I am Ella Malka, and I am the commissioner of the Study Trip Committee. As might be clear from the name already, we organize the weeklong Study Trip. It is usually somewhere far away, where you can explore the city. Since we are a study association, we also do company visits, cultural activities and you also get to know new people! It is a lot of fun.
We first look at where we have been the past five years, because we can not go anywhere we have been in recent years. After that, we started brainstorming what the possibilities were. What did we think were fun locations and where did people might want to go? What we did hear the last few years was that people were like, "Oh, we are going there", and then we did not go there. So we look at what the Flow'ers are expecting to some degree. Then it starts to take shape, and you have to look at the flight ticket prices, hostels that can accommodate enough people, and stuff like that. So all of it boils down to usually one or two locations, and then we choose from those with a democratic vote!
I really liked the Study Trip last year. I had a lot of fun, and I am also known in my friend group as the person who plans all the trips. So they call me PowerPoint Ella because every time we go on a trip I have a full PowerPoint with a day schedule and everything we could possibly do. We do not have to do those things, but we could! It is just there. It is just there because I do not like going somewhere and then thinking "Oh, now I have to look up everything I have to do." I want to know my options and then switch around some things. So I thought the Study Trip Committee could be fun for that.
- Why did you become a commissioner specifically?
Honestly, because I thought it would be nice if we had a commissioner before the summer, and at least at the start of the year. More logistics than anything else. The true thinking of a chair!
It is really fun! All year the vibes have been pretty good. It is a bit of a difficult committee because I think the Study Trip is maybe not necessarily the most work, but all the work is very concentrated in a short period. For example, the Weekend Committee is also quite a high-effort committee, but they do something smaller than we do. We also have to contact the companies and stuff like that. There is also a lot that goes into a Study Trip that people do not really see. So for example, now I am looking into how we can get from the airport to the hostel in the cheapest, but still fastest way. I think the committee definitely has a challenge ahead of them, but I just hope people are going to really like the program we prepared for them. In general, it is really fun to lead this committee, but it can be really intense.
I think as far as the trip itself goes, I am especially excited for all the things we have planned, but I am also excited about the free time when people can just do whatever they want. To me, that is usually where people form the most bonds. For example, we have a lot of free evenings, and usually people go out, and you get to see a little bit of a different side from people who you usually maybe do not really hang out with. Then the next morning you are all bonded together when you are at a company, and you kind of do not feel like being there so early. I feel like the contrast is very fun, and I think that is really what makes the trip so special. You can always go on a vacation somewhere, but it is not usually with that amount of people, and it is usually not where you have to do things that you would not usually do. Of course, it is a unique way to bond as well, because you have so many new experiences in such an unknown place.
I only went on the trip last year, so I can only compare it to last year, and I would say a lot of it is pretty similar. We did try to keep the free time for people a little bit more in mind, because that is what we heard most about last year. People felt like it would have been nice if there was a bit more free time to explore with smaller groups. However, you are obviously also very dependent on when the companies are available. When we are going to Athens, the first part of the week is still Orthodox Easter, for example. So we kind of have mandatory free time, because all the companies are still closed. So I think the beginning half of the week will have a little bit more free time, and the end of the week is a bit more structured with company visits. In general, I think it will not be too different from last year, but I guess we will see!
I feel like we are in “The Office” sometimes. Sometimes we are in a meeting and someone says something and everyone is just looking at an imaginary camera or looking at each other like, "What?". I feel like that is kind of accurate, though. I have only watched a few episodes, so I do not know any particular characters or anything. To be fair, our committee, even though I very much have enjoyed working with them, has not had that much time to plan any bondings outside our meetings. So I am actually really excited to be able to see everyone and have a shared goal for one week together because usually it is hard to plan meetings. However, I think “The Office” would best represent the random stuff that happens during meetings!
Well, maybe I would still go to Athens because I am very excited about the city, but first, we would just rent a massive, massive house somewhere, right outside the city. We would just get a private bus that is going to take us everywhere. Then all the logistics just melt away and it is just so easy. We would probably still visit a company just for the character of it, but of course, we are going out on the town and we are going crazy. We are going to the best restaurants. We are doing all of that. Caviar on the table! We are also renting a massive yacht. Probably just crazy stuff like that, and living like millionaires, but just a week in Athens. It is still a Study Trip, so I will just pay some people to write a report for the university, and everyone is going to have perfectly written reports with specific details about the history. Besides that, everyone is going to have those crazy goodie bags. They always have weddings where people are very rich, and they get personalized napkins and stuff like that. I am going all out! I am probably just hiring someone to plan the trip. It is not going to be a problem for one of us. I am going to have a spa week before the Study Trip! I am also buying the weather. It will be nice. If it rains, we will just postpone a week.
That is all a little bit crazy, but more funding could already remove some of the headaches of planning. For example, now we are looking at whether we should take the direct airport shuttle instead of the metro because that is five euros cheaper per person, which adds up very quickly. Also, you can only choose three dinner options so that the restaurant can prepare, which is cheaper for us. Those cost reductions would all be scrapped. Though, I think otherwise I would not change too much. It is already so perfect.
I have faith that we are going to have an amazing week. I feel like for now I have everything planned out, so it is all better in my head. Though, as soon as we are there, it is going to be chaotic. In theory, it is going to work out fine. In theory, we should be everywhere on time, everything should go well, and nobody will need assistance getting home after a night out...
I thought the Study Trip was a really great experience overall. What stood out to me most was the group itself. We had such a fun, easygoing dynamic, and that really shaped the whole trip positively. It made every activity more enjoyable, whether we were exploring something new or just spending time together. We went from visiting companies, admittedly mostly hungover, and getting some professional insights, to attending classical concerts and the Akropolis, which added some nice culture to the trip. Then, there was the beach day, which was definitely my favorite. It was a perfect chance to relax and just enjoy the moment with everyone. That balance between learning, culture, and downtime was perfect in my opinion. The great group with our many inside jokes at the end of the week made it a trip to remember forever.