A Blog about Education Abroad

Tag: semester exchange

Kyle de Villiers at Koc University, Turkey

Kyle de Villiers

BCom International Business

Semester Exchange in the Second Semester, 2023 at Koc University

Pre-departure:

It is very overwhelming to have to choose a single university from a range of so many top performing universities in the world. I believe that Koc University was a hidden gem. Koc University started later than most European universities. After finishing my exams in June and only starting at Koc at the end of September gave me the opportunity to do four internships at financial companies. Internships are very underrated by students. In this time, I realised what industry I want to work in and what type of job I would enjoy. Before this I was clueless.

On the more practical side of things. Turkey only requires an e-visa. It was very easy to apply for one and I received mine within 24 hours. When you arrive in Turkey, they help you to apply for a student visa and explain the steps to follow. Koc University’s exchange team is very helpful and quick to reply.

I only booked a one-way trip to Turkey, because I did not know the exact date of my final exams (they ended 23 January 2024). I was stopped at O.R. Tambo and had to book a return flight right then and there, otherwise Turkey might not let you go through customs if they do not have proof that you can return to your country. In short, book both your flights before departing.

Experience at the Host University:

My experience was amazing. I loved every minute of it. The orientation for the international students starts a week before classes start and there, I made many international friends that I spent time with every week. International students stay in West Campus (which is a 10 min trip from the actual university). All of the international students live there, and the University has shuttles that drive to campus and back continually. I was placed in a room with two Turkish students who became my two Turkish brothers. I lived in a hostel for 8 years of my life before going to Turkey, so I think it was much easier for me to adapt to living in the same room with two other people. I know other students (especially the girls) struggled with this. The rooms are very well designed and has enough space. The buildings and facilities are also in great condition. Tip: Pack for both winter and summer (two bags are enough).  I disliked the fact I could not jog in the streets (due to a lack of space), but West Campus has a 25m swimming pool, so I wore my South African speedo and swam laps every day. Also, the public transport in Turkey is amazing, so you can easily go to the river to jog or walk or sit on a bench.

The campus itself is designed to look like Stanford University. The University is owned by the richest family in Turkey, meaning everything is in great condition, and for example there are charging stations for Tesla’s, a Football field, Ice Rink, Gym, Basketball Courts, and a Tennis Court. I enrolled for very interesting courses namely, Corporate Finance, FinTech, Python, Turkish, Chess (yes chess, an International Master taught us) and Global Business Strategy. The lecturers are amazing, well-qualified and fun, and they challenged me to think and learn. However, the exams were much easier than Stellenbosch.

The Koc campus

From all the partner universities I believe Turkey is the cheapest. With the money I was provided by SUI, I managed to pay for my flights to Turkey and back, I went to Erzurum (by plane) and skied for a week, I traveled every other weekend (since public transport is cheap), and I went to Ephesus. Accommodation for four months at Koc was only R25 000 and the living expenses were super cheap. For example, it only cost me R20 for a full meal at the University, which was always very good food. Comparing this to my friends who went to Europe, I can definitely say that South African Rand goes the furthest in Turkey (It cost R0.6 for one Turkish lira when I was in Turkey).

Turkey in my opinion is by far the best option for any exchange student. From riding ferries on the Bosphorus, going to every Museum, eating street food, experiencing a new culture, skiing on the mountain of Palandoken, visiting underground churches in Cappadocia and exploring the streets of Ephesus; Turkey has it all. West Campus can make one feel isolated, so I often took a bus to central Istanbul and just explored. Luckily, the public transport is really amazing, maybe even better than most European countries. I have been to many European countries, and I can say that Turkey has the most to do and see. The further East you go in Turkey, the more local and the better the food becomes. I would recommend everyone to go East. I fell in love with the Turks and their culture the more I spent time with them and the more I understood them.

Erzurum castle where Kyle went skiing

Return to Stellenbosch:

I deferred my exchange, meaning I do not return to SU. ONE IMPORTANT TIP IF YOU DEFER: If you are planning to do an Honours degree at a different university (UCT for example), you must ensure that you get your marks from your exchange university as soon as possible. It is a lot of admin to get your final academic transcript then, but if you are able to get your marks from your exchange university you can request to receive your final transcript earlier. Graduating in March is also something to bear in mind when deferring.

