A Blog about Education Abroad

Author: elanaryklief

  • Celine Baker at Humboldt University zu Berlin, Germany

    Celine Baker at Humboldt University zu Berlin, Germany

    Pre-departure

    Because the pre-departure excitement of going overseas and going on adventurous explorations can tend to overshadow some more necessary administrative means that are important to take into consideration in preparation for the trip, I found it helped to compile a list of things I needed to do before embarking on this exciting journey. The list included organising flights in time – which one wants to get to as soon as one receives the confirmation and acceptance to travel overseas in order to find cheaper flights as well being able to move forward from there. While I was lucky enough to have had an EU passport, it is vital for non-EU passport holders to get on top of visa applications and the necessary procedures that follow.

    Once flight tickets have been booked, a visa organised, the next step is to look at transportation to and from the airport as well as further means of getting around the country for the upcoming month. For example, while in South Africa one can easily rely on uber as a taxing service, in certain parts of Europe uber has now been forbidden and one needs to look for alternative transportation. I bought a ‘Monatskarte’ through the university which included all forms of transport for a month in Berlin. However, keep in mind that this Monatskarte will only be passed on on the first day of one’s course – thus, should you arrive a couple days prior to the course starting, one must rely on either single daily tickets with the tram, U-Bahn or S-Bahn or take a taxi to and from your different destinations.

    Additionally, I tried to orientate myself in advance around Berlin through Google Maps. For example, looking up the locations to and from place of accommodation to the airport, bus and train stations, Museums, and other places I wished to see in Berlin. I also checked my different routes to the university and relevant classes. I also looked up the different weather conditions in Germany over my stay there which was also strange packing my warmest winterwear in the middle of summer!  Another important thing to take note of is how to go about using one’s phone. There were multiple options one could choose from like buying a new SIM card with data or relying on the wifi (or WLAN as it is called in Germany) which was what I opted to do as free wifi that gave access to internet was available in all stations, public areas and university as well as the student hotel I was staying at.

    Lastly, I can recommend informing oneself of the of the country one is going to. I compiled a list of things I wished to do, places I wanted to see and go to – museums, body worlds, parks, cocktail bars and restaurants. I also was very excited to try the different traditional German foods such as Currywurst, Schweinebraten, Döner and, of course, lots of Bier! Once you arrive in Germany (or your relevant country) one will have so much to do that one needs to remember what is important to one and wishes to see while one has the chance as a month flies by faster than one may think.

    Host-university experience

    The most exciting part of going overseas is arriving and being overwhelmed with all the excitement of different smells, sights, people, foods, culture and of course a whole new university experience. Going to a new country also entails welcoming and adapting to change. This for example means walking and driving on a different side of the road or that social norms of the community like keeping very precisely to timing and interacting with one another is in stark contrast to South Africa.

    The academic programme offered by the host-university (Humboldt University zu Berlin) offered different courses that one signed up for in advance and could enjoy for 3 weeks of intensive in-depth analyses of the given topics and interaction between lecturers, students and guest lecturers or (in my case) human rights activists. The lecturers were professional and top of their fields, giving a very informative and detailed as well as impassioned feedback on topics. The lecturers oftentimes asked for our opinions and would contrast the different takes of each country. As we all came from different backgrounds this was interesting to compare on an international level and allowed for many different perspectives to be heard and topics to be broached in terms of human rights and critical international legal studies. I really enjoyed the interactive participation of each class that was different to my experience of big classes in Stellenbosch University where less interaction between the lecturer and the students is more common practice.

    The academic programme also allowed for many guest lecturers and human rights activists to present. This I found truly awe-inspiring and nudged on the core hands-on element of human rights activism in practice and my passion for the course content. Additionally we got to go on a class-expedition to the ECCHR through the programme, where we discussed international and German case studies with regards to human rights and the law which I thoroughly enjoyed.

    In addition to the academic programme the university also offered a cultural programme which included showing us around not only the university’s campus but the whole of Berlin, typical foods, activities, museums and even a trip to Potsdam (a beautiful town of castles outside of Berlin). The cultural programme further contributed to connecting with the people and getting a better taste of Berlin as it let us all interact in exciting activities and tours that we could sign up for e.g. ice skating or going to art and cultural museums.

