How to survive ISWiB

Who's hot & Who's not

First of all you should know that the thing you should not miss is the opening party, usually on the night of the arrival of participants.It is a great chance to see "Who's hot & Who's not". If you are the only representative of your country it is a great chance to get to know to your roommates, or to find some company (standing alone in corner is not an option). Get courage and approach somebody you would like to meet saying something like: "Oh, I really like your hair style"


By DAMJAN "wears Prada" MARKOVIC
ISWiB 2007 Media Workshop


Ok, you found yourself here at your accommodation. You have a strange feeling inside your stomach, maybe you are even afraid of unknown people? Thinking by yourself: "How can I remember all this participants and staff members? How will it be? Will I have fun? All those questions inside your head, for someone it is fun and for another it is really stressful. Here you will find some tips how to manage surviving on youth festivals in general.

First of all you should know that the thing you should not miss is the opening party, usually on the night of the arrival of participants. It is a great chance to see "Who's hot & Who's not". If you are the only representative of your country it is a great chance to get to known to your roommates, or to find some company (standing alone in corner is not an option). Get courage and approach somebody you would like to meet saying something like: "Oh, I really like your hair style".

Second, on the first morning of the festival it is common to have some games invented by organizers so that participants can easily remember each other. Here it is crucial to pay attention, because it will be nice if you could address a person with his or her real name instead of some rhymed sound-alike. During the day your first workshop starts. There is a possibility that you memorized someone from the earlier "Lets-meet-each-other" game.Feel free to express your attitude from the very beginning. Being quiet is not the way to work in a group... The second thing about workshops is that if the organizers decide to divide you in groups, always choose the one with people who like to be leaders and important - the consequence is: You will have more free time!

Workshop is over, heading back to the accommodation place. Night is falling and you should be ready for partying. Important thing about the first official night of the festival is that you really need to look good (just the way you feel it) because the first impression is important. Being yourself is imperative because that is the easiest way to find friends - boy and girl; one that you really can attach to. Get easy on alcohol, but be aware that in some countries nightclubs can be quite expensive, so be really careful. You want to go to the afterhour party??? Of course you want!!! It is the funniest part of the night. Find some friends and go for some local clubs. Or if it is legal, just buy some more liters and go to the park with your new friends.

It is around 4 a.m. in the morning... You are really tired but you still want to be awake. Do not show your "Ha, I don't need sleep" - abilities in the beginning. Play your aces late and go to accommodation and take a few hours of sleep. It is around 8 a.m. and your alarm is ringing - time to wake up. Before you throw your cell phone trough the window, be sure that the organizers have found some really interesting way to wake you up, such as playing loud music, throwing a glass of cold
water on your face, etc. You might get a feeling that each day of the seminar would be same and boring. That is absolutely ridiculous. You will find too many creative and interesting people, and each day that you spend with them will be a different experience. If you succeed to live trough the second day everything will be just fine... You won't be tired even if you sleep only two or three hours a day - ask about what energizers are good for. Instant coffee will do as well. You will get used to the new bed, new people and a certainly new way of spending your day.

After a while you will have the feeling that days are hours and hours are seconds. The end of the seminar is close, and you are suddenly packing your bags. "Bye everybody" you say and you are ready to go home. It is indeed a better way to get along with someone local and stay a few days more to get familiar with the host town, since you
haven't had the chance yet. Your cell phone is full of new names, e-mails, phone numbers. With a light smile on your face and a bit of sadness in your heart (because you have to leave) you will enter the bus/plane/train/car. Suddenly you realized: "I had a damn great time here and I want to do it again!"