Pre-Departure:
2014 started off with some exciting news in March, a journey which will change my life forever. I was accepted to participate in the Universities exchange program. This meant that in approximately 4 months I will start my Fall Semester enrolled as an international student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA. Get the bags ready, we’re going to America!
The Makerere exchange is perfect for someone who wants to try something challenging and ‘off the grid’. In many respects Uganda is not that different from South Africa, but the university’s infrastructure and administration is nothing like at Stellenbosch. If you can look past the fragmented ‘exterior’ of the city, you soon learn to appreciate the wit of the people, the organic flow of the city and the slow pace of things.
PREPARATION:
The few weeks before departure were very busy and rather stressful for several reasons. Trying to sort out travel arrangements; including VISA, bank, flight, accommodation and university residence arrangements on top of trying to complete academic work was challenging. My applications to Xiamen were also not received on the first and second attempt, before it was received on the third attempt quite near to the planned departure date. Due to application problems, my admission letter also arrived beyond the expected time, which caused a delay for my Visa application. These experiences taught me that extensive planning goes into an exchange programme and that timing is quite crucial. Moreover, regarding such matters, I learnt that it is better to do things in advance to make room for unforeseen complications.