A Blog about Education Abroad

Category: Winter / Summer School Postings

  • 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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  • Caru in Austria

    Caru in Austria

    Caru attended the Graz International Summer School Seggau 2014; here is her story.

    Pre-departure:

    It is every South African student’s dream to go and study abroad. Unfortunately it is also every student’s reality that for South Africans this is nearly impossible. Our currency is too weak, our government does not give many scholarships and our educational system is completely different to those of European or American schools. However, I saw this near impossibility become a reality when I started researching summer schools to attend at partner institutions of the University of Stellenbosch. I sent in my video after a frustrating week of trying to find a quiet place to film in Stellenbosch. When I saw how many mistakes had been made in my video and how many students had entered, my heart sank in my shoes when I realized my chances were about as much as finding water in the Kalahari Desert.
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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…)