Semester Exchange in the Second Semester, 2022 at ESSEC Business School
Pre-departure:
Preparing to study in France was quite a stressful time for me. First one has to go through Campus France to get a certificate confirming that you will study in France (EEF certificate) which is amended to the visa application. Then you have the visa application itself which is stressful because by the time you get to this step, it will be very close to your departure date. So, my biggest advice would be to read up on the whole process very early and have a visa appointment scheduled at least four weeks before your estimated departure date, even if you haven’t started the process yet!
As a general rule, many administrative processes will from there onward be done in French. Don’t use travel agents for your airplane tickets rather go to the airline’s site to get the best prices, but I would suggest doing it on a private browser so that they don’t use your cookies to manipulate prices. I would also suggest getting a global account at whichever bank you currently bank with, so that you don’t pay huge transaction fees when spending abroad. Even if you plan on opening a French Bank Account (it will take a while before you can use it) I would also recommend getting an eSIM before you get to Europe, which allows you data plans all across Europe and can be really affordable. This will keep you in touch with the world, but also allow you enough time to make the right decision regarding a more permanent prepaid SIM and provider.
Don’t pack too many summer clothes if you are doing a fall semester abroad, trust me you will not wear all of it. When winter comes you end up wearing one or two coats every day (which you might as well buy that side too as a souvenir) and a scarf, thermals and gloves (trust me on the gloves). Finally, registering for modules is a massive headache. ESSEC only provides a limited number of seats for all their elective courses, which you will have to choose from. So, before going to France they have two registration rounds where it is first-come-first-serve for getting a seat for a module you want to take. Be ready to put in all your module codes at once or else you’ll have to compromise like most of us ended up having to do.
Experience at the host university:
My modules at ESSEC Business School included: Socially Responsible Marketing; Introduction to CSR; AI for Business; Sustainable Development; Upper Intermediate French; Public Policy and Entrepreneurship; Innovation and Strategic Management; and French Civilization. Among these I would firstly recommend French Civilization since it was a chance to explore French culture and meet new people – we had a cheese tasting in class once and a tour of Paris in another. Then I most certainly recommend the AI for Business one, because it was so enlightening and relevant, and the professors gamified the whole curriculum to make it more interactive. In general, I would not advise taking economics, law or finance modules if you want more than just an academic semester abroad. Many of my peers were very negative at having chosen some of these harder modules.
The learning approach at ESSEC was more go through theory and then apply to different cases and then finish with a class discussion. You will have groupwork projects in every module and have to present something to the class every now and then, but these are all just life skills that any manager needs. I also want to mention that you will have one class for each module you take, every week. Each class is three hours, and the schedule runs from 9:00 to 19:30 and this is super taxing if you take modules that fill up a whole day. Yes, that could secure you a longer weekend or rest day, but many times my peers felt that it wasn’t really worth it.
Marco on the Seine
ESSEC had a very interesting social committee system with two parties (The Vikings and Pirates) competing in a campaign at the end of the fall semester to win the votes for organizing ESSEC social events the following period–which meant lots of free things, and interesting events. This kept us busy, and they also offered many free training programs for sports and other activities like Latin-American dance. The lecturers and alumni of ESSEC are also such a valuable asset and network opportunity, since ESSEC is currently (2022) in the top 3 business schools in France. Also, don’t trust the French when they say we’ll have a big barbeque, it’s nothing like a normal South African braai.
Return to Stellenbosch:
Coming back to Stellenbosch, I was extremely excited to see all my friends and peers again. Since most graduated and luckily many got in for honors, the fact that IB is four years and not three, really gets to you. But I think that having done the exchange in third year and not deferring it to fourth year gave me a lot of clarity on what I want to do after graduating. Having chosen the very specialized modules relating to sustainability and CSR, I discovered a passion to workout strategies of becoming more sustainable, circular and responsible. Thus, I have decided to go back to France for a Masters in either of those fields. And having found out about some bursaries on offer from the French Embassy I have become all the more intrigued.
