Pre-departure:
Most of the important preparations are coordinated by the exchange office at UZH. The preparations does take a lot of time, and there are a lot of things to be sorted out, but the list of things that you should do and the timeline as to when they should be done is all communicated perfectly to you by various UZH coordinators. The main things to get sorted out as soon as possible is your subjects, visa and accommodation. These aspects does take quite a while to finalize, but it is worth it to put in the extra effort.
The visa process was really easy. The exchange office sends you an application form for the visa, and after you completed it they send you a letter to obtain an entry visa that you use to get into Switzerland. This whole process took me about 2 hours in total (form correspondence and Swiss consulate visit), so they make it really easy for you. Once you arrive in Switzerland you register and obtain a residence permit, that replaces your visa. Regarding subjects: This was something that took the most time and includes the most uncertainty. What I would suggest is to chose a few extra subjects that you can ‘audit’ for the first week or two, where after you then chose your final subjects. This is because it was difficult for me to know the exact course content and intensity before I actually attended the classes. The accommodation application is done through the WOKO student housing organization, and after you apply to them they do the rest and provide you with a housing option that you can accept/reject. WOKO has various housing facilities throughout Zurich that they allocate students in. I would strongly suggest that you work with them to find accommodation, as it saves a lot of effort and money, and they really help to make the whole accommodation aspect a lot easier. Remember to apply for accommodation before the deadline, and don’t hesitate to send them a mail if you are uncertain about the process – there was certain things I struggled to understand by looking at their website only.
Other possible preparation includes application for a mentor (if you’re interested in one), and sorting out your budget which you should ideally do before you arrive in Switzerland. The rest is all personal preparations like tour plans, sports activities and research on the country, which is up to you!
The first week or two after arrival is filled with a lot of administration that you have to sort out, which I would also count as preparation for your semester. Stay in Zurich for at least 4 days after arrival to sort the initial things out. There should be an information session at UZH where they provide you with a very detailed overview of the main administrative aspects to sort out, by when they should be done, and how you can go proceed with completing them. Still, as soon as you arrive in Zurich, you can start by registering at the Zurich Kreisburo and open a swiss bank account as soon as possible as they take some time to get your account active (in my case at UBS). The banks usually have a good student package that you can get with basically 0 bank fees or transaction costs. Do these two first as a lot of your administration is dependent on a bank account or proof of residence. Like I said, you will receive perfect guidance as to what should be done and how it should be done. You should also sort out your health insurance when you arrive, but I would suggest waiting until the second month to do this, as you will get more info on it as time goes by. Remember that it should be done within three months of arrival.
Experience at the Host University:
My overall impression for my exchange semester at The University of Zurich was absolutely amazing! I had a wonderful time in Zurich with every aspect of the exchange exceeding my expectations. It was really an absolute privilege to spend a semester in Zurich. The initial support and coordination that I received from the exchange office in Zurich was great and helped me to prepare everything that was required for my exchange. The university setup is very different from Stellenbosch. Things like class schedules and assessment frequency differ a lot. The number of students per class is also a lot less at UZH & ETH, creating a much more interactive and personal environment. This really gives every student the opportunity to be involved in the lecture and interact in the subject rather than just being the spectator of a lecture. The campus life is also great with various student committees where you can get involved, who organize events outside the academic environment that you can attend. Also be on the look out for alternative opportunities (workshops, courses, seminars, discussions) that are presented by the university that are not strictly in line with your course. Like these, there are various other opportunities that they create where you can get involved and learn more than just what you are enrolled for. I did not enroll for a specific program, but rather chose my own subjects (UZH – Entrepreneurship, Practice as Strategy, Business Concepts, Money & Banking, German; ETH – Business Management, Technology Entrepreneurship). The subjects are very well presented with a high standard set by the students and lecturers. The quality of the lecturers is incredible, with some guest lecturers with world-class industry experience sometimes attending. The whole environment at the University is very different from Stellenbosch. You are surrounded by students, where the norm is not only to pass and get you degree, but to really achieve excellence in what you do – and this extremely special to be part of. The content of the courses is much more up to date I would say, with the latest techniques and methodologies being taught. The style of teaching is also more based on creativity I would say – where you are not spoon-fed content and techniques, but rather prepared to learn it yourself and understand when to use it.
