Pre-departure:
As with any overseas trip I would advise that you attempt to sort out the logistics and admin as soon as possible. First, you need to book your flights – Paris and Frankfurt will likely be the cheapest options. Also consider staying on a bit longer if finances and time permit it. I stayed an extra few days after the summer school in Paris which ended up being a very good decision.
Thereafter you can make your visa appointment. I used a company called Capago, whom I highly recommend. I would advise booking train/bus tickets from and to the airport for your arrival and departure dates in advance, but not your weekend trips just yet as you might make friends who want to go as a group somewhere while in Strasbourg.
Things you need to take with:
Umbrella, flip-flops and sunscreen as the weather is very diverse.
Student card as there are many opportunities to benefit from student discount. (Note that they will, however, at times also want to see other identification which proves you are younger than 24.)
Plug convertor. (No need to convert the voltage, just the hole’s arrangement.)
Things to maybe take with:
I would advise taking a laptop if you have one. The computer room is open and available most of the time, but it is just more convenient to work in your room on the various projects.
Any item you think you will use during the summer school. You can save plenty of money this way by taking such things with (everything except chocolate and Nutella is more expensive in France) and provided you have space in your bag. This includes things such as toiletries, a bag of porridge to get you started, small box of washing powder, coffee, spice and basic medicine like ACC 200, Airmune and Strepsils. Camera, small day backpack and a diary!!!
Experience at Summer School:
Arrival and administration:
On arrival Daniela should have organised to pick you up. She is very friendly and will make sure you are booked into your residence room if you reserved one.
Some other administration things to note. With regards to the kitchens you will have a basin, a two-plate stove and a fridge, but most likely you will have to share pots, pans and kettles between rooms. There should, however, be enough basic utensils to go around that you will have your own. Microwaves are rare.
There is supermarket and pharmacy around the block. The cafeteria of the school is very decent, but you can save a lot of money by making some meals yourself.
With regards to communication, there is Wi-Fi available in the residence and school, but if you want Google Maps and Translate with you wherever you go, I would consider buying a sim card and data for the month from Orange.
I also highly recommend getting your name on the waiting list to hire a Velhop bicycle as soon as possible. A bicycle is a very convenient thing to have in Strasbourg as there are plenty of bicycle lanes. You might not think it is very cool reading this in South Africa, but you will soon change your mind when you arrive and see ladies in their formal outfits and high heels heading to work on bicycles.
The group:
The group of students attending the summer school is incredibly diverse, which will challenge you about what you might perceive to be ‘normal’. The summer school is really a great opportunity to learn about other cultures, meet new friends and become more accepting of our differences.
Classes: The classes are reasonably similar to the ones at Stellenbosch, but the lecturers do tend to easily go on for an hour and a half at a time. The workload is also very manageable and compromises of both group work and individual projects.
Weekends and culture:
There are some trips organised by the school during the week, but you will have the weekends off and I encourage you to take full advantage of them. Strasbourg is overflowing with culture, from the Opera to the many museums. Note that all museums are free on the first Sunday of each month.
You need not limit your outing to just the weekends as the sun only sets around 21:30 and the city is very safe. Besides the classic tourist attractions the whole town is great to simply go walking about in
Also take note that Germany is only a stone’s throw away. If you choose to hire a bicycle you can cycle there in less than 10 minutes.
Soak it up, don’t live on Facebook or South African news websites. Rather immerse yourself in the local culture. Obviously do as many of the touristy things as possible, see the sights and go to the many museums, but also try and experience the life of the locals. Go to the pubs away from the tourist areas and speak to the local barman or go get an ice cream in one of the many parks after five (Parc de l’Orangerie is fantastic). Doing these types of things will give you a better understanding of what life in Strasbourg/France is really like.
Return:
There is of course no place like home, and one of the Strasbourg lecturers put it perfectly when he said that a fish only realises what water is, and that it needs water, once you take it out of water.
Although learning about the French culture is very important during the summer school, even more important will be to learn about yourself and to establish a reference point – your culture. This trip has helped me to better understand myself and obtain an even greater appreciation for the truly amazing South African culture.
I would like to believe that this trip has opened my mind and opinion to cultural differences and I hope this new understanding and appreciation of our differences will have a positive influence on my future relationships, both private and work-related. I am definitely more excited to travel in the future and about the possibility of another exchange.
If you have gotten this far (reading blog posts and actually reading to the end), I would really like to encourage you to take the final leap, take yourself out of your comfort zone, and apply for this (or any summer school). It will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life.