Pre-departure:
My exchange to Ghent University in Ghent, Belgium was the most exciting experience of my life. However a lot of preparation was necessary in order to get to the point of departure. At the end however it will all be worth it. After the submission of my application to Stellenbosch Universities international exchange office things started to happen. SU International are fully equipped to help you with every aspect of your exchange which makes the process go much smoother.
As it was my first time to go abroad I had so many questions however I was always helped by the international exchange office whenever it was necessary. I urge future candidates to take note of everything the coordinators have to say about being abroad. It is important to remember that going to study abroad is not just getting on a plane and getting there. There is extensive documentation that needs to be completed in order for you to have a successful trip. Firstly, make sure you contact the chosen university as soon as your exchange has been approved on Stellenbosch Universities side. My purpose for study was research and therefore getting hold of a supervisor is very important. Approval is needed from both your home institute and the host institute supervisors in order for the exchange to proceed. The coordination between Universities are sometimes restricted to difference in holidays so keep this in mind and make sure you give yourself enough time to have all the documentations ready. Always keep in contact with your coordinator to know exactly how far along the process you are.
Also be aware of the money and hidden cost involved in such an exchange. Things such as insurance and visa cost are sometimes more then you expect. For the visa there are a lot of hidden cost. To mention a few, you need to pay for the validation of your signature at the embassy. Then you also have to pay a contribution fee of about 3000 rand. Also a new rule may have been implemented for future exchange students to Belgium, that they also need to pay for the visa itself which was free in previous years. Therefore make sure you know everything you need to for your visa application. Something specifically related to the Belgium Consulate is that they are very efficient and process visas very fast. Therefore first make sure everything is in order and that you have all your documents from both universities and also that all your things such as flight information, documentation for insurance and bursaries or funding are in order. If all your documents are in order you receive your visa within a week of submission. Make sure you have everything required from you for the visa application as stated on the consulates website and when in doubt make sure with the international exchange office about everything you need.
Once everything is in order, by the time you receive your visa you should be set to go. Please note before you leave make sure all your things are sorted out with your bank. Make sure you have cards that will work abroad. Also make sure you have everything you need. If you will go for a short stay keep in mind essentials such as deodorant and shampoo are much more expensive then in SA. Therefore it might be wise in order to save some cash by taking some of these things in your suitcase. My advice is however take what you need from home for a short stay. Things like sneakers are cheaper in SA.
At the Ghent University:
Ghent University does not have an animal science faculty like we have at Stellenbosch University instead as part of their veterinary faculty they have an animal nutrition section. The setup is also different to what we are used to in South Africa. In the Veterinary Science faculty you study a three year undergrad degree and from there you choose to continue to be a practicing animal doctor or a researcher in the respective fields. Therefore the animal nutrition lab I went to is a research lab. Most of the people at the lab were PhD students or just post Doc researchers. A master’s degree is pure course work with a mini thesis in Ghent and in SA we have a full thesis that consist of an actual animal experiment and a full thesis. Therefore in essence the masters in South Africa for animal nutrition is like a mini PhD in Belgium. My time in Belgium was limited and was purely research based. I had no official classes however often had to attend seminars on the latest research and PhD defences which were very interesting. The bulk of my time was spent assisting with trials and lab activities. Unfortunately I am unable to report on exactly what we did at the lab as I had to sign a confidentiality agreement as the work being done is unpublished. The experience was very educative and intellectually stimulating. I learned so much from highly qualified doctors and professors. My supervisor was also able to give me feedback on my own research that I conducted in South Africa. I was given sound advice on how to improve my own Masters project.
Ghent University campus is spread all over Ghent. The veterinary faculty is however in the small town of Merelbeke next to Ghent. Getting to Merelbeke from Ghent proved to be a little difficult as there is only one bus that goes to the nutrition faculty. This bus left to Merelbeke once every hour from the main station in Gent and therefore I had to make sure I get to the bus stop in time or else I would have to wait another hour. During winter this can become an unpleasant experience as the bus stops are not often covered. Luckily the transport system in Ghent is extremely reliable and the bus are often only a few minutes late and an extensive bus schedule is provided with an app.
