Here is Prema’s story.
Pre-departure:
When I received the news that I was accepted to attend the Summer school at interDaF College in Leipzig, I was ecstatic. I couldn’t believe that I had the opportunity to go to Germany! The course consisted of four weeks learning the German language and also learning more about the German culture.
As soon as I got the news, the first thing I did was sort out my Visa application. The Postgraduate & International Office gave me all the relevant information of what I would need before I send my application. But one can also check online on the Embassy’s website which documents are needed. I went to the German Embassy situated in Cape Town with all the documents and within a week I received my Visa. I was surprised that it didn’t take longer because I had only a couple of weeks to plan this trip, but the Embassy was so helpful and realised that they could not stall my application too much — very nice.
Another important thing you’ll need in the Visa application is Travel Insurance. If you already have insurance that is super! But if, like me, you don’t have insurance that covers travel I suggest you look into some options that cover you for your stay. Depending on which University you are accepted to, they will also need this document. I took out one that covered me for the time I stayed in Germany. It was simple and not so expensive.
While waiting for my Visa to be granted I looked at ticket prices. As soon as I received the bursary from the International Office I bought my tickets. I bought my return tickets online because it was a little bit cheaper than using a Travel Agency. The few agencies I did go to were not too expensive but I just preferred saving that few hundred rands. I would also advise people to have a little bit extra cash in case the tickets cost a little bit more than the bursary.
Now all I had to do was figure out what to pack and also change my Rands into Euros. I got myself a cash passport from my bank and loaded it with Euros. If you have enough time you can wait a little until the Rand and Euro exchange rate is good and then purchase your Euros. In my case I did not have that much time, but still I got good value for my money. I did not load all the money on the card but took some Euros in cash in case I wanted to purchase something on the streets or shops that did not accept card etc.
All that was left was packing! Make sure you don’t pack too much so that you can bring some treasures back. And also extra weight is really expensive in Euros.
Experience at Summer School:
I left South Africa in winter and arrived in summer. Leipzig was lovely and hot. I took a train from the Halle Airport to Leipzig city and had my very first experience with the transport system in Leipzig — efficient, fast and safe.
I got to InterDaF College at 2pm and received the keys and directions to my apartment, which was about 30 minutes on the Tram from the College. Usually you share an apartment with one or two people.
I arrived in Leipzig the Monday and the next day was class! There was not a lot of time to get used to anything. The next day was the official welcoming and afterwards we were given a tour around the city. The beautiful thing about summer in Germany was that the sun set around 10pm — and the Trams run until 3am — so one could stay out late and still feel it’s early.
On our first day in class we wrote a test, which placed us in our different groups. We were then introduced to our classmates and our teachers. The classes were structured around what the students wanted to learn which was very different to our structure at Stellenbosch University (SU). We were given the opportunity to write down what we wanted to work on or what we were struggling with. The grammatical approach were similar to our German classes in SU with the minor difference that the classes consisted of less people, which allowed students to receive individual attention from the teachers. Interaction between students and teacher were also somewhat more intense than in our German classes, but that is also attributed to having fewer students and longer class hours. I found the daily, three 90-minute class sessions good and bad. On the one hand a person learns more German, but on the other had it is a lot of information to process. It made me appreciate our weekly, three 50-minute classes at SU so much more now!
Our first week also included trip to Eisenach. I really loved the Wartburg Castle. After the visit to the castle we got a chance to walk through the streets of Eisenach, which was lovely.
The weeks that follow were filled with classes and projects and getting to know more about other students from America, Afghanistan, Mexico, Brazil, India, China and Japan.
In our third week we took part of another excursion to Dresden. Just like Leipzig and Eisenach, it was a beautiful and historical city. The architecture was breathtaking and I felt I took more pictures of buildings than I took of people (or myself).
On our last day of the course each group had to present a project topic, which we chose in the second week. Our group had the topic: Leipzig though the lenses. We had to take pictures of the city and present it to the other students. We then received our certificates and after the farewell speeches were made we enjoyed a wonderful lunch with our new friends and teachers.
The Return:
I will never forget my experience in Leipzig. The four weeks I spent there changed the way I viewed the German language and also the German people and culture. I noticed obvious differences between Germany and South Africa almost immediately after returning to Cape Town.
Safety: In Leipzig I felt that I was safer on the public transport than in Cape Town. There were no policemen on the Trams or Trains, but the level of safety was noticeably different than in my hometown.
Culture: In South Africa diversity can be viewed as one of our strengths. We are not called the rainbow nation for nothing. So it was somewhat strange not to see diverse ethnic groups in Leipzig. I saw a couple of African, Indian and many Asian people (mostly tourists it seemed), but most of the population consisted of the Caucasian ethnicity. Germans are also not overly expressive people (except when it came to soccer). So it was always funny to see them look at me when I talked loud and gesticulated — so very South African. Another interesting thing I noticed was the strict adherence to rules. I was crossing the road one afternoon and didn’t notice the red sign for pedestrians were on. As I was crossing I saw an older gentleman shake his head at me in a ‘no’ gesture. I was surprised because there were no cars coming and I usually I would cross in this case. But in Leipzig people adhered to the rules. It was fascinating watching people wait for the little man on the robots to turn green — even with no cars in sight. A few people here and there would dare to cross, but majority just stood still like it was peak-hour.
Eco-Friendly: I found the German people to be very eco-friendly. Everywhere I went I saw recycling bins and provisions for ‘green’ options with regards to electricity, food or packaging. The streets were clean and parks tended like prized showcases. I feel South Africa still has a long way to go to be on the same level of other countries when it comes to eco-friendly solutions and options.
Poverty: Unlike in SA, poverty in Leipzig is not so obvious. We were told that the German government goes to lengths to make sure its people are taken care of — something I wish our government could spend more time focusing on.
I had many preconceived notions about Germany and its people, but because of this experience many of these are now removed.
I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to travel and learn more about another language, culture and people. This has inspired me to travel more in the future. I used to be afraid to travel because of what I see on the movies — ridiculous I know — but now I see just what a wonderful experience traveling brings to your life. And most of all, I am grateful that I attend a University that allows you to journey outside your comfort zone and fear of the ‘new’. Thank you Stellenbosch University.
