A Blog about Education Abroad

Tag: BCom International Business

  • Natasha Smith at Renmin University, China

    Natasha Smith at Renmin University, China

    Pre-Departure

    Preparation is key. China is not like any other country and if you have not been there yet, you will definitely experience some culture shock. You will be extremely dependent of your phone, so make sure you have enough space/storage on your phone for all of the following apps. I recommend you download these BEFORE going to China, as you might struggle to download some of them there.

    • Wechat – this will be your main form of communication and payment. China does not really work with debit or credit cards, they use WeChat pay and Alipay and occasionally cash. This app is A MUST HAVE.
    • Alipay – another form of payment
    • Beijing Metro – this is an app with all of the metro lines and routes, this is the easiest and cheapest form of public transportation, also very safe.
    • Microsoft Bing – when your VPN does not work, this is the closest you have to Google
    • TripAdvisor – not a must have but nice to have to see where the nice places in Beijing are
    • Didi (The Chinese Uber) – this is the Chinese Uber, very effective and safe also
    • Translating app / have a google translate shortcut
    • Mobike, OFO, Meituan – you will make use of public bikes a lot, the more apps you have the easier you can get bikes, it is very cheap and very effective.
    • Taobao / JD – this is the ebay/ take-a-lot of China, super cheap and super-fast delivery. Everything is in Chinese though, so you will have to get a Chinese friend to help you.
    • VPNs – have at least 3 or 4 VPNs on your phone, China blocks apps like Whatsapp, Instagram etc. I would recommend ExpressVPN, you have to pay for it but it is most reliable.

    In terms of packing, I am going to give my advice as a girl, so this might differ for guys, and will probably be easier for them. If you use any chronic medication, take enough supplies for the time that you are there. I recommend taking things like pain medication, flu medication and other basic medicine, because it is a real struggle to get medicine in a pharmacy because of their lack of English and they only use traditional medicine, which some people do not prefer. All of the foreigners I met here struggled with their stomach the first month, because the food is quite a big adjustment for your stomach. If you are gluten sensitive or have a sensitive stomach, come prepared with the correct medication!

    China does have brands like Nivea, Pantene and other popular brands that we have in SA, so do not worry about taking all your toiletries for the 6 months. But for girls, I would recommend taking your sanitary products if you have enough space in your luggage, because it is quite expensive in China and also difficult to get “normal” ones. Other basic things to remember are plug adapters and a portable charger (if you have one, because the VPN’s really drain your phone battery). If you have the opportunity to learn some Chinese before you go to China, DO IT. Beijing, unlike Shanghai, is not very accommodating to foreigners. The people in Beijing speak very little to no English and it can be very difficult to get by if you don’t understand any Chinese. Shanghai on the other hand is more international and accommodating.

    Experience at the Host University

    I did my exchange semester at Renmin University of China’s Business School. It was an amazing experience, but not what I expected at all. They have a complete different approach to academics than Stellenbosch University, and this took some time getting used to. You will do a lot of presentations and “small tests” and projects like we are used to at Stellenbosch. The difficulty level was lower than I expected, which allowed for a lot of traveling during the semester. However, class attendance is compulsory, and just because the difficulty level is not as high, doesn’t mean you won’t have to put in some work!

    I was really lucky to have met the most amazing group of friends while I was on this exchange. Most of them were also exchange students from different countries. I came to China expecting I was going to make a lot of Chinese friends, but Chinese people are extremely shy and don’t feel comfortable talking to foreigners as most of them are not confident speaking English. So be aware of this when coming to China, nothing is wrong with you or them, it is just their culture.

    Do as much traveling and sightseeing as you can in the beginning of the semester before all the deadlines and exams start! China has so many amazing places to see (make TripAdvisor your best friend), and it is really easy to travel on a low budget by staying in hostels (make use of hostelworld.com) rather than hotels. China also has a bullet train which makes traveling between cities really easy, cheap and fast! Make a list of the places that you want to see before going and try to prioritize seeing those places first, because time really does fly when you are on your exchange and before you know it you are on your way back!

