Francis at the AC21 Student World Forum

Preparation:

I first heard about the Academic Consortium 21 (AC21) through the monthly newsletter which I received form the International Office. The theme of the conference looked really appealing as I am studying International relations and the theme dealt with Local and Regional Democracy in Europe. Perfect right!
After seeing this I immediately went onto the website to do some more research and the more I read, the more I became excited about this and just wanted to jump in and start my application.
The application process was actually very easy and straight-forward. Initially it does seem daunting and I was especially worried about the VIDEO! I had never made a video before and the editing in itself seemed like a rather daunting task. It was actually so simple! I used the Windows Live movie maker programme and it was so self-explanatory. I even added a few affects here and there and added some music.

I wanted some time and eventually got the news about a month later that I was GOING! Excitement cannot even begin to describe what I felt. I was going to FRANCE! Not only that but I was attending my first international conference! Wow! I was super stoked!
The logistics then became real and I made my checklist of things to do before heading off. First was the Passport, Plane ticket, Visa and then the outfits! The university was so great, especially Jan-Willem, who assisted in explaining everything that needed to be done as well as all the necessary documents, etc. It really is very simple.
After receiving the travel bursary I booked my flights through cheaptickets.com. They are really great and super cheap! But watch out for the long lay-overs. I then booked my train tickets through eurail.com. (Booking on a Tuesday evening after 20:00 is also a way to get cheap tickets)

The key to anything and especially preparing for a trip is DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! That really cannot be stressed enough. We are all students and have tons of work to do for our studies back home and on top of that needing to prepare for a summer/ winter school can really add more stress. It is therefore so important to make a checklist and try to tick everything off as you go.
A good idea that I only thought of rather late is to have business cards made. It is super cheap and is a great way to exchange contacts whilst networking and meeting people. Trust me, you will meet incredible people when you go on exchange. I paid about R130 for 100 cards. The design was also really simple. It had my contact details and a photo and South Africa at the bottom. It really isn’t necessary to put an occupation.

Finally, depending on which country you go to, start watching the price of currency. I paid a lot for conversion from Rands to Euros. If you know of people who have currency #internationalstudents, try to buy it from them so that you can avoid paying high commission fees. The travel wallets can work out to be quite pricy- just as a heads up!
As the time gets shorter and shorter, the excitement will begin to build, especially knowing that your checklist is almost complete. International exchange is such a beautiful thing and the University really aims at making it as easy as possible for the students, so the best advice is to find the right exchange and APPLY!

Summer School:

Here we go! It’s the night before you fly and you are super excited. The butterflies in your stomach are fluttering so much that you think they will get you there instead of the plane. You want to make sure that you are absolutely prepared and everything is perfect. The moment you get onto the plane, it’s like you are holding your breath and once it takes off you just breathe and realize that this is it! You are on your way to represent your university as well as start a journey that will mark a milestone in your life and change you monumentally.

The conference I was attending was in Strasbourg, France and hosted by the University of Strasbourg in collaboration with the University of Freiberg. The focus was on Local and Regional Democracy within the European context. Focus was also placed on the developments within the environmental sector in Freiburg Germany, to which we actually has sight visits and tours.
The first day of the conference was on the Sunday where we got to meet all the other student representative. The first word that comes to mind when I think of them and that is: “WOW”. The Talent, Intellect, Diversity and Brilliance in a group of individuals between the ages 19- 27 was enough to inspire anybody. Meeting these individuals was such an enriching experience. The cross-cultural exchange of information and experiences allowed for a diverse pool of knowledge making for such a stimulating and thought provoking environment. There were 40 students from China, Japan, Laos, Indonesia, Australia, Thailand, United States of America, New Zealand and South Africa. The discussions were so interesting that they carried out long after the workshops and plenaries, some until the early hours of the morning. I can truly say that this experience has allowed me to build a network in all of these countries and I am sure that we will all remain friends and keep in contact through years to come.

The University of Strasbourg was nothing short of incredible in both the extensive and diverse programme that was arranged but also the organizing committee that was so dynamic, friendly and accommodating. The second day of the conference was particularly interesting as we visited the Council of Europe as well as the European Parliament which was great and so informative! The Wednesday was especially interesting as we travelled to Germany, to visit the University of Freiberg. There we had sight visits around the eco-villages and being the one of Germany’s popular green city, it was interesting to see the incredible developments within the environmental sector.
On of the highlights of the week was a dinner show that we attended where everyone was dressed to the tee and looking rather glamourous. There was a dinner show with a great band and of course the country that is known for its great musical culture was majorly representing, SOUTH AFRICA! Two of us ended up on stage performing with the band which was awesome!
Finally we had our final presentations where we presented our projects and ideas that we worked on throughout the duration of the conference as well as gave an overview of our experience. On this day, delegates from our host universities joined for the closing ceremony. It was both rewarding but also rather nostalgic. The realization finally kicked in that this wonderful and enriching experience was drawing to a close. And so the goodbyes began!

Coming Back:

It has been a day since I am back and it was only just started to set in that I am not in France, not having croissants for breakfast and that my “new best friends” are not with me anymore. It is now back to the grind stone and back to the so-called student “reality”. And so the reflection begins.
Going on exchange and being part of this wonderful experience changes everything! Meeting people of such calibre allows you to draw on that experience and energy making you fired up to strive for so much! It opens your mind and gives you new perspective on yourself, your friends, your university and being a final year student, it gives you hope for the fact that the world really is your oyster!
In terms of reflecting, one can say that you have, the experience, the connection, the network and begs the question: “what am I going to do with it?” I have learned that although our country has it issues and problems, we really have so much to be grateful for. The social issues which we face need to be drawn upon to strive for a better life and brighter future. The opportunities really are out there and as students and thought-leaders of the world we need to use these opportunities and share them with others. This experience has made me realize that South Africa has still got a way to go to be as developed as Europe but we also need to realize that, though we think we have issues, the developed world also has their fair share of problems and that things are really not that bad
Meeting the other students from all over the globe has allowed me as a young student in Africa to build this world-wide network. The perception of Africa and specifically South Africa is one that really needs to change and people within the international community need to realize that Africa has arrived. By changing this perception for one person, that in itself’ has already created change.
I truly would like to share this opportunity with as many people as I believe in this network and the good that it can do in developing leaders and agents of change for the future. I have truly been given this wonderful and unforgettable opportunity that I will forever be grateful for.