Pre-departure:
This is possibly one of the most exciting things to happen to me. However, given that it is the pre-departure phase – nothing seems to have sunk in as yet. I am not nervous or anxious; the idea of me leaving the country and living in a foreign land, being immersed in a different culture for an entire semester does not yet seem real. For the past several months, my mind has been occupied by the actual application process, spending time with my family and friends before I leave, my visa application, sorting through a pile of emails to ensure that my accommodation is finalised and that I have someone to pick me up from the airport (or in my case, from the bus station since I am heading to a small town without an airport), running from Home Affairs to the PGIO office and ending up at the German Consulate. I think the most draining part of everything is just the waiting in between the different application procedures, hoping that they do not reject anything and that you are able to complete the process timeously and successfully.
The application process from the handing in of the semester exchange application to the visa application is simple. I had to apply for a passport, so as soon as I submitted my application form to the PGIO, I went to the Home Affairs office in Cape Town. It is definitely worth the trip as applying for a passport through the Stellenbosch Home Affairs branch takes an extra 6 weeks. Once word came in that I had been accepted for the program, I went to the police station to apply for my clearance certificate. Once this had been received, I went to apply for my visa. The process is simple yet rather intimidating seeing as they make you stand while they carefully screen through your application form, but the staff at the Consulate are friendly and helpful; ready to answer all your questions.
My greatest piece of advice would be to make a list of everything that needs to be completed and to start whatever you can, early. Time goes by so quickly, especially when you have tons of tests to write or assignments to submit and you do not want to be running around at the last minute, trying to hand forms in etc. Ensure that your passport is valid. Furthermore, make an appointment with the relevant agencies as soon as your police clearance is delivered. Finally, please make sure that you research any costs which you may be liable to pay while on exchange e.g. health insurance, semester fees etc. and make sure you have the necessary monies to cover these expenses. If you’re looking for external sources of funding, make sure to check well in advance which organisations are offering some financial support. Many institutions that I have come across offer funding for a full degree abroad as opposed to a semester exchange and others close at the start of the academic year – so once you’ve made the decision to study abroad, apply for additional funding! Or at the very least, start searching for financial assistance.
Experience at Host University:
Getting to Göttingen was more nerve-wrecking than applying to study there. I had a friend who was already studying at the university and could pick me up from the Hannover airport. But you never know what to expect – and your reality never quite matches your expectations. I arrived in Göttingen on 2 April, which was a Saturday. I met some of my flatmates that day and one of them was kind enough to briefly show me around campus. I made the mistake of not getting my groceries done on this day and decided to sleep for the rest of the day. Why, you may ask? Well, Germany has this rule that no stores are to open on Sundays. Except the garage store, of course! So there I was, stranded for food, but my friend came through for me and I just ate over at his place. So after a full day of orientation and by that I mean, opening up a bank account, applying for insurance, transferring semester fees, getting to meet my fellow international students, getting a proper tour of the city, eating in the cafeteria and getting a new sim card; I was ready to go shopping. I went to the grocery store first since I figured that I needed to make my meals at some point. Note to everyone reading this: never do the currency conversion! Yes, budget and shop around for cheaper alternatives (ask fellow students where one can get discounts and low prices). Be reasonable, but never purchase something and think about the price you would pay for it back home. Classes started and although I was unfamiliar with the place and the signs were in German, I managed to find my way across campus to my lectures. I reconnected with some of my German friends who did their exchange in Stellenbosch and was able to meet new students. Göttingen University is different to Stellenbosch, you require a lot more discipline when studying as you tend to not have class assignments or mid-semester tests, which would force you to work throughout the semester. So the exam period can be overwhelming if you have not worked throughout the semester. Learning German was challenging, but I had the best and most fun language class one could ever wish for! While I am not fluent (yet), I actually want to continue learning the language.
The Euro tournament definitely brought tons of spirit to the small town and it was fun going out for the matches and just watching people’s reactions to their countries’ performance. Once the tournament ended (or at least once Germany got kicked out during the semi-finals), life returned to normal – meeting friends at the Gänseliesl to cycle down to Wilhemplatz or the Kiessee to enjoy some ice cream and the late sunsets.
I did do some travelling – I went to Brussels, Amsterdam, Maastricht, Berlin, Lüneburg, Köln, Hannover and Hamburg. While these are not all the places I wanted to see, being able to travel to so many different places was such a treat!
Return to Stellenbosch:
I highly recommend that you leave first – once you have made a life abroad; leaving it behind is difficult. The people you meet end up as your family and you will want to bring them along with you. My return to South Africa required a deregistration process from the city I was residing. Germany has these rules whereby everyone coming in needs to register the room that they are living in. So I had to deregister not only from my room, but I had to close my bank account and discontinue my health insurance. That’s when the reality of your inevitable departure truly hits. Once all of this happened, I found myself on a Lufthansa flight from Hannover to Frankfurt, where I had to wait for about four hours and then from there I flew to Johannesburg. Flying back home is really scary – not because the place is any different or anything like that but you are. You never quite sure if life could ever be the same again. Going on exchange has definitely changed me and I am unbelievably grateful to have been given the opportunity to do so. Home will always be good for the soul but I have been here for barely a week and I already want to go back to Germany. I am overcome with wanderlust.
I have had very little time to think about being back in Stellenbosch. My thesis submission is looming so I have had to jump straight into that, along with other research work that I am busy with. Second semester always feels shorter and having only arrived in August, I have had to hit the ground running. Despite being busy, the transition is alright because I went from exams and presentations in Göttingen to submissions in Stellenbosch. I see many familiar faces and it makes being back much better.
I think the only thing I regret most about doing the exchange would be not traveling more. Thus, my only piece of advice would be to travel – travel far and wide. Explore the country you’re in, explore neighbouring countries if possible, visit smaller towns – these tend to have unparalleled beauty and hidden treats. Do not put it off, sleep less if you have to push through the academics during the week so that you can leave over the weekend. Have fun and try different things. My biggest lesson was learning how to be comfortable outside my comfort zone – this was initially challenging, but after about two weeks, I was enjoying myself. You will always carry he memories you make while on exchange and the people you meet will become your friends for life because now, you have no excuse to not visit their home countries.