented us with a variety of activities to part-take in after class, which comprised of a city tour, cooling off at the swimming pool next door or simply having a beer in the famous “Lamperie” beer garden in the city centre of Bayreuth.

For the two weekends during the course of the Summer School, the Summer School committee organised a trip to Berlin as well as to Bamberg. I did not take part in both excursions, as I decided to travel the South of Germany a little more, to see as much of it as possible. All in all, the Summer School committee took excellent care of us, ensuring that we felt at home from day one onwards.

The lectures facilitated by academic lecturers from different countries worldwide, posed as a new challenge compared to lectures taught in my comfort zone at the University of Stellenbosch. The course I attended, namely “African Studies,” has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my learning career. Our class comprised of students from other African countries, as well as international students from across the globe. The two underlying topics for our course framework were: “Anthropologies of Violence and memory in Africa and Latin America” and “Beyond the Boko Haram Syndrome: Approaching the Study of Islam in West-Africa.” Classes started at 09:00 in the morning and lasted until 16:00 in the afternoon. Our lecturers would teach until lunch time, after which we would indulge in interesting class debates and class discussions.

Throughout this course I was able to receive more knowledge and information about Africa from various backgrounds primarily related to the topic of dramatic crisis situations affecting the African continent in the present day. Attending the Summer School in Bayreuth has taught me how to look at a topic from a different angle, while considering and respecting the views of fellow students who do not come from the same background as I come from. It most of all awakened my interest to collaborate with people from different countries globally, seeing that each and every student has taught me something different in terms of viewpoints and opinions towards Africa as a continent.

What I value the most is the fact that the Summer School in Bayreuth has taught me a mesmerising appreciation for my home country Namibia and the continent of Africa – an appreciation which is different from the one I get to experience while studying in South Africa. I personally believe this is an appreciation you can only develop once you have been abroad, as you get to know yourself, your passion and what it is that drives and inspires you to do what you do best. It has awakened in me a newfound sense of love for Africa.

The Return back to Stellenbosch:

Returning to Stellenbosch was a difficult task at first after getting used to the German way of life. While it was a wonderfully enriching experience in total, I must admit that I was very excited to feel the African sun on my skin and to enjoy an African sunset with a glass of good South African wine. It occurred to me that I missed the people and the African way of life, the friendliness, the laid-back attitudes and most of all, I missed a good “braai.” My experience abroad has changed my perspectives on many different aspects, be it education, infrastructure, transportation or simply the way of life, in Africa as well as in Germany.

In terms of education, I learnt how excellent as well as advanced education systems in Africa really are. With that being said, I was reminded how much Africa can still learn from developed countries, in terms of transportation structures and general infrastructure.
One of my primary reasons for attending the Summer School in Bayreuth was to be given the opportunity to receive education outside of my comfort zone at a university abroad. With my aspirations of pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Policy in Germany, in particular at the University of Passau, I wanted to experience what it would be like studying abroad and whether I would be able to adapt well enough to be successful in my studies overseas.

I am proud to say that the 2015 Summer School hosted by the University of Bayreuth in collaboration with the PGIO in Stellenbosch has realised this dream for me and I was able to visit the University in Passau, at which I plan to pursue my Master’s Degree in 2016. Being given the opportunity by the PGIO to attend the Summer School of my choice (for which I am eternally thankful), I was able to grow personally and I was able to be inspired by fellow students and lecturers to reach greater heights, to pursue my dreams in terms of becoming what I want to be.

To every Stellenbosch student out there: tackle the bull by its horns and make an effort to aspire to greater heights. Attending a Summer School abroad is a wonderful way to start – you have the ability and the opportunity is given to you by the PGIO – grab the opportunity with both hands and make the most of it.