Pre-departure:
As I am lucky enough to have a British passport, I cannot give much advice regarding the visa application and so forth but I can definitely provide tips regarding other pre-departure planning.
Create a budget for yourself:
Creating a budget for yourself and doing the relevant investigation on the cost of living is important. There are a lot of websites that give an accurate idea on how much you may need a month on living expenses, but you need to decide for yourself whether you are also going to want to do some traveling. Ask students that previously went on exchange (such as myself) and I will be happy to explain to you how I sorted out my finances. You just do not want to be in a situation where you underestimated the cost of living and now your experience is constricted because of finances (which can easily happen).
Sort out insurance for your stay:
What I came to realise is that Discovery insurance did not have an option to extend the provided travel insurance (you are usually only covered for three months). I used the insurance offered by the University, it was not too expensive and it covered a variety of different loss other than just medical expenses. One should never underestimate the importance of being insured as a doctor’s appointment and any medication is very expensive.
Organising housing:
My advice will be to use the housing options provided by the university. Finding accommodation in the private market is stressful and close to impossible. This also provides a platform for you to meet other exchange students during your stay. I chose Dekey and I was very lucky in both the price and the location of my accommodation. I had a single room in a ten-man dorm with a shared kitchen and two bathrooms. Sharing a kitchen and a communal area lead to us cooking and sharing meals (which also saved on costs). You will be given an option to select what type of housing and price range you would prefer (example: sharing a room, single bathroom, etc). You pay an administrative fee to secure your housing and then Dekey will (after sometime) email you a variety of different housing options in which you will have three days to decide. Please do your research on the location of the accommodation. Your exchange experience can be greatly influenced by where your location is in relation to the city centre so do not underestimate the importance of doing your research. Anywhere close to central station is a good spot. Google map the cycling time into the city as you will have to cycle through all the various elements. (wind and rain being the worst).
Booking your flight ticket:
Give yourself a day or two to get settled in before orientation or before University starts. Book it early to save costs, but it was easier for me as I did not have to wait for the acceptance of the study visa. If you fly with Etihad or Emirates, you have a weight limit of 30 kg which is more than the other airlines. However, if you are wanting to book an extra bag on the way home these airlines are incredibly expensive as the weight limit is already so high. I would research the cost of booking on an extra bag on the different airlines and be smart about your return journey. YOU WILL HAVE ACCUMULATED THINGS.
Packing:
Pack lightly! You can buy inexpensive clothes in Amsterdam, especially at all the various thrift shops and second hand markets. Do not waste space on a towel and things that you can easily buy this side. The more room you have to take things back with you, the better. Do not forget to buy a South African adapter for your appliances (I made that mistake). Also I will advise bringing a harddrive or a large flashdrive to constantly back your photographs and documents in case something happens to your phone or laptop.
Signing up for courses:
It is possible to change your course once you get to the host University but take into account that certain courses may be full. It is also time consuming to get a particular course approved by Stellenbosch. My advice is to carefully choose your courses to begin with to save yourself unnecessary administration.
Experience at the Host University :
University of Amsterdam
I absolutely loved the University of Amsterdam. The student desk was always readily available and help was always a phone call away. Unfortunately, next year they will no longer be using the same campus in the centre but moving to a more modern building slightly out of the city. This is a pity as I really loved the old law building with its courtyard and central location. A good studying spot is the Spui campus. I spent many of my days and nights there.
The Law faculty itself had an opening function and then there was a trip to Den Haag and Belgium. These trips fill up quickly so be sure to enquire about it early and secure your spot.
The law courses
The courses themselves were very interesting. It is a very different system to Stellenbosch and encourages more critical thinking and core understanding of the concepts. The classes are smaller so active participation is required. The exam structure is also very different and you may have a take home or open book exam. Do not underestimate these and this can often be more difficult as they are looking for a logical structured argument and opinion, not merely the regurgitation of theory.
The courses I had did not have a prescribed textbook but only prescribed articles or cases. You have to keep up with the reading to be able to actively participate in the discussions and form your own standpoint.
Time Management
The semester is divided into three blocks (but it is very unlikely that you will have any classes in the third block.) The third block is usually used for any rewrites. You could potentially have all your subjects in Block 1 but I divided my subjects between the two blocks, 2 and 2. You also need to consider when you will write your two South African exams and plan your time table accordingly.
ISN activites
There are also a lot of fun activities and weekend trips organised by ISN (international student network). It is very important to participate in the introduction week. It is an excellent time to orientate yourself around the city, meet new people and you get to do some excellent activities around the city. The weekend trips away are usually very cost effective and fun, but my advice will be rather to go on a trip that does require too much driving time otherwise it is very rushed. I did the Discover Holland trip which was a wonderful opportunity to see different parts of the Netherlands. But I heard the trip to Berlin and Prague was indeed too rushed as a lot of the time is spent traveling in the bus to get there.
How has the exchange changed my perspective on South Africa?
This was not the first time that I had been out of South Africa, but this was the first time that I had to start a new life somewhere else and not just marvel in the unknown and the adventures of traveling. It indeed made me appreciate many of the things in South Africa that I have often taken for granted. I am going to focus on the biggest differences that I noted during my stay.
Culture
South Africans are friendly, loud and will always use the phrase, “Hey, how you doing?” without necessarily expecting an answer. South Africans are generally warm in nature and will often strike up conversation randomly. This was something that I missed.
Europeans on the other hand (well the Dutch in particular) are blunt, to the point and will offer no curtesy for the sake of being polite. If they are annoyed, they will show their annoyance. It took a while to get used to but in the end it became quite refreshing to know what people were really thinking as no one hides behind this façade of fake politeness. It is every man for himself, no one is there to open the door for you or help you with your suitcase. But you learn to love it nonetheless.
Transport
Most South Africans own a car as it is quite essential in getting around. Sitting in traffic can be a nightmare but when traveling short distances we take for granted the convenience of just hopping into our car and driving to a friend. We also take for granted having petrol put in our car for us and our car windows cleaned. In Europe there are fewer petrol stations and you have to do everything yourself.
In Amsterdam you cycle no matter what the weather, through the rain and hail as public transport is both expensive and a hassle. If you get a flat tyre in the rain, too bad, you walk home. You take risks and ride the train without a ticket because getting to a neighbouring Dutch town can be as expensive as taking the bus or even a flight (Easyjet) to a neighbouring country. However, although it may be expensive, the convenience and efficiency of a working public transport system cannot be expressed enough. You are able to plan exactly how long it will take you to get to a place without having to stress about the unpredictability of traffic. Your daily schedule becomes easier to plan.
Nature
Holland has a beauty of its own but being away from South Africa for so long made me realise just how beautiful our country really is. Each province has something so unique to offer, whether it is its culture, terrain or weather.
Whenever I told someone I was from South Africa, it was usually followed by an exclamation of excitement. Either because they had been there or because they wanted to visit South Africa as they had heard all about its beauty. I began to realise just how right they were and how often I would look past the beauty of what I would drive past every day.
Food
Being abroad made me realise just what a meat eating nation South Africa is. It is customary in my home to have meat in every meal. When we have a braai, there are at least three different types of meat to choose from. Being a vegetarian or vegan in South Africa must be quite tough as they are not accommodated for to the same extent as in Europe. I also found myself only eating meat once or twice a week. I really did miss a good old South African braai.