    As mentioned, the language barrier can be a very big problem if you cannot understand or speak any Chinese! However, there are many local people on campus who are willing to trade English speaking classes for Chinese speaking classes! Make use of this opportunity, take my advice on this, it will make your life 10 times easier in China if you can understand even just the basics. I also experienced that Chinese people are more willing to help or assist you in stores or when you are lost when you are trying to speak Chinese to them. If you ask for help in English the chances are they will walk away because they don’t understand you. If you ask for help in broken Chinese, doesn’t matter how wrong it is, they will usually try their best to assist you even if it is just with hand signs. You will gain a lot of respect for speaking or trying to speak Chinese.

    Return to Stellenbosch

    Reverse culture shock IS A REAL THING.

    Coming back to Stellies has been bitter-sweet, more sweet than bitter though! The first week or two is extremely overwhelming because you will be asked the same question 10 times a day, “How was the exchange!?”, and they will expect you to summarize the experience in one sentence, because the reality is, they only want to know if it was good or bad, they don’t want to know everything. This can be extremely frustrating and a big anti-climax. You just (hopefully) experienced the best few months of your life where you saw so many things and grew so much as an individual while meeting the most interesting people, while most of the people at home just went on with their normal lives and routines. Unfortunately this means that they won’t necessarily share in your excitement and relate to any of your stories. This is neither their fault nor yours, and it is extremely important to be aware of this before even going back to SA. It helps so much to keep contact with the people you met there or the other International Business students that went on exchanges because you will be able to relate and talk about your experiences.

    In terms of academics; haha wow. As I mentioned before, the difficulty level in China was not very high, so it was a very big academic shock being back in Stellies and adapting to the heavy workload and difficulty level. It is however manageable, and you get used to it quickly.

    Coming from China, which was extremely safe and I never experienced any problems in terms of crime and safety, back to South Africa, was probably one of the most difficult adjustments. In China I was dependent of public transport and got use to not being overly cautious when walking alone, etc. It has been difficult to adjust my mind-set to be more aware and careful. When you are abroad you sometimes forget about all of the bad things happening in South Africa, because you miss the good things so much.

    One of the most important things I have had to focus on is maintaining my self-growth. I experienced a lot of self-growth while on the exchange, so coming back to an environment where the people around you have mostly stayed in the same mental space as they were before, can be very difficult. That’s why it is so important to make a conscious effort to keep growing and not to regress and fall into your old ways of doing things.

    This exchange is one of the best things to have ever happened to me, it changed and broaden my perspectives on so many different levels.

  • Lize Victor at University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Lize Victor at University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Pre-departure:


    Here you should focus on your preparations for your trip abroad. It should include information about the visa application, as well as suggestions or “tips” regarding what works well and/or areas for improvement.

    At first glance, the pre-departure process for this exchange seemed quite daunting and complicated. Everything was actually very straight forward once you started the process. Learning agreements had to be completed and the complexity of this largely depended on how easily courses at our host universities could be found. Some course catalogues were simple to follow while others were slightly more intricate. The upside of this was that it really encouraged an in depth look into the courses we wanted to do at each university, allowing for a much clearer picture of which universities we preferred. Personally, once I knew which university offered the courses most in line with my interests, I felt much more comfortable and at peace with my top 3 choices. UvA had a good mix of softer business subjects that I wanted to take such as Retail Marketing, Human Resources Management, and Strategic Management.

    In terms of the visa process, much of the brunt work was handled by the university when we filled in the online application on SunLearn. All that was required from us was to make the appointment at our nearest embassy and to provide the documents outlined on their websites. Due to the routine nature of sending students abroad on exchange and the online SU application (I was already in their system), my visa appointment took a total of five minutes. Important to note is that these appointments need to be made with a safe window of time before you leave on exchange. My visa only took 3 days to be approved, but sometimes it can take much longer. Furthermore, when you go to the appointment, they will take possession of your passport while your visa is getting approved (usually not longer than 2 to 3 weeks), so do not plan any trips where you will need your passport while this is taking place. Your visa will only be valid for 3 months once it is placed in your passport. After this, you will get your temporary (6 month) residence permit at your host university. This is generally the most important document to carry once you are on exchange, though you will always need your passport to cross any border, even in Europe. Additionally, remember not to compare or equate your process with the processes of others going to different universities – every situation is different. Do thorough research (websites, past experiences, call the embassies), make clear lists of tasks that need to be completed and documents that need to be completed before your appointment.

