Pre- departure:
Visa application:
As I possess a South African passport I had to go through the process of applying for a Schengen visa. The Amsterdam exchange office was however in regular contact with regard to this process and they also sent some documents directly to the Dutch embassy which made the process relatively simple, therefore it is important to check your emails regularly to ensure that you don’t miss any steps. One of things that you will need to organise on your own is medical travel insurance, I just got the basic package covering emergency medical procedures through TIC which is a division of Santam insurance and this was sufficient for the purposes of the visa however you can have a look around as there are more extensive plans that will cover doctor’s visits as well. Once you have all your documents in order then you can book your appointment at the Dutch embassy which is located in Cape Town and after the appointment they will give you a collection date, mine took only a week so don’t stress about it not coming in time. Once you have arrived in Amsterdam then you will have to register with the Municipality and then you can collect your residence permit which is valid for around 9 months allowing you to travel to other Schengen countries after the semester has finished.
Organising accommodation:
With regard to housing you can either try organising your accommodation yourself or you can use the housing options provided by the University. I recommend using the housing options provided by the University as they find the cheapest places and it also saves you the hassle of having to try sort it out yourself. I used DeKey which requires you to pay an administrative fee in the beginning and then about a couple of weeks or so later they provide you with several housing options. Try decide on a place as soon as possible as the best spots tend to go extremely quickly and remember to have a look at google maps to see how far away it is from your campus and Dam square (which is a good reference point for very central Amsterdam) as public transport is expensive and cycling far is not always ideal as it tends to rain quite a lot. However if you don’t manage to find a central spot don’t be discouraged as cycling is about as good as having a car in Amsterdam as the roads are very flat and therefore pedalling doesn’t require much effort and is actually very enjoyable. When booking your room try find one with a communal area or shared kitchen as this allows you meet other exchange students and gives you the opportunity to make some good friends. I had my own room with my own bathroom which was nice as I could have my own space but then also had a shared kitchen/common room with 6 others which was great as I became good friends with all of them and we formed a tight group.
Experience at the host University:
University of Amsterdam:
The University of Amsterdam is not one big campus like Stellenbosch University but rather different faculties spread across the city, therefore you don’t walk to different buildings after each class and generally just stay in your respective department. I liked the law faculty a lot as it is a small building with an old school feel about it with a nice courtyard and is also located very centrally. Unfortunately, this was the last year that this building is being used and the faculty is relocating to the business building which is a massive very modern building. There was a student desk that was always open to help you with any issue you may have had and the international exchange office was also very welcoming offering meet and greets and other events throughout the semester in order to help you to meet all the other exchange students.
The courses:
You have to choose your courses before you leave and get them approved in terms of the pre-learning agreement therefore read all the information provided in the course guideline to make sure it is something that you want to do. You are able to change courses once you arrive however this could be quite a hassle as you will first have to get it approved by Stellenbosch and a lot of courses have a limited number of students that can do it and this works on a first come first serve basis.
The courses themselves focus on a more critical thinking and in depth understanding therefore you have to prepare for classes as the lecturers like teaching in an informal setting often walking up and down the small classes and trying to promote discussion. The study workload is not as much as most Stellenbosch law courses because you are only tested on about 7 weeks of work, however the focus is not on your ability to remember but rather how you apply the work. This is very different from the Stellenbosch style as instead of having to learn things off by heart most exams are open book therefore you can take a clean version of the materials into the exam which takes the pressure off having to parrot learn certain things.
The lecturers were friendly, approachable and knowledgeable in their respective fields and often made use of guest lecturers to discuss certain topics. In some cases the lecturers were a little difficult to understand due to their accents however generally it was not a problem.
International Student Network (ISN):
Before your departure you will receive an email asking whether you would like to join the ISN introduction week. I would recommend doing this as it’s a great way to meet other international students and also to get to know the city in the first couple of days and they organise really fun events and parties. They also organise trips to other Dutch cities as well as to cities in Germany and Belgium however these are later in the year and are not part of the introduction week and are only short weekend trips.
Returning to South Africa:
The personal experience:
This was not my first time leaving South Africa however it was my first time living abroad and having to adapt and settle to a new way of life. I think its great to be pulled out of your comfort zone as everything is new and exciting and even though this can be a little bit scary I think it’s one of the best personal experiences you can have, as not being surrounded by your usual family and friends forces you to meet lots of new people and increases your independence and self-confidence. Amsterdam is a good choice to try this experience as most of the Dutch people can speak English quite fluently and even if they can’t you can pull off a casual conversation in Afrikaans. Also knowing Afrikaans allows you to pick up Dutch very quickly and being able to speak the local language makes you feel more at home.
Culture:
Coming from South Africa where people are generally friendly its quite normal to strike up a conversation with a stranger with a “howsit going?” or to just give a passer by a friendly smile. This doesn’t really happen much in Amsterdam as generally people just stick to themselves or the people they know. Dutch people are also very straightforward and don’t really waste time with small talk and prefer it if you get straight to the point. However if you ask for their assistance whether its to help with some bike problems or asking for directions they are more than willing to lend a hand. Amsterdam is also filled with foreigners which is great as you really meet so many different people from all over the world.
Environment:
South Africa is blessed with natural beauty with our beautiful coastlines, mountain ranges and sunsets which I think not many countries can compete with and something that is often taken for granted, however being away from it really made me appreciate it even more. Amsterdam however has its own beauty with their narrow colourful houses overlooking the canals, their ancient architecture and their beautiful parks. It’s also so nice not seeing any pollution or stray animals. There is also not such a big divide in wealth as in South Africa, as most people have similar size houses and every profession seems to earn a respectable income therefore you don’t see many people living in poor conditions. There are also almost no people begging on the streets due to their social welfare system. However this is an obvious difference as South Africa has a far way to go to reach this level of development.
Transport:
The Dutch love their cycling and there are separate roads set up all over Amsterdam which is exclusively for bikes and scooters which makes it a very safe way to get around. I loved having a bike to get around as it’s a great way to explore and to get to know the city. I would like to continue cycling back in South Africa however it’s not the best way to get around due to all the hills, therefore it would have to be more for leisure and less for transport.
I was also very impressed with the public transport in Amsterdam as every tram, bus or train arrives perfectly on time and tells you exactly when you are going to get to where you are going so there is no unpredictability about it. The only flaw is that it is very expensive so most of the time you stick to the bike. The Dutch are also very aware of their carbon footprint and I found it very interesting to see cars plugged in charging all over the city rather than relying exclusively on petrol, and it kind of gives you a glimpse into what the future would be like in South Africa.