You have made the bold decision to go to Rio de Janeiro. Parabéns (congrats)! The city has a vibrate ambience, football is a religion and the diversity in people, scenery and activities is splendid. I would go back in a heartbeat, but before you set out on an adventure of a lifetime, take heed. Here are a number of tips and tricks to make this period as pain-free as possible.
My semester exchange was at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia. I found the preparation for the trip and the application process to be very admin intensive. It was the first year our faculty had sent a student to HSE, and I was the first SU student to go. I prepared a checklist of the documents I needed, a list of items to pack, a shopping list, and a to-do list. In your last week before you fly, it can quickly become overwhelming and having a checklist of essential items that need to be done and packed helps one to focus. I found it daunting to pack and prepare for a country where I knew the weather, culture, and circumstance would be very different from what I’m used to at home.
I am a South-African citizen with a German family background. Thus, I have always dreamt about traveling and living in Germany. Doing my Masters in Electronic Engineering at Stellenbosch University presented me with the perfect opportunity – allowing me to study a semester abroad at Reutlingen University, Baden-Württemberg Germany. Not only would this semester abroad satisfy my personal desire to visit Germany, but also allow me to extend my Engineering knowledge beyond what I could have imagined. (more…)