    One of the activities I got to experience was a tour to Kreuzberg – the political quarter of Berlin. There we ate Turkish traditional foods and see Berlin’s famous graffiti as well as the Kreuzberg museum. Ambling through the streets of Kreuzberg we got to see the political and cultural mix as well as the stark difference of rich and poor due to gentrification in that area. In general exploring Berlin was very culturally informative as the city holds so much history of different eras that are physically visible in its remnants e.g. the East Side Gallery showing the leftovers of the Berlin wall, the Checkpoint Charlie and the Tränenpalast which are the different GDR checkpoints, the Bebelsplatz which was where the Reichskristallnacht of 1938 took place.  Other exciting places to visit were the Museumsinsel, Alexanderplatz and the Dead Chicken Alley.

    While staying there one quickly makes friends with other international students that are eager to get to know you and your side of the world as well as experience all the exciting ‘Touri’ tours to make discovering and finding our way around Berlin more fun. It also helps that because many of us doing the different courses offered by the host-university were staying at the same Hotel we got to know one another and could try out new bars, clubs, coffee houses and Döner or Currywurst stands together.

    Return

    Upon returning back to South Africa, one experiences disappointment of having to leave but also excitement of coming home. One doesn’t realise how much one missed all the different things of being home – for me it was the mountains, the people and a feeling of ‘Geborgenheit’ as the Germans would put it which means the safety and security on feels from being at home. Further, the weather among with family and friends welcoming you back with open arms was wonderful as the change from averaging 2 degrees to 30 was thoroughly appreciated at that point. It is fun being able to do all the exciting winter activities like ice skating, or going to Winter Wonderland parks and then a week later to be basking under the African sun sipping a cool drink. Returning home makes one appreciate all the different things one missed while being overseas without even realising it! The change of scenery, warm weather, different people and culture clashes as well as the aesthetic beauty that both countries hold create a general feeling of appreciation at being able to have travelled and experienced such privileges and luxuries around the world.

    While your return home may make one extremely grateful for the journey one also feels a sense of disappointment as one begins to miss things from another country as well as struggling to adapt back to other things that did not bother one before of ones own country. For example, after enjoying the public transport in Germany being reliable and very easily accessible for everyone one notices the lack thereof in South Africa. Another aspect that also jumps to the fore is the feeling of security one has overseas whereas upon one’s return back to ones South African home one realises the stark difference of how people often live in fear here as opposed to Europe.

    Additionally, while looking back at one’s exciting adventure overseas others may not be as interested in your stay there as what you would like them to be. Thus, prepare yourself for disappointment as many may grill you about certain aspects and then not pay much attention when you would like to continue marvelling at your fantastic trip. For example, many of my friends that study with me were interested in my course but then would pass over my explanations of the German culture and other experiences I had there (or vice versa when asked by family members).

    Lastly, going overseas has definitely made me weigh up my different possibilities and opportunities of pursuing potential employment not only (as I had previously intended) in South Africa but also elsewhere in the world. The trip overseas broadens one’s horizons in the sense that one realises that living overseas and changing and integrating oneself in a new culture, different surroundings and people is entirely possible.

  • Caron Tremble in Livry Gargan, France

    Caron Tremble in Livry Gargan, France

    France, 8-13 April 2019

    What an experience, I am changed forever. Thank you so much to Stellenbosch University for allowing me to get to France to play an international piano competition. This was one of the greatest experiences of 2019 and I had no idea it would happen to me.

    In February 2019, I applied for the International piano competition in the town of Gagny, France. As a musician one applies for all opportunities then you just wait and see which one comes your way. The entry required recordings of me playing piano as well the repertoire which I planned on playing at the competition.

    I almost forgot about it until I received an email stating that my application had been accepted. It was so surreal! I could not believe that I was somewhat ready to compete on an international level. I sort of just thought to myself, okay you got in, but there is no way you will be able to go. I was so thankful when a friend told me about the international office and that I could apply for a travel bursary which would cover the flights to get to France and back.

    Before leaving for France:

    There is a lot of admin before planning an international trip, I was extremely lucky that everything just worked out in time. First, you need to book your flights and accommodation, only after you have done this can you apply for your visa application online. The application process is quite long, whereby they give you the nearest available dates to visit CAPAGO in Cape Town to finalise your VISA. The type of Visa you need is a Schengen Visa now luckily with this Visa you can book your flights before getting the Visa. Always check this detail because all VISA applications have different requirements. It is important to make sure that you have travel insurance and that you are covered medically because anything can happen.

