Pre-departure:
I was extremely excited pre-departure but I also had a long list of things to do and the list was continually growing…
I would recommend organising all visa applications as soon as you can. Fortunately the whole process went very smoothly for me. In order to get my visa for Belgium I had to have x-rays done and a doctor’s certificate to certify that I was in good health. Unfortunately the Belgian’s only allow for Belgian-certified doctors as I had previously made an appointment with my local doctor only to find that she was not Belgian-approved and thus had to organise an appointment with one that was. The police clearance can take quite a bit of time but the University of Stellenbosch helps to organise that whole process which makes it a lot easier as you do not have to send it to Pretoria yourself. The actual visa appointment also went well although it does require coughing up even more money and having proof that you’ll have enough money to survive in Belgium. This can be quite expensive for a South African converting Rands into Euros. At the time of my trip it was just under R15 to one Euro.
I had a lot of Stellenbosch work deadlines due in the week of my departure so the days before departure were filled with a lot of last minute work and admin. It is important to make sure that you have time to see friends and family as typically everyone wants to see you in the last few days before you leave. In terms of packing I would recommend bringing your own sheet and pillow case as they are light and useful once you get to your accommodation. I also brought a compact sleeping bag which is very useful for any additional traveling. Looking back I wish I had brought more long sleeved t-shirts and jerseys as I was unprepared for the Belgium winter. Fortunately my accommodation was less than a kilometre away from the main fashion street where most of the clothes stores were! I would also recommend packing a few necessities like a pair of scissors, a stapler and prestick as it will save money and time.
Experience at the Host University
The University of Antwerp has a very grand looking campus and I felt very privileged to attend such a university. The accommodation which was provided for me by the University of Antwerp was a very big house with eighteen other exchange students. The location was perfect as it was a very quick walk to campus and I even had some classes in a building which was in the same road as my accommodation. Living in student accommodation also made settling into Antwerp easier as I lived with other students and made very good friends with most of the people living in my house.
We had two days of orientation at the university where we were provided with information and tours of the campus. I signed up to join an exchange student network called ESN as they offered a variety of social events which was where I met most of my friends in Antwerp. I would highly recommend that you get involved in every activity that is offered as it is an opportunity to meet new people. I found that this was vital in a country where I only knew one other Stellenbosch student. ESN organised many events during the semester and I attended a weekend in Paris with them as well as a day trip to Cologne, Germany to see a Christmas market. Both were amazing experiences. I signed up to go for a dinner with a Belgian family which was also such a great experience as we all spoke for hours about our respective countries and learnt a lot from each other.
My introduction to the law faculty was a very special one for me as the guest speaker was Constitutional Court Judge, Albie Sachs. He gave a very interesting speech and I felt so lucky to be able to hear a talk given by such an inspiring man and freedom fighter. The academic programme at Antwerp that I followed consisted of six law subjects. I found that the credits allocated to the subjects were not always very logical and some subjects which were only 3 credits would require a lot more work than a subject of 5 credits. I had 6 subjects at Antwerp and then also had 2 subjects to write from Stellenbosch University which was quite stressful as at times I had 8 subjects. Unfortunately Antwerp University’s library was only open until 9pm on weekdays and closed on a Sunday which made studying for all my exams very difficult. Also, my accommodation was an extremely noisy house which made studying and getting enough sleep a huge challenge. The law courses I attended were all very enjoyable and I found the lecturers were all extremely knowledgeable in their respective fields and that their English was at a very high level.
The lecturers at Antwerp expect a lot of class participation and for some of the courses they actually gave you marks based on your class participation. I found the law courses to be extremely European- based and even where the title of the subject claimed it was “international” the subjects were mainly about European Law. This was a very big challenge for me as I was always at a bit of a disadvantage compared to the other students in my class who were all from different parts of Europe but at the same time it was also very interesting to learn about how European law works.
The questions that they asked in the exams were usually essay type questions with a lot of application and for most subjects you could bring in the legislation and sometimes even the cases and class notes. I found that most of my exam marks were a lot higher than my marks in Stellenbosch and even received 80% in three of my subjects.
Return to South Africa:
It was very sad to say my goodbyes to Antwerp and to all the new friends I had made although I was so excited to be able to go home and to see my family, friends and pets again. In Antwerp I was viewed as being very ‘exotic’ as majority of the people on exchange were from different parts of Europe. I was quite surprised how little people knew about South Africa but enjoyed speaking about my country as everyone was always very interested.
The semester abroad program taught me many life skills and I think my people’s skills have definitely improved – especially living with so many different nationalities and personality types in my accommodation. When I left for exchange I had the view that every single part of it would be upbeat and happy but what I realised is that exchange involves many ups and downs and that the downs are often the parts which make you grow the most whilst on exchange. I learnt to be more independent as not knowing anyone in the country I was forced to solve my own problems.
I was so lucky to be able to travel a lot whilst on my exchange. I visited other exchange students from Stellenbosch in the Netherlands and also went on trips to France, Germany and England. I also did a lot of traveling in Belgium itself. I think going on an exchange to study is the best way to experience another country as you will meet people through your studies and make new friends which makes the whole exchange so much easier.
Returning to South Africa I was first hit by the heat as I had come from minus 0 degrees in Antwerp. I have only been back in South Africa for 2 weeks now and I have been busy just about every day seeing friends and family and catching up. It was quite an adjustment coming home as I have also gone straight into a job as an articled clerk at a law firm. I am still very much in contact with the friends that I made overseas and a lot of them have expressed interest in coming to visit me in South Africa. I loved my experience in Antwerp and have definitely left a piece of my heart in Antwerp. I look forward to going back there again one day but for now I am very happy to be back home in South Africa. I really enjoyed Europe and their beautiful buildings and great history but I missed South Africa’s beauty and the people.
Semester abroad was an extremely fulfilling experience and I am very grateful for such an amazing opportunity.