At first I lived in Merelbeke thinking it will be nice and close to University, but I quickly realised that Merelbeke was not the place for a young exchange student to live as it is mostly older people who live in the town. Most Vet students travel in from Ghent to Merelbeke. Living in Ghent is very convenient as you can find everything you need within walking or cycling distance from most accommodations. Ghent is very well structured with bicycles having right of way on most roads. This is the most common form of transport in Gent and almost every student owns a bike. The other transport services such as trams and trains are also very good. You can reach every town or city in Belgium by the use of a train and tickets are half price on weekends making travelling affordable. The Universities admin building is in the centre of town and easily reachable. The University is very helpful with exchange students and everything was in order for my arrival. I had no trouble opening my student account and all other process went smoothly. The only thing that was extremely frustrating was finding suitable accommodation. Because I was staying for longer than 3 months I had to register with the government. This proved extremely difficult because tenants who offer short term accommodation would not allow you to register on their address as they would have to pay tax. Therefore finding a place in Gent to be able to move from Merelbeke became difficult. The university housing was full and they were unable to help me. Gent University has a list with possible private accommodations however this did not help, as expected, because most places either did not suit by budget or I was unable to resister on the address. It was extremely stressful however with some help from my Professor we manage to put enough pressure on the university.
They eventually after three weeks in Belgium offered me a place to stay. The accommodation was a little more than my budget but I was happy to have a place to stay. The accommodation was very small but had everything I needed. In general for the price you pay all the accommodations are very small. I lived with 15 other international students and we shared a huge kitchen between 10 of us. It was a very nice environment. It is better to live with other students then in a room in someone’s house in my opinion. This immediately forces you to interact with people and they became some of my closest friends. At the opening day I met more amazing people and therefore I think it is important to join the orientation as it not only provides you with valuable information about the university and everyday life in the town you are living in but also creates an opportunity for you to meet others who feel just as confused as you do.
I took the opportunity and used the buddy system created by each department. My faculty did not have a well organised buddy system and I joined the buddy system of the arts and culture faculty. I was given a buddy and a day was organised with snacks and drinks for us to meet and we were put in contact with each other. This turned out to be a good choice as Amber, my buddy was extremely helpful with regards to everyday Ghent life. She often helped me when I really needed it. It is important to use all the resources at your disposal as it may help you later on. Attend every event if possible and take part in as many activities as you can as it will help you meet people. Remember the friends you make are your family when living away from home without your actually family. These are the people that will bring you soup when you sick or go with you to do the laundry. They are the people you will spend your birthday and special occasions with therefore it’s important not to isolate yourself.
Some general tips from my side would be that it’s cheap to travel within Europe if you book well in advanced. Flights are often cheaper than a train or bus therefore look online for the best deals if you are planning to travel. It is very easy however it may be easy to find someone to travel with especially if you are a female. It is safer in Europe then in SA however it’s best to always be safe.
Coming back to South Africa:
At the end it will feel like time passed to fast and for the first time you will feel sad about leaving your new family behind. However it was very exciting knowing I will see my family after such a long time. When coming towards the end of your trip a few things need to be done. Firstly your file needs to be closed at the embassy and your EU card returned. Thereafter you need to close things such back accounts and if you have a short term student account it is a good idea to close it as you often get some money back form what you payed to open the account. Then with regards to University it is very easy you can just send an email to let them know that you are leaving or you can go into the office and they will close your file. Returning to South Africa’s warm weather was relatively easy. After a couple of months of extremely cold temperatures it was nice to be in the sun again. My time abroad made me realise just how lucky we are in South Africa. We have a beautiful country with many things to do. Europe is a different kind of beautiful that cannot be compared to South Africa. I enjoyed my time abroad very much and this experience has opened my eyes and heart to the world. There are some things in Belgium that I wish SA could implement such as the amazing transport system but then there are things that are far better in South Africa such as our food.
This unforgettable experience has made me realise that there is so much more out there and I would like to explore the world even more. Thank you to everyone who made this experience possible. I will treasure it in my heart forever.