February 13, 2024
Paula Duggan at West Virginia University, USA

Paula Duggan

BCom International Business

Semester Exchange in the Second Semester, 2022 at West Virginia University

Pre-departure:

The semester abroad is a huge part of Stellenbosch University’s International Business degree, and something that we have all been dreaming of and anticipating since first year. The long list of partner universities provides something that appeals to everyone. A lot of time and research went into deciding which university I wanted to attend, and I confidently landed on West Virginia University. There were several reasons why I chose WVU. The university has a rich history, it is located in a small “student town” and its academic record is pretty impressive – especially its business college. I have always been interested in traveling to the United States, and as West Virginia is not a typical tourist destination, I knew that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience something totally new.

The pre-departure planning of the semester abroad process was probably the most daunting part of the whole experience. Applying to a new university was a confusing process and often times difficult to understand. However, West Virginia University has a brilliant international student programme, so there was always someone available to help with admin processes and to answer any questions I had. I would recommend getting all of your documents ready before university applications open. These may include: a certified bank statement proving your ability to support yourself financially, copy of your transcript and certified copy of passport etc. And start the application as soon as it comes out.

After receiving my acceptance letter, it all started to feel real, and I could finally start to get excited about leaving. Flights to the US were expensive, so it was important to try book well in advance. The US embassy is incredibly inundated with people applying for visas, so getting a timely visa appointment date took a bit of work. Therefore, try to book a visa appointment ASAP. When I booked mine, the earliest appointment I could get was two months into my exchange, so I had to find someone who stays on the embassy website and books appointments as other people cancel theirs. I know you can also expedite an appointment, but I am not sure how easy it is to do that. However, once I had my interview date, everything went smoothly, and I soon had my visa. Finally, I would advise you to pack light because you’ll definitely be shopping while you’re there. Also don’t forget to pack for winter, I mostly brought summer clothes so had to spend a bit on some warmer pieces there.

Experience at the host university:

Upon my arrival at West Virginia University, all the anxieties I had coming into the semester disappeared. After meeting my roommate, a really nice girl from Russia, we were thrown into several international student events where we met all the other internationals. Despite the language and cultural barriers, it was easy to make friends and our differences gave us all so much to talk about. It wasn’t long before I formed a great group of friends from all over the world, including Germany, Mexico, Haiti, Belgium, Iceland and Morocco.

Paula with exchange friends

The academic programme at WVU was a totally new system of learning. Stellenbosch’s high academic standard stood me in good stead when trying to navigate the US system. I took an array of mostly business modules, as well as a history and English module. The lectures were brilliant, and it was clear how passionate the professors were about their subjects. The content was really stimulating and interesting, and the only major difference I noted was the university’s methods of testing. We did not do one major test and one exam as we do in Stellenbosch, but WVU lecturers preferred smaller, more frequent tests and assignments on smaller chunks of the content. This meant that it was important to attend lectures and keep up with the work, but it also took the stress off when it came to tests.

West Virginia University campus

I was so impressed by the opportunities available to students on the campus. The university organized so many free events for students, including a festival that featured Polo G, Tay Money and some country singers who everyone seemed to recognize except for me. There were also so many clubs that we could join, and I chose to join the Women in Business organization, where I got to attend informative talks by several female entrepreneurs. The career services at WVU were also amazing and I was able to have several practice sessions for job interviews I had coming up. Overall, I felt that the university really catered to the students in so many ways, be that socially, academically and professionally.

I definitely underestimated how expensive the USA would be. Not only was a cappuccino R80, but I was shocked to find out the huge amounts that students there pay for school fees and accommodation. Furthermore, everything is before-tax, fast-food costs the same as one big meal at Craft and in some airports, you even have to pay $7 to use a luggage trolley. It took some time to adapt to this extreme capitalist culture, but I learnt to budget effectively and only spend where necessary. One of my favourite parts of my experience, was the opportunity to travel the United States. I went to Pittsburgh, San Francisco, New York and Colorado, where I saw snow for the first time. It was so interesting to see how the cultures of each place differed, despite all being in the same country.

