A Blog about Education Abroad

Author: Sarah

  • Roxine at Grenoble INP

    Pre-Departure:

    After a nerve wracking few weeks of waiting, the news came from Grenoble  that I had been accepted for the 2013 Summer School program, and the administrative process accompanying travel soon began.

    First on the agenda was to book flights, as this is a prerequisite before one is able to apply for a Visa. Fortunately, the trip to France warranted a slightly larger travel bursary from Stellenbosch University, and I was quickly able to find an Air France flight online.

    Appointments for Visa applications at the French Consulate need to be made well in advance, especially during the busy June/July season. Only being able to find a slot two weeks after I had called the consulate,  I applied for my Visa a mere ten days before my flight was due to depart. Trying to disguise nervousness, I arrived with all of my supporting documents (some of them printed in triplicate)- acceptance letters from Grenoble, proof of accommodation, travel insurance and flight details. Thanks to the notorious efficiency of the French, the process of Visa approval and delivery took no more than a week, which was a great relief.

    Roxine at Grenoble1 Roxine at Grenoble3 Roxine at Grenoble2

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  • Naomi in Berlin

    Pre-Departure:

    The excitement I felt upon finding out that I had been chosen to attend the Humboldt Summer School programme was unparalleled, as a student of the German language I applied for this summer school because it was important for me to improve my speaking. And of course Berlin is not such a bad place itself. I was informed about my selection in the second week of April and I was sure that I wanted to travel before the summer school so I had to find flights immediately. One thing you must know is that flights to Europe increase around the end of June- July period so booking early is vital! I chose not to go the travel agent route as they are just an extra cost and if you plan well you can do everything yourself.

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  • Vasti at Cambridge

    I attended a Literature Summer School at the University of Cambridge in July 2013.

    Pre- Departure:

    How would you apply for summer school?

    I applied for the Literature Summer School at Cambridge University quite early in the year, though the applications only close in May. I would highly recommend this, because ideally you’d only start applying for visas and buying plane tickets and so on once you know that you’ve been accepted. Furthermore, they do not ask for any academic results, so you essentially get accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis, and they do charge a non-refundable application fee of R2000, so you want to increase your chances of getting in as much as possible. For all these reasons, I applied very early, I think in February or March. That being said, I know some people got accepted very close to the closing date, and of course these considerations apply to Cambridge, but I cannot say anything about other summer schools.

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