Pre-departure:
From the first moment I heard that my summer school in Germany has been approved, my excitement levels shot through the roof. I literally could not stop thinking about it for a period of two weeks and I could not help myself from downloading all the information I could get about Germany. I also forced all my friends in South-Africa that could speak German to teach me the basics and this itself really helped a lot with my time overseas. Unfortunately this feeling only lasted for a short while because there was so much that had to be done before Germany could become a reality. Apart from the fact that all the paperwork and administration had to be taken care of, there was a massive exam waiting for me, and because neither a rewrite nor a second opportunity was available for me, the pressure was on. Luckily that forced myself to take charge and the exam went relatively well taking everything into consideration.
The huge problem however was the fact that time was running out to get my paperwork in order. Julia, my fellow class mate whom was also attending the summer school with me was so on top of it – although she also experienced some difficulties in obtaining her visa, she got it back well before the date which we were suppose to get on the plain. 7 days before we had to leave for Germany my passport was still not ready and I was really getting worried about it. It’s unbelievable how the stress of something like this can get to you, especially late at nights when your mind start playing the “what if” game, it’s horrible. The problem was that my plain tickets were booked, fees at the European Business School (“EBS”) were paid, and the reality was that, if my passport did not get back to me in time, I would’ve had to buy another plain ticket worth approximately R7000 to Germany. On Saturday, the 27th of June, on the day which I was suppose to leave, I still did not have my passport!!! I was suppose to board at 17h00.. And guess what.. My passport arrived via courier at 12h00!! Crazy right??? Luckily I made it in time for everything and I was on my way to Germany.
To be honest, although it was long, the flight was awesome. We had fly to Frankfurt via Dubai. Emirates Airlines is just fantastic, I watched movies all the way tot Dubai, it was literally the first time in two months I managed to relax in the full meaning of the word and there was a fantastic journey ahead of me. On the plain from Dubai to Frankfurt I passed out and had one of the best naps of my life!
Time at summer school:
Julia and I had absolutely no idea what to expect. This was the first time any student from Stellenbosch attended the EBS Law School. We arrived on a Sunday and luckily with the help of EBS, we had a courier to take us from the airport to the house we were staying at (which was quite expensive if you ask me, later on we learnt that the best way to travel were always via train). Although everything was well planned for the week, there was not a single shop open in Oestrich-Winkel on that Sunday. Luckily the place we stayed at was beautiful and the people we stayed with sorted us out with food and coffee – what more do you need right?
The next step was figuring out how we would get to our campus every day (which was situated in Wiesbaden). Luckily we had Wi-Fi and it was easy to locate the train stations nearby, as well as how long it would take us to get to Wiesbaden. On that Sunday we had a quick walk just to see exactly where the station were situated, because we knew that there won’t be any time to waste the next morning.
On Monday, when we got off at the train station in Wiesbaden, it was literally a 5 minute walk to campus! It took us 15 minutes everyday to walk to our local train station in Oestrich-Winkel, a 25 minute train ride to Wiesbaden, and from there we were sorted. These tickets EBS gave us were also free of charge for our time there, so traveling was very cheap and very easy. The trains also run on a very tight schedule, thus, we knew exactly what time we would arrive at our destination. The ESB staff had a lot of activities planned for us and it was fun. We quickly got to make friends with everyone, and that itself made the whole summer school so much fun.
We only started with classes on the Tuesday, and although we were tired from writing exams in South-Africa, the classes itself were very interesting. At first it was kind of a shock because of the pace the professors went through the work with the limited time available, but they made it very clear that the exams would be a test of discussions in class, rather than memorizing heaps of work before a test. This was great for us, it meant we could sit back and really enjoy the classes together with the insights of the professors lecturing us. Although we were in class from 9am – 6pm on the days we had classes, it must be kept in mind that we only had a three sessions a week. Thus, from Tuesdays to Thursdays we were mostly in class. Then, from Fridays till Mondays we had time for ourselves and this routine was fantastic for having a memorable time in Germany.
When looking back now, I honestly think we did not travel enough on our days off during the summer school. We ended up spending a lot of time in and around Wiesbaden because even just in that area there was so much to see. We were also very lucky in the sense that there was great festivals happening in Wiesbaden. Two of our three Saturdays there we ended up attending massive beer festivals where the food was good and the beer was cheap, it was a joy! Frankfurt, about a 40 minute train route from where we stayed, is also a fantastic tourist destination in my opinion. It is very affordable and the people are very friendly over there. I also went to Mains with some German friends I met in Wiesbaden. They wanted to show me nightlife and although it was a night which I will never forget, I must say that I was kind of broke after that (it was 100% worth it though).
At the end the summer school course was a huge success in my opinion. We were suppose to take at least halve of the six modules they made available, but Julia and I decided to take four. Some were more difficult than others, but at the end, us non-European students gained a lot of knowledge about how the European Union and the member states interact on a legal basis. I think the people at EBS did a fantastic job at finding a balance between having fun and actually learning something meaningful. Julia and I were a little bit worried that we would have to spend a lot of time studying in Germany, but because of the structure and nature of the courses, and because you don’t have to study in the sense of memorizing the work, the course was interesting and really enjoyable. I think EBS and there staff that planned everything and made this whole course possible deserves a big thumbs up, it was really something I will never forget!
Back in South-Africa:
I only got back to South-Africa on the 14th of July and I can honestly say that there is no better break than a summer school. Yes you have to attend class and yes, you have to write another set of exams, but the experience is something I will treasure for the rest of my life. In a short space of time I’ve met so many new fantastic friends and I have no doubt that I will see most of them in the future. I think the key to everything with regards to summer schools like these, is to really go out and interact with those around you. The first day or two everybody was still checking everything out, but after a while you truly realize how fantastic and interesting every single person at the course is.
If you ever have the opportunity to do something like this while you are studying, go for it. Our university, in partnership with the overseas universities has got fantastic bursaries which really play a big role in making the experience such a once in a lifetime opportunity. The people you meet, the places you see, and just the vibe throughout the whole trip is something every student must experience! I think a massive thank you to the University of Stellenbosch, along with European Business School in order!! Thank you so much!!!