    Areas for improvement include more clarity of what is expected of students and the illumination of certain warnings since not all students have the same background knowledge of visa processes. Having someone to individually give advice (mentorship program for International Business) will definitely be helpful with regard to the visa processes.

    Experience at the Host University:


    This section should include information about the academic programme, as well as other activities done during your stay abroad. Describe the academic programme in detail and more importantly compare your experience with what you have experienced at Stellenbosch University.

    The Dutch grading system works on a scale of 1 to 10, one being the worst and 10 the best. Six is the minimum passing grade (this may vary module to module), with most students attaining grades from 6 to 8. Nine is rarer and ten is very rarely attained. There are three blocks in a semester, the first two consisting of eight weeks, and the last one consisting of four weeks. We have to attain 30 ECTS, which generally means five subjects. In my experience, it was much easier to do 3 in the first block and 2 in the second. There tends to be a lot going on in Amsterdam/Europe over Christmas time so focusing on 3 instead of 2 subjects later on in the semester would have been more difficult. In the first block I took Human Resource Management, Retail Marketing, and Cultural Industries, and in the second I took Corporate Social Responsibility and Strategic Management.

    Compared to Stellenbosch, actual contact hours each week for classes are quite low since there are so few subjects being taken at a time. In my subjects, lecture slides were organized per week. During lectures, I would take notes as the lecturer went along with their slides, and then whatever I did not finish I would go back over later and complete. I found that this helped me keep up with the general content, which I would then go and fill in with more detail with the textbook before the exam. The workload for my subjects was very manageable if they were kept up with in this way. For some subjects there were weekly group assignments and presentations, but generally most of the pressure came the week before the exam. Many of the tutorials are compulsory but will allow you to miss one, so coordinate travels with those dates/timetables before booking anything. The final grade of my subjects was usually made up of a group project/assignment and then an exam (some other subjects will have midterms during week four of the block). Exams were mostly multiple choice.

    In my opinion, setting goals before going on exchange is very important. I went into exchange with two focuses in mind: doing well in my studies but also leaving enough time to travel in between. Going away almost every weekend, travelling to Germany, Sweden, Czechia, Italy, Spain, Ireland, France, and Belgium, I went to many more places than I had intended. Realistically, the only way to do this is to work hard during the week, keep up to date with the work, so that you can travel during weekends. It was exhausting at times, but I do not regret anything regarding my travels and how I found the balance between academics and fun. I adored Amsterdam and don’t doubt that it was the best setting for my incredible exchange experience.


    Return to Stellenbosch:

    Write about the process of returning to life in Stellenbosch / South Africa, and how your experience abroad changed your perspective on certain things in South Africa. Also refer to how your trip possibly influenced your future plans and if you are planning to go abroad again.

    Amsterdam will always hold a special place in my heart. The people are blunt but friendly, the public transport is simple, the outskirts are wholesome, and the city center is exciting and fun; there is something for everyone. Amsterdam is extremely liberal/egalitarian and exceptionally diverse. The first time you venture into the city is somewhat of a baptism of fire: with its coffee shops and red-light districts. South Africa was a lot more conservative than I had previously realized, and returning home highlighted that fact even more. In terms of navigating the city, it must be one of the simplest cities for South Africans, especially Afrikaans South Africans. While everyone speaks excellent English, much of the administrative side of exchange is in Dutch (e.g. banking). Having a handle on the language gives you an instant advantage and makes everything go smoother.

    The contrasts between a first world country like the Netherlands and a third would country like South Africa really came into focus. Safety, efficiency, progressiveness, education, all these things are starkly different between the two countries, but both have upsides and downsides. The Netherlands, while being beautiful and technologically advanced, was very expensive and still lacked a sense of warmth that South Africa has. South Africa is dangerous and has problems like load shedding and draught, but in the end, it is home.

    After I flew back on the 27th of January, having spent a month in Amsterdam without actually having class (I got a job during that month), I only had a few days to get my things together and catch up with my family before coming back to Stellenbosch. The readjustment process was easier than I had thought, considering many people had previously discussed how surprisingly difficult it was. I attribute that to the fact that my three best friends in Stellenbosch are also studying International Business, had gone on exchange, and therefore had gone through similar experiences as me. It helps to talk about it. That being said, it was also just so nice seeing everyone and being back where things made sense and you had the support of your people. I do find myself missing the feeling of Amsterdam sometimes. There was something freeing (though sometimes isolating) about the anonymity of the city.