    My visit to CAPAGO did not take very long, I was quite lucky in this regard as well. Make sure to fill out all the necessary forms required for the Visa. When you go to your Visa appointment have all your documents organised and ready. Only bring the documents that they list on the website and put them in the correct order beforehand. This helps the process go faster. If you are looking for affordable accommodation overseas always check Airbnb and not only hotels. Airbnb, in my opinion, offers so much more than just a hotel room. You can cook for yourself and it is affordable. Buying groceries works out much cheaper in France than eating takeout. Living this way helped me to save a lot of money. Google maps will become your new best friend. Try to plan your travelling before you get there and the costs involved. It is much cheaper to use buses and trains in the country itself instead of uber. When I arrived in France my host family was kind enough to explain exactly which buses and trains I needed to get onto to get to the Conservatoire of Gagny. By the second day, I was good to travel there without assistance.

    In between all of this I had to practice and prepare for the competition, graduate and get ready to go overseas. The competition organisers were very informative and helpful and gave practicing space before our arrival however, we could only access this space for up to 2 hours daily. This is not enough, my lecturer offered to lend me her keyboard this proved as quite a challenge to carry/ travel with however I managed. I was very thankful to have this instrument to practice on and it fitted perfectly into the Airbnb where I stayed. My Graduation was on the 4th of April and I left the 8th for France.

    Leaving for France:

    I have never been more scared in my life. At this point, I was not nervous about the competition at all but very scared about the travelling part. I love to fly that’s not the problem, what scared me was being in an unknown airport and place. Many people who I spoke to already about their travels in France told me the French are unfriendly and they do not speak English. I quickly tried to brush up on some of my French 178 skills, but it had been 4 years since I spoke the language. At Cape Town International airport, the keyboard and keyboard stand had to go to oversize baggage counter, I hoped that it would land safely in France.

    The flight was a straight flight which took about 13-14 hours. When we landed in France, my nerves started, first I had to access my suitcase then find the keyboard. It is so strange to be in a foreign country, and hear people speak. Usually, I liked to eavesdrop on conversations but this was not possible. The biggest shock was the size of the trolleys at the Cape Town International Airport we have such nice trolleys for our luggage, these trolleys were quite small. There was no way I would be able to fit all my baggage on it. When I got to the oversized baggage area I asked the flight assistant working there in French if they could speak English. He spoke a little. He was very friendly and helped me with my luggage to the exit as well as to load it in the uber.

    When I arrived at the Maison (house) that I booked on Airbnb, I was quite excited to start finding my way around but also exhausted. My hostess helped me carry my luggage, her name is Maria she was very kind but could not speak English at all. She sort of explained and showed everything to be in the separate entrance where I stayed. My first mission was to find the nearest supermarket thereafter I went to go practice at the Gagny conservatoire.

    Preparing for the competition and sightseeing a little in Livry Gargan:

    By the end of the second day, I had gotten the hang of the public transport system and which bus was going to which station as well as which staircase to go used to go in a certain direction. One of the best things for me in Europe, in general, is the convenience and safety of the public transport system.

    As a South African we have natural alertness when being in a public space. I found myself walking into the station being very aware of my bag, my cellphone, and my wallet. As well as on the train and once I got off the train and had to head to the conservatoire. At times I had to remind myself to relax a little and enjoy the ride.

    The facilities at the conservatoire were quite old however, everyone was really friendly and helpful. At the station, people helped me if I asked for directions or which train to get on. By the third day, I found myself taking the train a little more relaxed and at ease.

    On the second day I decided to walk around a bit in livry gargan it is a small town and there is not much to see. I went to the Chateau De La Foret and visited the Parc Lefevre. I was thankful to stay there because the groceries were cheap and the quality of the food in the supermarkets was fantastic. I wanted to see Paris but I did not want to tire myself too much before the competition.

    The competition was on Thursday. I had a feeling of immense gratitude that day. Thankful that I could be there and that I had gotten this amazing opportunity to play. The performance went well, however, I did not go through to the final round. Before playing I heard some of the other pianists warming up and it was amazing to hear so many other people doing.

