Let’s imagine the following situation:
You, an Aristotle University graduate student, are ambitious enough to pursue postgraduate studies. To apply for different programs in different countries you will need letters of recommendation most likely in English but also in Greek signed by at least 2 professors.
Let’s say you think ahead and ask 3 professors to do the job and you manage to get enough letters and envelopes (signed and stamped) to apply to as many programs as you like and also have a stock afterwards. Then you realize that scholarship applications also necessitate the use of the greek recommendation letters you asked - but never used to apply for a greek postgraduate program. Why the hell would you? A friend of mine did and she’s now in Belgium in K.U.Leuven, one of the top European universities when Aristotle University of Thessaloniki denied her the “chance” to stay in Greece. Back to subject!
You are lucky (or talented?) enough to be accepted in a PhD program in Bauhaus University Weimar and without any financial support but the “traditional” mum-dad-bank you pack your few belongings and set off to Germany. Did I mention you did not get a scholarship? Well unfortunately not! But anyway you missed practically all the deadlines of the important greek foundations. You think… it’s ok, next year!
Next year is here and the new application round is on! You still have some letters of recommendation left ( some meaning enough for 6-7 applications) but… they are useless! Now that you are enrolled to a postgraduate program you need new recommendation letters from your attendant professor who barely knows you (well you said “hi”). You dare to ask, because let’s face it, it is not easy. And he won’t say “no” because people in Germany are willing to help. Should I mention that all local institutes asked for DIGITAL version of the application including recommendation letters? In Germany applying is simple… Only exception the DAAD asking for all the documents you can imagine and… 2 copies. But then you think about it and you realize that you will apply for a german scholarship sending your papers to Athens when you are already in Germany so that
they (in Athens) will send your application after a first evaluation back to Bonn Germany. You don’t complain about bureaucracy, you do what you need to do and wait.
they (in Athens) will send your application after a first evaluation back to Bonn Germany. You don’t complain about bureaucracy, you do what you need to do and wait.
One month break and the deadlines for the greek scholarships are announced. You have enough time or you think so because you soon realize that a special form for the recommendation letters is required. This simply means you should ask – again – your very busy attendant in Germany to provide new recommendation letters in specific forms or specifically addressed to Foundation X. Moreover you should ask your previous supervisor in Greece for the same thing while you are in Germany. Secretaries involved in both cases!
You send an email practically begging for the recommendation letter and after 10 days you get no answer. You decide to send the application with only the german reference and pray that the other one will be on time. A week before the deadline you call university (greek university) landline and you manage to speak with your Greek professor who shockingly replies “we sent it to you” to leave you speechless and profoundly uninformed. He then suggests you should call his secretary for further information (she knows better) wishes you all the best and if need be feel free to contact him. Speechless again you call the secretary, a really polite and helpful lady, who reassures you that she sent the letter, gives a tracking number and a phone number. Yes, this is still Greece! To explain the situation, this specific reference arrived at the foundation well ahead my actual application…
Emotionally exhausted, with a PhD first presentation coming soon, you have only one recommendation letter pending and you are done for at least 2 more months! Yay!
When you ask for money to be able to study for another 3 years you should just shut up and do what is necessary to be done! I’m not complaining… I’m just making fun of bureaucracy while hoping, waiting and applying!! It’s harmless and it’s fun!