On a more cultural level, coming back to Stellenbosch has also shown me how the university life and all its doings create a type of bubble that most students are trapped in. They get so focused on minor residence leadership or faculty leadership and activities, etc. that they miss out on some international opportunities that I was able to see more clearly while abroad. It also feels like students have less of an actual awareness of what the labour market will require of them and many think that simply their degree will be enough. But as a student of business that has been abroad, I have realized that we can in no way compete with international students at universities abroad, because most have at least four months of experience when they finish their undergrad studies, while we have none. But all in all, I still think that Stellenbosch University is the best university in South Africa and that its beauty can’t even be outweighed by European landscapes. And so, coming back has made me expectant and excited to make the best of my final year.
Semester Exchange in the Second Semester, 2022 at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Pre-departure:
There were many aspects before departure that I now know I should have done better or not have bothered with at all. Firstly, Visa applications were quite a headache for me. Although my host university, Vrije Universiteit, did make the process simpler for me by eliminating the need to make a physical appointment at the Dutch Embassy to submit my documents to the IND, I still felt extremely overwhelmed. There were just so many documents I had to sign and submit that I was unsure off. Thus, I would advise you to do research on which documents they need and the deadlines for the Visa application and to not be afraid to ask others, such as representatives from the Host University, questions.
I would also recommend that on the day you receive your Visa acceptance letter that you make an appointment at the Dutch Embassy closest to you. I had trouble securing an appointment to collect my MVV at the embassy, so to ensure that you receive your visa before you need to travel to your host country, I would put this at the top of my priority list. I would also advise others to utilize student housing if they are planning on doing an exchange in the Netherlands, especially at VU Amsterdam. Student housing is by far the cheapest accommodation you will find in Amsterdam, and you will have the benefit of the housing being relatively close to campus. Additionally, you will be living with other students, so it will be easier to make new friends and build a support network in an unfamiliar country. I would also recommend packing lightly, as you will need less stuff than you think for the next six months abroad. You will also want to bring souvenirs back to your family, friends, and off course, for yourself, thus you will need some extra space in your bags. In terms of winter clothes, I would also recommend buying them while on exchange if you are travelling to Europe, as the clothes are usually better quality and are cheaper than you would find in South Africa.
Experience at the host university:
I found that the university system in the Netherlands, specifically at Vrije Universiteit, differs quite a lot from South African Universities such as Stellenbosch. A semester is divided into three periods, where periods one and two are usually two months each, and period three only one month. You would typically have two modules each period and they would start and end in the specific period that they occur in. This is a big difference from Stellenbosch, where all modules would start at the beginning of the semester and end at the end of the semester. This would effectively mean that modules are completed at a much faster pace. Furthermore, where one would have 50-minute classes at Stellenbosch, one class here is usually two and a half hours long. Consequently, this would mean that there are less classes per week than what you would be used at Stellenbosch. In my personal experience, I did prefer Vrije Universiteit’s way of working, although work had to be understood and completed at a much faster pace than what I was used to, there were never periods that I felt overwhelmed with university work, thus I felt I had a good work-life balance. The big advantage of Stellenbosch is that work is done at a slower pace, so there is usually time to catch up with work if you fall behind, but you will experience at least two big periods during the semester when all modules’ assignments and tests happen at the same time.
Amsterdam
I would recommend choosing one of the Minor programmes the university has to offer, as it has a predetermined timetable, thus you would not have to worry about your chosen modules clashing. Additionally, you can add it to your CV after you have completed it, which would benefit your work prospects. I decided to study a Minor in Risk Management for Financial Institution and I loved every module of it, especially Risk Management for Banking and Financial Institutions. It was extremely interesting for me to learn about how the banking and insurance sectors work in the European Union and what type of risks would be applied to them and what do supervisors, such as the European Central Bank, require in terms of risk management for these firms. What I found interesting about the modules I took is that there were many guest lectures who came to talk to students during lectures and they were not just any ordinary people: most worked for big banks in the Netherlands such as Dutch Central Bank, European Central Bank, Fintech companies like Adyen and various risk management companies. I loved that the university gave students exposure to experts in their field and people who are influential on a Dutch and European level. In terms of assignments and exams, most assignments were centered around group projects, so be prepared to work with many different people during your exchange semester. I did not find that there were big differences in the standards of exam questions between Vrije Universiteit and Stellenbosch University, but I would still recommend continuing to study hard and not underestimate the amount and level of work at your host university.