    Having friends back in South Africa who understand what you went through on exchange is a huge advantage. Stick close to your International business group because they can help make your transition back into South African university life a lot more seamless. Exchange was such a massive learning experience, housing tough times and good times equally well. It teaches you to shoulder the weight and responsibility of being an adult on your own, because that’s difficult to simulate in your own country, in your own comfort zone. Being abroad for six months really opens your eyes to the possibility of more beyond South Africa. Everything feels less far away than it did before. I would love to do a masters abroad or become an expatriate for a portion of my life at some point. However, I mostly grew up in Europe and the USA (living in Belgium, Czechia, and Arkansas), so for now I want to stay here and make a life for myself in South Africa.

  • Courtney Mocke at Maastricht University, The Netherlands

    Courtney Mocke at Maastricht University, The Netherlands

    Pre-departure:

    The exchange semester included in BCom International Business is one of the most attractive features of the degree. So when exchange finally approached, to say I was a tangled mess, feeling both excited and overwhelmed, is an understatement! After careful consideration and many late nights doing research into each available institution, I had eventually felt lead to Maastricht University in the Netherlands. This was largely due to their renowned international orientation and progressive Problem Based Learning (PBL) education system and, if I’m being honest, its prime location for traveling in Europe.

    I was pleasantly surprised (and relieved) by the level of organization and communication from Maastricht University. Once our nominations went through from Stellenbosch, I was contacted by Maastricht almost immediately with a detailed PDF on how next to proceed. They essentially held my hand and guided me through the entire process – applying for housing, applying for my residential visa, setting up my university profile and registering for my courses – and were both quick and happy to respond to any queries that I emailed to them.

    Approximately 50% of Maastricht University’s student body is comprised of international students and they offer an extensive exchange program, and it truly shows. The university organized housing for me and provided me with a housing scholarship; they prompted me regarding the necessary documents for my residential visa as they did the application through their in-house visa office; and my email inbox was filled to the brim with relevant PDF documents that pre-empted all my many questions and also made sure I knew the ins and outs of all the academic (and social) life at Maastricht… I was never at a loss for information and assistance.

    And while it was relatively smooth sailing because of Maastricht’s hands-on approach, that’s not to say there weren’t a couple of hiccups on my side. I received an email to say that my long-stay visa was ready for collection, but when I arrived to collect it from the embassy in Pretoria, they had no record of my application! Long (and stressful) story short, the university does the application for you on their side, however you still need to book an appointment to apply for the document collection in South Africa too. At this appointment, you are required to hand in your passport, so while the turnover time is relatively quick, allow some time for that. Apparently the wording of the email is misleading and the embassy is in the process of adjusting it, so I took some small comfort in the fact that I was amongst many other people who had made the same mistake!

    Nevertheless, the level of professionalism, efficiency and clear communication from the university put my (and both my parents’) minds at ease. I am so grateful for the impressive organization of their international department, since it truly allowed me to enjoy the excitement (and bypass a lot of the pre-departure admin stress) in the time leading up to my departure.

    Experience at Host University:

    Maastricht’s Problem Based Learning system is a major drawcard to the university. So I approached the academic aspect of my exchange semester with a mixture of apprehension and intrigue. Having grown accustomed to the Stellenbosch education system, in which it is easy to disengage from the work when you sit in a lecture hall of hundreds of students, the interactive PBL system required some adjustment.

    I quickly learnt that the system is one that demands a lot of time and effort from the students. I attended weekly classes that took the form of interactive tutorials with 10 to 15 people, had extensive lists of articles to get through and self-prepare ahead of each tutorial, had to facilitate and lead the discussion on several occasions, and was required to participate in numerous group projects. Simply put: it was a lot of hard work and the responsibility for your learning falls squarely on your shoulders.