    Paris:

    This was probably one of if not the greatest experiences of my life. I wish I had more time to see Paris. Getting to Paris was quite tricky from livry gargan and it would be my first time taking the metro train. So there are different types of trains the metro runs throughout Paris and to the airport. Then there is the RER this was the train line I took and it runs to Paris. Buses are running in Paris as well, but the Metro is much cheaper and faster. How I got to Paris was by taking a bus to the Metro station this was quite a long trip. When I got a ticket for the Metro, it was quite scary how fast it was but afterward, I appreciated it. My first mission in Paris was to get to the Eiffel tower, I made a list of all the places I wanted to see. I forgot how exciting but tiring sightseeing can be. Paris is magical, even though it was cold. It’s a city I would not mind seeing in any weather. My first view of the Eiffel tower as seen below was completely picturesque, I gasped.

    In planning for sightseeing, I had this long list of everything I wanted to do in one day which turned out to be near impossible. I barely made time to eat or just sit down a bit and relax this is very important. After seeing the Eiffel tower and taking a ton of pictures I was famished. I sat down at Cafe Eiffel and enjoyed an Onion Soup, Hot chocolate, and Creme Brulee. All of these dishes were perfect. I sat a bit after eating then decided I would walk around a bit and just see what I found.

    Thereafter, I continued walking and eventually google mapped myself to Champs Elysees, and walked up the street to Arc de Triomphe. The Arc de Triomphe was very busy, there were lots of people and cars driving on the road. I wondered how they all knew which way to go as the road was quite busy.

    After a long day of sight-seeing, I was quite tired and headed back to where I stayed. The next day I packed my belongings in preparation for my flight back. On the flight back to SA I sat next to a South African who lived in France. This trip taught me a lot. What stood out is the importance of language, whenever I addressed a person in France for direction/ train/ bus help, I greeted them in French and tried as far as possible to ask for help in French. At some points, I would ask, “ Parlez- vous Anglais?” To which some of them responded a little or not at all. The importance of Language and identity has never played a bigger role than when you are away from home. I have chosen the following quote by Trevor Noah which expresses this beautifully. ‘ Language brings with it an identity and a culture, or at least the perception of it. A shared language says we “ We’re the same.” A language barrier says, “ We’re different.” The minute I addressed people in their language there was an openness and a willingness to help.

    Upon returning I received my videos and recordings as well as feedback from the competition organiser. I am very grateful to have received such extensive feedback from Antoine Bouvy on my playing and for this opportunity. I was very lucky throughout my travelling experience, wherever I asked for help people were very friendly and offered help.

  • Cameron Nel at Hochschule Konstanz, Germany

    Cameron Nel at Hochschule Konstanz, Germany

    Leaving on a Jet Plane

    Pre-Departure

    It’s happening! I’ve submitted my application to the international office at Stellenbosch University and it was approved. I am going to Germany. A little time spent on the internet and I book my flights to Germany. I booked a return with an unsettled return date, as it was cheaper. I will just have to schedule the return date closer to the time when I actually know when I can come back to the Republic of South Africa. Now I just need to setup a Visa application and get into contact with my host institution – Hochschule Konstanz. The application to arrange an appointment for the Visa was quick, as on the website of the Consulate (I intend on going to Cape Town), there is a concise guideline of what all I need to bring to the appointment and when and how to book it. For future reference, I recommend that it’s better to arrange a Visa appointment as soon as you can i.e. after flights are booked, book the appointment.

    I communicated with my host’s international office and a Ms.Favata was super helpful. She tried to answer each question to the best of her ability and even called across the sea when things were a bit unclear. I had applied for accommodation by filling out a simple application form. Once I had done this, I just had to email it to Ms.Favata before the exchange student deadline and everything was set. I eventually found out where I was staying – a student block of flats about 600m from the campus grounds. This was all organized by the company Seezeit, a company which organizes all the student accommodation in the town of Konstanz. What was great about this was that it was super cheap per month. After sorting out accommodation I arranged my own Health Insurance for the Visa appointment. Furthermore Ms.Favata sent documents stating my enrollment for the semesters I was to spend at Konstanz. She had basically sorted me out for the appointment. Hence, everything went smoothly and I received a study visa two weeks later.