Life in Zurich is amazing – I can not exclaim this any more haha. The city is beautiful and you have the opportunity to get exposure to a great variety of fields other than just studying. Do thorough research about the city and things to do here before you come, because even spending a whole semester here is not enough time to get to all of it. Things like sports events (ice hockey, football), museums, music, operah, orchestras, art, wine – there is a lot of them in Zurich, and they are all in my opinion a must see! The city is very clean and safe, and people are friendly and quick to help (even if you can only speak english). The quality of life is really something that you appreciate a lot. One thing that you will quickly realize (especially coming from South Africa) is that Zurich is really expensive! Therefore, make sure your budget is sorted out before you leave, and don’t expect to live a high standard lifestyle with restaurants and unnecessary shopping if you are on a student budget.
Switzerland itself is the most beautiful country I have ever been to! Be sure to make enough time to do road-trips and tours to explore the country! As mentioned, the transport in Switzerland is very good, and the country is not that big, so you can reach the majority of the places quite easily. Do thorough research on the country before you come. You do not want to go back and know that you missed an opportunity to visit a specific place. Traveling through Europe is also a must! You will see, but once you are removed from your South African environment, you suddenly sit with a great amount of extra time on your hands – use every second of it! I managed to visit 9 countries and 40 cities, and I would do it over again. You have the time, and traveling to other countries can (paradoxically) almost saves you money if you travel smart, as Switzerland is much more expensive.
Return to Stellenbosch :
The process of returning to life in Stellenbosch is rather interesting. During my time in Zürich, I was exposed to a world that is the exact opposite to what we are used to in South Africa. The city and environment where I went resonated with me perfectly – so it was really difficult for me to leave, as you really start to love the place. My departure from Switzerland was therefore a bitter-sweet time; I was extremely excited to go back to my family and friends in South Africa, but I would have to leave behind something that got hold of a big part of my heart to do so. In my time abroad it became so clear that it’s not about the country or city that you live in, but the people you live with, and for me that is my friends and family in South Africa – so in my head it was clear what should happen, but I was still very sad when I had to go. And then, once you are back in Stellenbosch, it is surprising to see how quickly you get going again – which is a good and a bad thing.
My time abroad changed my perspective in so many ways, and allowed me to grow in areas you that you can only grow once you are removed from your comfortable Stellenbosch-environment. It taught me that South Africa and South Africans are some of the most special people in the world – and that we do not realise how privileged we are! We have our problems and politics, and no country is perfect, but what we have as a nation here in South Africa is something that I was unable to find in any other place during my travels. I partly studied at the number 1 university in Europe, it’s 7th in the world, so arriving there was rather intimidating coming from South Africa (with some people there think is just the southern part of Africa). But then you realise that these people aren’t any smarter than us, they aren’t biologically different – it’s merely their mind-set that differ. Yes they have more resources and they are exposed to better education techniques (arguably), but I believe that mind-set is one of the most powerful things man can have – and that is what sets them apart. They truly believe they can achieve what they dream, and they give their everything to do it.
My studies abroad altered my future plans rather drastically. As I had the opportunity to study Business subjects in Switzerland, something I had very little exposure to in my engineering studies, my future plans have shifted more in the line of business and entrepreneurship – as I realised the immense potential of business to impact the world by combining people with different passions and talents. There is also a big mental and emotional shift that I have obtained regarding my future, it is something that is very difficult to express or explain – but it has made a big impact on who I am and where I want to go with what I have been given. I will certainly go abroad again if that is in God’s plans for me again. I do not think I will be able to leave South Africa permanently, but there is still a lot more that I want to go and learn from and explore, so I believe I will go abroad again somewhere in the future.