The German Experience 2 NEW!

European Business School

Jonty Koekemoer (Masters in Economics) went on Exchange to the European Business School, Germany, in August - December 2011.

Germany was a bold choice for me as I had no background knowledge, no family connections, and no German language skills to make the trip a more comfortable transition. However, throwing myself in the deep end like this was definitely the right choice. Upon my arrival in Frankfurt I was picked up by a shuttle that EBS had organised. Nervous, slightly apprehensive, and somewhat tired after the long flight, I found myself being warmly welcomed by an exuberant German shuttle driver. “Hallo! Wie geht is dir? Kommst du mit mir?” he excitedly asked. I looked at him with a clueless expression. He chuckled to himself, took my bags and guided me to the taxi. This is where I was met with a few more bemused faces, all of which had just got off the plane from Hong Kong. After introducing myself, we were off to our new home for the semester. The whole trip there was made up of cheesy jokes by the driver, loud music resembling that which you would find on the Friars dance floor, and an interesting glimpse of the German autobahn.

My first few days were definitely the ones to remember. With no work, a huge group of new friends, and loads of places to explore, my first week turned into a mini O-week. I felt as though I was a first year again. I was one of about 200 exchange students at this small, private business school. I was however, the only African exchange student. With many naive minds, I was bombarded with questions in my first week. The group of “tauschies”, as we were called, was made of students from all over the world: America, Canada, Mexico, China, France, Sweden, Norway, Italy, and Spain to name a few. With such a diverse array of nationalities it was destined to become an experience that I would never forget.

I lived in an old, renovated wine estate, which housed 10 international students. The landlord allowed us to drink the wine that was left in the cellars, warning us that half of it would be off by that stage, making it a game of chance. The town we lived in was called Oestrich; a tiny, absolutely beautiful little village along the Rhein River. The area is famous for its wine, and a vineyard was within a stone’s throw at all times. The town was 20 minutes away from a large city, and one hour away from Frankfurt by train. This location, combined with the extremely efficient German train system, made it incredibly easy to sight-see, travel, and even party in the nearby areas. With the trains being on time to the minute, I would never have an excuse for being late – a pet peeve for the Germans. Having arrived at the end of summer, I was able to experience three incredibly different seasons as I came home during the European winter.

A picture of myself and some of my digsmates from EBS

The business school itself was a completely different experience to that of Rhodes. As it was a private institution with a very good reputation, many of the students came to class in their black Audis or the silver Porsches. Wearing a suit to class was a common occurrence, often drawing attention to my truly Rhodent style of dress – shorts, slops, and a t-shirt. I soon realised that in order to be taken more seriously I needed to put some more effort into how I looked before going to lectures. However, it was refreshing to be in such an environment where professionalism, stature, and a hard-working mentality was the norm. Large companies often looked to the university for recruitment purposes, head-hunting many of the students while they were still in the process of obtaining their degrees. Company tours, internships, and full-time careers were all on offer. With such a great support system, it is an incredible opportunity to network yourself and potentially land that dream job on Wall Street or at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Being based in Europe had its advantages when it came to travelling. My first trip was a three day tour to Berlin with 30 other exchange students. This was followed by a trip to Munich for Oktoberfest and Prague in the Czech Republic for a couple nights. Oktoberfest was easily one of the highlights of my experience. I found myself sitting in a huge beer tent wearing ‘lederhosen’ with new friends, current Rhodents and ex-Rhodents, all of whom had made the pilgrimage to experience one of the greatest festivals in existence.

 A picture of myself and Yung-Chaun Chen (from Rhodes) in 'Lederhosen' on our way to Oktoberfest

Myself standing against the Berlin Wall in Berlin

I also made a one-man trip to Italy, touring Pisa, Florence, Sienna, and Rome. Again, I met up with two ex-Rhodents studying abroad. A cycling trip to Luxembourg was next on the cards. With many unpleased German drivers, a great new friend to cycle with, and jelly-legs at the end, the trip was unforgettable and incredible. Finally, a ski-trip to Austria just before I came home was the cherry on top of an incredible exchange abroad. With cheap flights, easy access to trains, and many willing friends, travelling became the normal way to spend a weekend. Although I felt that I travelled a lot, many of the exchange students had done twice as much as I had. It just comes down to your budgeting skills, and your lecture timetable.

 Myself with the 'Leaning Tower of Pisa' behind me during my trip to Italy

Myself standing at the border of Luxembourg and Germany when I cycled to Luxembourg

After spending a semester in Germany, with no connection to the country at first, it soon became my home. I couldn’t speak German when I went over, but now I can understand a decent amount. My friends, the German beer, wine, Christmas markets, beautiful landscapes, efficiency, and even the grumpy old train conductors are what I am going to miss the most. It is a pleasure being home, but there will always be a part of me that will remain in Germany. I owe this experience to the Rhodes International Office. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them greatly for their help, support, and enormous assistance in making this dream become a reality. It is only now, after 5 years at Rhodes that I wish that I had taken the opportunity to go abroad sooner. If I had done this earlier, I would have most definitely applied again and ventured into another part of the world. I urge everyone that can to at least consider applying for an exchange programme through the International Office. It changed my life, and I’m sure it will change yours too.

 Myself resting during my snowboard trip to Austria, with the mountains in the background