    Ensuring that everything would be okay with regards to baggage and arriving in Konstanz, I researched everything I could about transport to and in Konstanz. There is no airport in Konstanz and the closest is Zurich so I had to make sure that my Visa would be okay in Zurich. I also carried all my documents on my person incase I needed to back up my story. Everything went smoothly and few questions were asked. It seems that a study visa is not easy to attain so the officials were rather relaxed with me. I booked a train ticket and arrived safely in Konstanz. I also arranged before the time with the secretary of my block of flats to leave my keys in the safety deposit box so I couldn’t really have asked for a smoother travel. I arrived at the blocks, typed the code in, retrieved my keys and proceeded to become a resident in Germany.

    Experience at Host University

    I enrolled for the entire summer semester at Hochschule Konstanz. I took up less subjects than I would have had at Stellenbosch University as I intended to explore the town, country and continent! The semester started from March and ends at the end of July. The Hochschule had a nice group of exchange students and we were induced nicely to the ins and outs of the town and eventually a small group of exchange students became my friends. We explored, swam in the Bodensee and did what exchange students do. I also became good friends with one of my flat mates and he helped me a lot with questions on Germany – he was German.

    On the academic side, the actual work load of each subject I found to be much less than that of Stellenbosch. The schedule is a lot more open than Stellenbosch and each subject maybe has about 7 contact hours with the subject lecturer a week. Practicals exist but aren’t as frequent, at least from my experience. The classes are smaller, attributed to a small university, so relations with the lecturer is a lot more personal. They also only have a final exam at the end of the semester and that was interesting as you don’t really know what you’re in for until it’s happening! All my courses were in English, except for the German classes of course. One or two of the courses were catered for exchange students, however I attended one or two classes that were actually apart of other degree fields in the Hochschule. Here I also never really experienced much difficulty in the subjects, however it is possible that the courses were watered down because they were in English. Apart from that I found a comfortable rhythm in the classes and could easily balance workload and extra-mural activities.

    I even applied for their student racing team and helped out at the workshop a few times where I could. It was just a pity as the actual race events coincided with other events I had already agreed to and could not experience the full tilt of the racing days. After this my investment in the Hochschule group declined slightly as I relocated priorities. I found a small sport club where I could practice and cycled to and from each week. The Hochschule had a committee that arranged events for the exchange students, and this committee was called Helping Hands. One guy kept in contact with me frequently and I was even invited to his birthday which consisted of a small group. I felt special. I think the entire experience as a whole was a very positive one as I cannot really think of what I would have preferred that I had the power to change. I maybe would have invested more time in getting to know the actual residents of the town, but I can at least always go back. I have contacts.

    Return to Stellenbosch

    Returning to Stellenbosch provided some difficulties such as arranging accommodation and transfer of one or two courses. Fortunately, I had one friend that still needed a place to stay so we managed to eventually locate a flat that we were happy with. After that, some admin was involved in assuring that I was successfully transferring credits. This process took some time but not much effort. I attend a class of mostly new faces so integrating into the class took a bit more time than it would have, had I attended the class of 2019. My perspective has changed, not only at the university but also how I view certain aspects of the country.

    Small things and big things. For instance, I am a lot more aware of the recycling sections. I go out of my way now to recycle properly and actually keep all my plastic bottles – I think I still get “pfand” for them. I am less tolerant to people that litter now and don’t care about keeping things clean. We have a beautiful country and I wish we could look after it more. I was the victim of a language barrier in Germany and now I know what it feels like first hand. I at least appreciate the immense effort in South Africa to include everyone. I found that in Germany there was seldom or no effort at times, to include those that cannot speak the language. I also now appreciate the freedom we have to pursue things and try things out. Entrepreneurship for example; starting a business in Germany is not as easy to do. I found that there is a such a massive opportunity for our country to improve and it makes me excited. I could not wait to come back. The different cultures make me feel at home.

    I secured a great internship abroad and the supervisor mentioned to me that when I am done studying my masters I should let him know and maybe he could arrange something. For me that is a big opportunity. We also intend to stay in touch and now I can safely say I have a good contact for future opportunities. This experience definitely changed my view on working abroad. I used to be content with just working in South Africa, but now I believe that I need to at least work abroad for a few years. Europe is a great continent to progress in experience in the Engineering department. The opportunities are abundant and the remuneration is attractive. I can see myself working in another country to kickstart my career. It would be a great experience to learn so much from the different cultures in the work place and the way they work and operate. However, once I have completed a few years abroad I see myself returning to South Africa to settle down in the country that I love. All in all, I still want to give back to the country that gave me so much to begin with.