A Blog about Education Abroad

Tag: Germany

  • Inshiya in Germany

    Inshiya in Germany

    Pre- departure

    I heard about the concept of a summer school during International Week, from one of the many info booths propped up around campus. I simply walked up to one and spoke to a student who had been on a similar exchange programme, and the idea was born, an idea which strongly appealed to me. I eagerly began researching as to available opportunities and settled on a couple of programmes which I believed were most suitable. After completing my application there was nothing left to do beside wait and hope. Personally the video component was quite a daunting experience, particularly due to the fact there are no restrictions as to the number of retakes you are allowed, and before you know it you’ve spent hours in front of your webcam and haven’t yet managed to get through 8 minutes without making a mistake. But as this was something I truly wished for, I pushed through this obstacle.
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  • Khangi in Germany

    Khangi in Germany

    I arrived in Frankfurt at approximately 7 am on a Monday morning in January, I had just gotten married 9 days earlier in South Africa. For the European Business School, which was the university at which I would be spending a semester, this was the start of their Spring term. The weeks leading up to my departure were difficult not least because of all the wedding planning, but mostly due to the fact that I had applied for a long stay visa at the German embassy in Cape Town and this particular visa took a long time to process. The fact that I applied just before the festive season meant that the many public and religious holidays as well as the opening and closing of the university itself during this period created an administrative nightmare, which delayed my application.

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  • Alexanderie in Germany

    Alexanderie in Germany

    Here is Alexanderie’s story.

    Getting ready to go abroad:

    I had already been to Germany before, but I didn’t have to prepare for the trip myself as I was still a helpless teenager. However, as a Namibian citizen studying in South Africa, I am familiar with immigration with Visa requirements and steps to take. Unfortunately, I experienced some problems as well.

    Firstly, for the passport photos required for the Visa application, make sure to go to a photographer who knows what the photograph requirements of the German Embassy are. I unfortunately had to pay double because my first sets of passport photos were rejected. Secondly, especially for foreign students, there is a new law in South Africa that prohibits the sale of certain foreign currency to countries with their own reserve bank. This as far as I understood applies for Namibians and Zimbabweans as well. I didn’t get a chance to go back to Namibia before the trip and therefore, I could not exchange any money here or get a travel card which is far cheaper than having your usual MasterCard. The bank charges are extremely high and thus, it is wise to withdraw a large amount of money once in Europe. Also, if possible ask the bank to increase your withdrawal limit if you are going to use your normal MasterCard. This will facilitate the withdrawal of a large amount of Euros. (more…)