Pre-departure:
As someone who knows how to stress (I’m working on it), I can thankfully say that the pre-departure process wasn’t as frightening as I thought it would be. This is definitely because of the great work from the team at SU International and at the Vrije University Amsterdam (VU). After the acceptance, SU International had an orientation programme where we received a lot of helpful tips. Please make sure you go to that meeting. There you will learn the importance of not J-walking, which is something I had to get used to!
In terms of preparing for the trip, the VU gave us all the necessary information we needed. The most important thing in my opinion is getting the flight ticket and the visa. Use the traveling bursary wisely, when you plan your flight. If you book as soon as possible, you can still get a good deal. Getting your travel insurance is very important. Tip: If you buy your ticket on an Absa credit card, you get free traveling insurance. You just have to check this with someone at the bank. This can save a few hundred rands. Otherwise, I used STA Travel in Stellenbosch. They were very helpful! The big one is your visa. This was a little bit of a stressful situation. Download the checklist from the Embassy. The Dutch Embassy has a great checklist that gives you a clear indication of everything that you need. And when you apply, check multiple entries. This means you can travel to all the Schengen states in Europe!
Important things that I would suggest before you go:
- Make sure you have the details of the coordinators on your phone. Whether it’s their cell phone number or office number, they are your best friends!
- Do not hesitate with any questions that you might have. The host universities are extremely friendly and they want to make sure that you have the best experience possible.
- I cannot stress this enough, soft copies of every single document! Phew, admin is real. Get DropBox (or OneDrive) and that is where you store the documents. You can also download the app on your phone.
- Make sure you include your family members or friends in the planning of the trip. Let them have copies of all the documents.
- I would advise to rather take one big bag instead of two or three smaller bags. It is more comfortable to travel with it.
The most important part of the pre-departure process to is keep holding on the enthusiasm and excitement. The planning may seem tedious at first, but the idea of spending two weeks in a different country will keep that excitement alive!
Experience at the Host University:
Going to Amsterdam was a dream coming true for me! I attended the VU Amsterdam and it was an amazing experience. I am actually considering doing a semester exchange or even fully relocating to do my PhD at the university. The academic quality of the university was of a really high standard.
The course that I followed was Discourse Analysis in Research as a means of Social Change. As a linguistics major I have always been very interested in how language and power works together. I am currently doing my Masters in Language Education and I am looking at Cape Afrikaans, so this course seemed like the perfect fit for my research. During the course we looked at different ways language is used to illustrate power relations. We had visiting lecturers every day to give us an idea of how power is performed through language. Some of the most interesting lectures were:
- Categorisation and metaphors when talking about immigrants
- Language used by victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
- Metaphors used in British media to refer to immigrants
- Language in the legal system
There were more lectures, but these four stood out for me. I could especially resonate with the first lecture I mentioned, since it reminded me so much of the categorisation process in South Africa and the division it has brought in old and contemporary South Africa. I also had the opportunity to present my research and explain my views on how Discourse Analysis is of value to my research. This was nerve wrecking, but my research was received with a lot of enthusiasm.
We did a city walk to give us some historic background about Amsterdam as a city. I really wished I had the opportunity to go to the Anne Frank Museum, but it was sadly booked out months in advance. My class had the opportunity to go to the International Crime Court. We sat in on one of the hearings to do an analysis of how power manifests in the language used by the lawyers and the accused. This was one of the highlights of my trip!
Stellenbosch University prepared me to be comfortable enough to engage in lectures. At first I was a little shy, because I was the youngest in my class and the other students were rather intimidating. However, the quality of education I have received here gave me the skills to engage critically in conversations about language and power relations. I was familiar with some of the concepts that were being discussed, so I could contribute to the discourse.
Two activities that I would recommend is relaxing in the Vondelpark and going on a canal tour. The Vondelpark is another spot that is a must-see! The place is just so mesmerising!
Return to Stellenbosch:
I met amazing people on this trip. It was pretty difficult to say goodbye to these strangers and their worlds that just became part of my reality. It was a weird feeling. After having stomach bugs from food, I should be excited to be home. Yet I still want another day to sit on my balcony, listening to my Danish friend and her good taste in music. Or the military stories from the other student from Israel. I didn’t want the two weeks to end, because I will be missing these great people and the beautiful infrastructure of Amsterdam. Alas, on Friday after class I rushed home to pack my clothes, so that I can spend the last night with these amazing people.
These two weeks was pretty insightful. I developed a deeper appreciation for South Africa. I walked into a restaurant and I heard Afrikaans. I immediately stopped, just to listen to the sound of home. I was on the dance floor and I saw a Zulu girl, becoming one with the beat with a move that can only be described as Jika Majika. I realised how deep my love for South Africa is.
I have never been more proud of where I come from. This programme made me thankful for growing up in such a diverse context. I have the luxury of being surrounded by 5 different languages with their cultural heritage in my student house. These different languages/knowledge systems contribute to my awareness of culture, people and language. During one of my classes I could say with pride that we have 11 official languages. The other students were in awe. And I was in awe.
This short trip abroad gave me a glimpse of what I would like to do with my future. It gave me more pride to unapologetically speak the language I grew up with. I want to use my career to dismantle prejudices around “minority languages”.
I am grateful for SU International for giving me the opportunity to roam the streets of Europe. More so, I am grateful to be able to add this to my life experience.