Return to Stellenbosch:

By the time the semester came to a close, I was really sad to be leaving such a beautiful place and all of the amazing friends I had made along the way. However, I was also eager to see my family and friends and return to South Africa after 5 months away. Returning during the slow December holiday period was the biggest adjustment, after having come from such a fast-paced environment of traveling and meeting new people. However, it was great to share about my experience with all of my old friends.

I loved every minute of my time in the United States, but it gave me a new appreciation for the beauty of South Africa and my life here. I began to see the beauty of South Africa through the eyes of the Americans. Upon first arriving in the USA, all I could see was the stark contrasts; to me, the United States was a country where everything worked, you could get anything at just the click of a button, and you didn’t have to worry so much about locking your doors at night. However, by the end of my trip, I realized that there are some amazing things in South Africa that the US does not have. South Africa’s natural environment is unlike anything else in the world, and it is clear that in a lot of ways, South Africans are far more conscious of conserving the environment. I was surprised to find that recycling and sustainability was not really prioritized in many parts the USA, and I am proud that South Africa has a greater awareness. Through the Women in Business organization, the career centre, as well as the people I met along the way, I had the opportunity to get an array of perspectives when it comes to my career and my future after my degree. During my time abroad, I really solidified my plans for my future, and I am eager to go to the UK to launch my career after studying. I believe that this semester has really helped to develop my business skills in an international context.

Upon returning home, I realized just how much personal growth I had made over the last five months. Change was not something I used to like, but I was surprised how easy it was to adapt to life in another country. Putting myself out there to make new friends and experience new experiences was so important in the adapting process. The biggest piece of advice I can give to those who are embarking on a semester abroad is to not sweat the small stuff. In the end, I think it all comes down to your mindset, and just how willing you are to make the most of your experience.

September 21, 2023
Jessica Van der Berg at Lausanne University, Switzerland

Jessica Van der Berg

MCom in Economics

Semester Exchange in the First Semester, 2022 at Lausanne University

Pre-departure:

The pre-departure planning felt a little bit chaotic since there was still uncertainty about the covid-19 regulations and whether traveling abroad would be possible. However, there is only so much you can do to prepare and then you just have to wait and see what happens. Luckily Emirates started flying from South Africa again on the 01 February 2022, and my flight was on the 5th of February 2022, so everything worked out perfectly. Since I only have a South African passport had to apply for a type D visa with the Swiss Embassy in Johannesburg. If you are a student, you do not have to pay any visa fees. However, you do have to pay to get your documents delivered to the Swiss Embassy (if you are staying in Cape Town) which cost around R1000 if you use post-net.

The type-D visa requires you to send in 3 copies of all the documentation that they require, so the admin related to applying can take some time. The process also takes about 9-12 weeks; therefore, you should get started as soon as possible. I didn’t hear anything from the Swiss Embassy and when I contacted them after waiting 10 weeks, my visa was approved and ready. You then have to arrange with post-net to go pick up your documents and it takes about 2 days to get delivered to their branch in Cape Town. Since the visa process if quite lengthy, my suggestion would be to send in more information than necessary to ensure there are no delays. After I have received my visa application, I could start packing.

If you are staying with FMEL (Lausanne University accommodation), then you have to take your own bedding, cutlery and crockery. This ends up taking a lot of space in your bags and therefore I decided to purchase everything once I arrive in Lausanne. You can rent bedding from your place of accommodation, which cost around 80 CHF for 5 months. However, my advice would be to rather go to the IKEA which is a few train stops away and buy the cheapest bedding that you can find. I bought bedding, cutlery and some basic crockery which all added up to 120 CHF (with the bedding costing around 55 CHF). The only disadvantage of doing it this way, is that you have to leave all your purchases behind when you return home, or my suggestion would be to donate it to other students. My advice for packing is that less is more. Looking back now, I packed way too many jerseys and too many books that I never got around to reading. Only pack items that you really need. Remember that you will also purchase some clothing and gifts while travelling and living abroad, so it is best to leave space in your bag for when you return.

