PRE-DEPARTURE:
Depending on how accustomed to overseas travel you are, your pre-departure experience will differ. Most importantly, of course, is the visa application process, which you should begin as soon as possible after the three-months-prior-to-your-flight date is reached. I can’t offer advice on the Finnish visa application process, because I applied for a general Schengen visa due to my planned extended stay in the Netherlands after leaving Finland, but I can say that Photo Studio Lockley in Plein Street, Stellenbosch is a good place to get photos taken – they’re conveniently located, they take photos for all kinds of visas and passports, and they are actually one of two photographers recommended by the Dutch embassy (which means that they should be approved by other embassies, as well). It can really take a while to get all your documents in order for the embassy, so do start the process early! You’ll likely need many certified copies of your ID and/or passport – this can be done at the post office. Second most importantly – booking your flight. According to some sources on the Internet, it is best to book 6-8 weeks in advance of your desired departure date. I got a good deal on Turkish Air, and only a two hour waiting period in Istanbul before my connecting flight. Then, depending how much time you have on your hands, do some research about the place you’re going to! The Helsinki Summer School provides great tips for places to go and things to do on their student extranet; but it’s also nice to browse the Internet and page through guidebooks for ideas. Once you arrive, you may find you’re too busy to plan to do anything that it is not made obvious or suggested to you. Look for museums and activities that interest you, and maybe particular restaurants/eating places you’d like to visit (e.g. if you’re a vegetarian, or particularly interested in Finnish food). You’ll also need to sort out your finances – a cash card, available at most banks, is a useful thing to have – swiping is free and withdrawals (at any MasterCard ATM) cost 2 EUR. Finally, you should get an EU adaptor plug if you need one (Fidder’s in Andringa has them).
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Author: may
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Robyn in Finland
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Rizwana in Norway
Pre-departure
The highlight of my PhD-experience thus far was attending a summer school course at the University of Oslo. I learned about the Oslo Summer school in comparative social sciences from my fellow PhD student, Lorenza Williams, who attended a course at this university a couple of years ago. I looked at the courses on offer and one course immediately grabbed my attention. The course was called ‘Mixed Methods: Integrating qualitative and quantitative research’. To my knowledge there are no PhD courses focusing on mixed methods in South Africa. This course seemed ideal because my study is a mixed methods study and I am very interested in learning about methodology and teaching it. However, I was hesitant to apply because I have never travelled that far alone, but at Lorenza’s insistence; I applied and was shortly thereafter accepted. After I accepted my place at the course I began searching for funding to attend the course. I approached the Postgraduate and International office.The PGIO office was incredibly helpful and assisted me in obtaining the funding I needed.Once I received the funding I started planning for the trip right away by searching for flights to Oslo and accommodation in Oslo. Tron Torneby, the coordinator of the summer school in Oslo provided plenty of support by recommending hotels and providing us with details about Oslo. Tron even provided us with details of which trams stopped at the university, which was extremely helpful. The recommended hotel was too pricey so I opted for another hotel in central Oslo within walking distance of the tram that stopped at the University. The flights were painless to book because I used a travel agent. I learned that travelling would take an entire day and multiple stops and flight changes would be required. This seemed daunting but I knew that the experience would be worth it.
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Karla in the Netherlands
Om vir hierdie somerskool aansoek te doen was die beste ding wat ek vir myself kon doen. Dit het my bemagtig op verskeie maniere en ek wil graag dit deel sodat nog US studente daarin kan deel.
Voor vertrek
Aansoek
Doen moeite met jou aansoek vir die US se internasionale kantoor, veral die video. Doen navorsing oor al die verskillende somerskole beskikbaar en motiveer presies hoekom jy hierdie somerskool gekies het. Wanneer jou aansoek aanvaar word is daar dan ‘n addisionele aanlyn aansoekvorm wat jy vir die LEF somerskool invul.
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