FAQs GrIStuF 2012

Q&A concerning the application process

1. Minimum age and status as student

In order to attend GrIStuF 2012 you have to be at least 18 years old. In addition to this you have to be student of an approved university. Unfortunately other applications cannot be regarded.

2. Application

The application phase will start November the 8^th, 2011. From then on, more information concerning the application process and the related database can be found under www.ems.gristuf.org.

3. Fairness and honesty

For sure we will not check if your data are correct and the essays are written by you. We just hope and believe that you are fair towards all the other applicants.

4. What happens after the application?

After the application deadline (January the 15^th, 2012) every submitted essay will be evaluated by the GrIStuF staff. This may take a while, so don't worry if you do not get an immediate answer. You will be contacted as soon as we have checked all applications. If you have been chosen to participate in GrIStuF 2012, you will receive an official invitation. Thereafter you should plan your journey and apply for visa (if necessary). Please contact us, if you are not able to come, in order to give other people the chance to take part in GrIStuF 2012.

Q&A concerning the participation

5. What about university obligations?

You will get a written invitation, which can be used to confirm that you are officially invited to GrIStuF 2012. We hope this document will help you in order to get exempted from your university obligations.

6. Visa processing

'Do I really need visa?' is the first question you have to answer. If you are citizen of the European Union (EU) you will not need one. The same applies for people who already have a visa for the Schengen area. Also some non-EU countries allow a visa-free access to Germany. A detailed visa list of all countries is given at the website of the Federal Foreign Office.

We are trying to do our best to assist you in getting your visa (only if you need one). In that we cooperate with the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and the embassies in your countries. We will send a list of all invited participants to the respective embassy. If you are invited you will get a letter from us with the official invitation and further documents. We have to send it via post mail, because it has to be original. Please check which documents and papers you need to apply for the visa - you will find the necessary information on the German Embassy's website of your country. We will provide you with

• the official invitation letter (including letter of commitment)

• a copy of a board member's id-card (the person who's signing your invitation)

• verification of third party health and accident insurance

• proof of GrIStuF e. V. being a registered non-profit association

• letter of the patron of the festival.

7. What do I have to pay for (participation, accommodation, food, travel, visa, solidary donation)?

Participation: The participation in GrIStuF 2012 is free of charge for you. There will be also no entrance fees for activities and parties organised by our team. At this point we would like to thank our financial supporters.

Accommodation: During the festival time you will live for free with a student or a family in Greifswald. You will meet your host during the check-in procedure. This proven concept will enable the direct contact between the international participants and the local inhabitants.

Food: Basic food like breakfast, lunch and dinner will be organised for you for free. For any other food or drink, however, you will need your own money.

Insurance: We will provide all participants with free health-, accident- and third party-insurance as well as legal protection.

Travel: You will have to pay for your tickets to and from Greifswald, which may include plane, train, bus or ferry. Try to find someone, like a local sponsor in your country who may give you a financial support.

Visa: Unfortunately the visa for the participants of GrIStuF 2012 is not free of charge in general. In some cases the visa fees will be reduced or even remitted completely. These exceptions can be found here. Our advice: When you are applying for the visa take your official invitation letter with you and ask the embassy, if they can make an exception in your case, because you are a student and you are visiting an international student conference (a cultural and educational event of a non-profit organisation).

Solidary donation: We would like to enable some financially weak students to attend GrIStuF 2014 by travel grants. For this reason we are asking you kindly to support us by a solidary donation (only in the case you are able to give). Unfortunately, we are testing this concept for the first time. Hence, we are not able to support the participants of GrIStuF 2012.

8. How much money should I take with me and how do I get Euros?

In particular, this depends on what you want to buy. Participation, accommodation, basic meals and festival events are free of charge for you, but you might want to buy souvenirs, additional food and drinks or anything else during your stay. At this point we would like to mention that the level of prices is (quite) high in Germany. To give you an idea: A plain roll is about 0.30 Euros, a coffee to go is about 0.50 - 1.50 Euros, 100 gram of (my favourite) chocolates are about 0.80 Euros and a half-litre of beer in a students bar is about 1.50 - 2.50 Euros.

In order to get Euros, you can exchange your money in any bank in Greifswald. However, due to the schedule of the festival events, you probably won't have much time to do this. We would also like to warn you that some banks do not accept the currencies of some countries. The US dollar is probably the most advisable and convenient foreign currency to carry and to exchange if you do not carry any Euros. You have to keep in mind, that banks will charge you for this exchange (so you'd better exchange all the foreign currency you think you'll need for your stay in just one transaction, or better yet, get together with some other participants, pool your money together and exchange it in just one transaction, to save on the bank's commission). We should also warn you that exchange centres such as the ones you find in airports and train stations charge a higher commission than regular banks do.

You might avoid all these commissions, if you use your bank card or your credit card to withdraw money. Master Card and Visa are widely accepted in Germany to withdraw money directly from the automatic teller machines (ATM) 24 hours a day (if you withdraw money in Germany, the ATM gives it to you in Euros no matter what currency the account is in).

9. What to pack for the GrIStuF 2012?

In June the Greifswald weather can range between warm-sunny (swimming) weather and sometimes cold-rainy. You should keep this in mind while packing your clothes. The best would be to check the weather forecast a few days in advance to your journey in order to get a rough orientation.

Required:

• passport (do you need visa?)

• your tickets

• money for your personal expenses

• medication you might need

Optional:

• sleeping bag

• special food and drinks from your country, especially if you plan to take part in the Running Dinner (please have a look on the website of the custom office for food import restrictions)

• national items like a traditional costume or a musical instrument for the event 'meeting of the continents' (see below)

10. Why bring national items like a traditional costume or a musical instrument?

We will celebrate cultural diversity by an event called 'meeting of the continents'. There we would like you to represent your home country by performing a traditional dance, singing a song or any other thing you'd like to show within 5 to 10 minutes.

11. How do I get to Greifswald?

We expect your arrival in Greifswald on Friday, June 15^th or Saturday, June 16^th. If you will arrive exceptionally earlier, please contact us a few days in advance so that we are able to make some arrangements for you. On Saturday, June 16^th, at about 5 o'clock p.m. the programme will start.

As Greifswald is located at the coast of the Baltic sea in the north east of Germany, the nearest international airports are in Rostock, Berlin and Hamburg. Berlin and Rostock would be the best options, since the train connections to Greifswald are better than from other German airports. The nearest ferry port is in Rostock.

Wherever you arrive in Germany, the train is the best option in order to get to Greifswald. Therefore you always have to look for the next train station of German Railways ('Deutsche Bahn'; DB). You can buy a ticket at the DB office ('Reisecenter') or at the related ticket automats. For more information you can also visit the website of DB here. Please do not hesitate to ask the staff at the information centres of the airport and/or of the train station, if you need more information.

You will be picked up directly from the central train station of Greifswald and you will be accompanied to the check-in at the info point. Please make sure, that you get off at the train station that is simply called 'Greifswald' and not at the station called 'Greifswald Sued'!

If you have got any questions or problems, you will always reach us via phone (the phone number will be published later) during the whole festival time!

12. Is it possible to get in contact with other participants in advance?

If you have got a facebook account, you can join the 'GrIStuF 2012 participants' group and look for other participants. Hopefully there will be also a forum on the GrIStuF website.

13. Contact to the GrIStuF team

If you have got any further question, please do not hesitate to write an e-mail to the following address: help_me[at]gristuf.org! During the whole festival time the info point will be opened 24 hours a day (the phone number will be published later).