    However, it was the most captivated and engaged I’ve ever been with university content (and, therefore, the most prepared I’ve felt when it came to exams). I took a range of subjects including Comparative Management, Globalization Debate, Brand Management and Management of Organizations, and finally ended my semester with a practical term on Presentation Skills (which was a leap out of my comfort zone that ended up being so rewarding). The tutorials are monitored by tutors (usually Masters students) who do not participate in the discussions, unless they intervene to clarify a concept. Therefore, we learnt through discussing and debating amongst ourselves, so I quickly learnt to find my voice, formulate informed opinions and open my mind to the many different perspectives of students from all over the world. This system of engaging with one another also meant I was no longer an anonymous exchange student engulfed in a large lecture hall. It gave me so many opportunities to meet people and get to know one another and I made some of my best friends on exchange through tutorials together.

    Another attractive feature of Maastricht University is its strong international inclination. With a diverse student body, many exchange programs and internationally-oriented academic and research content, I was never the “outsider” as an exchange student. Meeting people from different countries was the norm and varying perspectives and experiences from all different parts of the world were embraced. I honestly appreciated this component of my exchange. It was enlightening to make internationally-diverse friends, comforting that the university makes all provisions for exchange students, and it also meant that there was no real language barrier since English was the common language of communication.

    This demography extends into the city itself. Maastricht, being on the border of Belgium and Germany, is internationally-diverse and is truly student-oriented with the campus extending all across the city (much like Stellenbosch). My attachment to the city happened very slowly at first, and then seemingly all at once it began to feel like home when I would return from traveling in Europe.

    When I wasn’t preparing for tutorials or working in groups on projects, I would take every opportunity to travel. This was the dream of so many of us: embracing the academic opportunity that exchange provides, but also taking full advantage of the privilege that it is to travel and have diverse cultural experiences. I spent most weekends traveling in the Netherlands, to Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Spain, either meeting up with fellow Stellenbosch students on exchange or with newfound international friends. As many of us agreed upon our return: the lows were low, but the highs were really high. And these opportunities and memories were the experiences that made all the physical, emotional and admin challenges of exchange worth it.

    Return to Stellenbosch:

    As I mentioned before, the adjustment to exchange happened very slowly at first, and then suddenly all at once. Honestly, the first couple of months were lonely.

    And they were filled with so many embarrassing stumbles as I navigated public transport (even more so when attempting this with luggage!), staring at prices trying to convert euros to Rands (pro-tip: don’t do it to yourself), initiating conversations with total strangers, and navigating icy, rainy weather conditions.

    But upon my return to South Africa, I realized that those “lonely” moments became moments of introspection, re-evaluating myself and my aspirations (plus, those lonely moments didn’t last forever and the friends I made were worth the wait).

    And those “embarrassing” moments just broke down some of my defense mechanisms, and I slowly learnt that it was okay not to have everything figured out and that sometimes all I needed to do was be patient with myself (and, more often than not, just to laugh at myself). These lessons were so empowering and I’m holding on tightly to the person that I grew into upon my return.

    The return home was an unexpected adjustment. I expected a sense of relief that comes with the familiarity of home, and comfort in knowing how things work and the norms of South Africans in general. And that was present to some extent, but I struggled to reconcile that while seemingly nothing had changed in my external home environment, so much had changed within me. Almost everything felt conflicted. I felt frustrated with the apathy that characterizes so much of South African infrastructure, because I was so impressed by the self-discipline, efficiency and integrity that made up so much of the Dutch culture. And yet, for all the productivity and straight-forward communication of the Dutch, the beauty of our country and the open warmth and friendliness of South Africans is unparalleled. When I landed at OR Tambo International upon my return, the man at passport control told me “welcome home”. I may have shed a tear or two. And I could write an entire blog post dedicated to the natural beauty of our country, and my renewed appreciation for it.

    While I learnt that traveling is the most enriching experience and prompts so much personal growth, I also learnt that South Africa is home. And a beautiful one. My future plans definitely include traveling. In what capacity, I’m not sure yet, but I do know that I will grab any chance that enables me to travel, pushing back my personal barriers and experiencing diverse cultures. And then I will return home to South Africa at the end of every venture.

    Ultimately, exchange is an opportunity I would recommend to everyone. It puts everything into perspective when your world is expanded in that way, both externally and internally. Exchange prompted much introspection, invaluable lessons on independence and self-reliance, re-evaluating my plans for the future and also opened me up to a network of people all across the world. I will always be grateful for these invaluable outcomes and, most of all, grateful that exchange was the catalyst for my pursuit of the person I am growing into.