Experience at the host university:

The University of Lausanne gives you a very generous bursary of around 1750 CHF for 5 months. This is more than enough to cover your monthly expenses in Lausanne if you don’t indulge in too luxuries. When you arrive in Lausanne, you have to set up a meeting with the exchange coordinator and they give you a cheque for your first month’s bursary. You then have to take that to the bank and then you can either deposit it in a Swiss bank account or take it cash. The rest of the bursary is than paid into your Swiss bank account. It is relatively easy to open a bank account, however you do need to make an appointment and they do require you to have your temporary residence permit. You can make an appointment online and they tell you which documents you need to bring. The bank account takes about a week to activate. So, if you do not feel comfortable having 1 750 CHF in cash, you need to make sure you have enough money to survive for at least 2-3 weeks before you have all your admin sorted.

You also have to get compulsory health insurance when you are in Switzerland. You can apply for an exemption; however, they do have strict requirements. The cheapest option I could find was with Golden Care and cost 51 CHF a month. You have 3 months to get health insurance otherwise the canton you are staying with assigns you to an insurance company and then you don’t have any say in the price. The public transport in Switzerland is quite expensive. I purchased a zone ticket which allows you to travel around in centre Lausanne for 52 CHF a month. You can also buy a half-fare card for 120 CHF (for the whole year) which gives you a discount when you purchase a train ticket. Furthermore, there is also a 7/25 card which allows you to travel free between 7 pm and 5 am. This is great for longer travels over the weekend and cost around 49 CHF per month.

The University of Lausanne is an extremely culturally diverse university with many exchange students, which makes it easy to meet new people. To make sure I wasn’t falling into the trap of only becoming friend with other exchange students, I took a class that involved a group project and met some great people from Switzerland. The university sits right on Lake Geneva, and you often see sheep (the universities lawnmowers) walking around on campus. In terms of teaching, I was impressed by the quality of lectures that I had. The lectures were flexible in terms of attending class since there were still various COVID-19 rules in place when class started. All my lectures were in English and were presented both online and in person. The assessments focused on class presentations and assignments, rather than exams. This was a refreshing approach to assessing a student’s understanding of the work. I thought the difficulty level of the classes that I took was on par with that of Stellenbosch.

Jessica by Lake Geneva

The accommodation process is also relatively easily with the only disadvantage being that can’t choose in which student house/apartment you stay. Before they assign you to a house, they ask you what your budget is. If you want to stay close to campus, you are going to pay at least 750 CHF rent per month, however there is accommodation further away from campus for 550 CHF per month. I really enjoyed staying close to campus and Lake Geneva, and definitely think it is worth the extra cost. The administers at the accommodation are extremely helpful and I often went to them to assist me with using the laundry facilities, insurance letters and getting around. So, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need some. Lausanne is extremely beautiful and safe. You can take a train and travel all around Lake Geneva and visit many neighbouring cantons. Switzerland is also extremely central which makes it super easy to travel to neighbouring countries. A bus (with Flixbus) to France cost around 8 CHF and a bus to Milan around 25 CHF. You can also fly for relatively cheap with Easy Jets and travel to places like Croatia for 40 CHF (however the flight prices increase drastically during tourist season).

Return to Stellenbosch:

I am excited to return home to South Africa and finish my studies at Stellenbosch University but will definitely miss being in Switzerland. Switzerland has an extremely high quality of life, and therefore you are not exposed to problems such as load shedding. Switzerland also has a low poverty and crime rate, which was refreshing. I have also been very proud to be from South Africa and this experience has not changed that. If anything, I think I can take the life lessons that I have learnt in Lausanne and apply them to my life in South Africa. The exchange journey has made me realize that I would like to work abroad at some point in my life. There are many opportunities for you to grow in a professional capacity and ways to expand your career. However, I believe I will always want to return to South Africa.

September 19, 2023