A Blog about Education Abroad

Author: ckroon

  • Renier at the Strasbourg Summer School

    Renier at the Strasbourg Summer School

    Pre-departure:

    As with any overseas trip I would advise that you attempt to sort out the logistics and admin as soon as possible. First, you need to book your flights – Paris and Frankfurt will likely be the cheapest options. Also consider staying on a bit longer if finances and time permit it. I stayed an extra few days after the summer school in Paris which ended up being a very good decision.
    Thereafter you can make your visa appointment. I used a company called Capago, whom I highly recommend. I would advise booking train/bus tickets from and to the airport for your arrival and departure dates in advance, but not your weekend trips just yet as you might make friends who want to go as a group somewhere while in Strasbourg.

    (more…)

  • Bianca at Hohenheim University in Germany.

    Bianca at Hohenheim University in Germany.

    Pre-departure:

    I decided that seeing as I was going all the way to Europe anyway, I may as well do some extra traveling on my way to Germany. This meant that I had to make sure I applied well in advance for my visas (plural, because I went to England too). My British Visa was a breeze to get, and I got it within 4 days of applying, however I had to apply for my Schengen visa from the German Embassy and they are extremely strict! I had neglected to book train rides and such between different Schengen countries for example, and they said this could cause a problem, so they told me to sort it all out and come back when I was more prepared. This was a problem, because I was now cutting time to my departure rather fine, and what with writing exams, it was rather hard to find time to get through to Cape Town. So I would suggest sorting Visas as soon as possible to ensure that you are actually able to get to your Summer School in the first place.

    (more…)

  • FG on exchange at EBS

    FG on exchange at EBS

    Pre-Departure:

    After an almost 24 hour flight from sunny Cape Town via Dubai, I arrived in the beautiful, icy cold Frankfurt, Germany. I got lost a few times in one of Europe’s biggest Airports, but eventually found the meeting point where the driver and another student were waiting for me. From there we cruised at a casual 200km/h on the Autobahn to the small village of Oestrich-Winkel, situated in the beautiful Rheingau region, famous for its Weinberge (wine mountains) next to the even more famous Rheine River.

    (more…)