Return to Stellenbosch:
I would be lying if I said that I did not shed a tear as I landed in South Africa at the end of my exchange. It was wonderful for me to experience the nature and warm weather of South Africa again after being stuck in the cold for so many months. I also loved being able to see my family and friends and enjoy a lekker braai again. Living on the other side of the world for an extended period of time really gave me some perspective on various aspects in South Africa. Firstly, I realized that I appreciate the people of South Africa a lot; South Africans are extremely friendly and helpful to others, even strangers, which is not very common everywhere in the world. I have also realized that South Africa has amazing meat quality and taste, which I would now always remember to appreciate.
However, the socio-economic challenges South Africa face has become more apparent to me after I have been living in a developed and high quality of life country for so long. It has reinforced my views that no-one should ever have to live in such poverty and violence that most South Africans must endure on a daily basis. Especially as a woman, I now find it extremely sad and unacceptable that every woman I know is scared to walk alone at night or travel into certain areas alone as result of South Africa’s high crime rate. Although South Africa, like every other country in the world, has its problems, there is no other place I would rather live for the long term. My study abroad experience has not only exposed me to many new and different places, people, customs, food, and cultures, but has also made me extremely proud to be a South African and to call this country my home. However, I did love the whole experience of studying abroad, thus I would like to sometime in the next 10 years go and live in a new country for an extended period to keep on broadening my horizons and experiencing new people and places.
Semester Exchange in the Second Semester, 2022 at UNC Greensboro
Pre-departure:
…where to begin? The first thing (which I’m sure you will hear 100 times) is to start with all the admin early. The admin work that goes into travelling is definitely the least fun part of the whole experience, but it will all just be a tiny blip in your memory once you are actually overseas. The UNCG international office was very efficient and after I heard that I had been accepted, they were quite quick to mail me the documents I needed to apply for a US visa. I applied online immediately but I experienced huge issues with the US Consulate in Cape Town.
Basically, once you apply online you are usually able to make an appointment for your in-person interview, however there was a ‘technical issue’ with my account which was left unresolved for months… After calling and emailing the consulate countless times, the issue was still not resolved. By the time June came around I was freaking out, but I kept calling the embassy multiple times a day until they paid attention to me. I finally had my visa appointment, received my visa a couple days later and booked my flight to the US. Four days later I was on my way!
In the months leading up to your departure, I would suggest that you keep a to-do list on your phone to constantly update and tick off. My to-do list included things such as getting travel insurance, getting health insurance, ensuring my bank card would work overseas, buying dollars, making a budget, getting the vaccines I needed, booking flights, submitting the necessary documents to Stellenbosch and UNCG etc. Keeping a list of everything helped me feel much more in control and just ticking one thing off your list each day is very satisfying!
UNCG was also very helpful and responsive to any questions I had. Do check your emails regularly and to keep in touch with the international office and ask as many questions as you need to – they are used to dealing with students from all around the world so never feel like you are asking something silly. As the June exams approach, you will be trying to contain your excitement for this new adventure while studying for exams so the last thing you want to be dealing with is travel admin. I remember standing outside of the Study Centre on the phone to the US Embassy in tears while trying to study for an exam… it is not fun. Some things are out of your control but try your best to do everything you can before exams come around so that you do not have that extra pressure on yourself.
Experience at the host university:
UNCG is situated in a small town (Greensboro) in North Carolina and is not the most interesting and definitely not as beautiful as Stellenbosch. It is like Stellenbosch in the sense that the university campus is a big part of the town and there is a similar number of students. It is a very diverse university, with many people from different states, countries and financial backgrounds. It is not a big football school; in fact, it does not have American Football at all so you will not get that typical American movie college experience. I did love how central Greensboro was on the East Coast. This made it relatively easy to travel around the country compared to if you were far in the North or South, for example. I was very keen to travel as much as possible during my time in the US so I deliberately chose classes that were in the middle of the week so I would have long weekends to travel. I was very lucky and ended up only having lectures on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Most of my lectures were in the Bryan School of Business and when selecting my modules, I tried to choose ones which were unique and which I could not take at Stellenbosch. For example, I took a module called ‘Global Health Entrepreneurship’ which was incredibly interesting and much more niche than the Entrepreneurship modules I’m used to. This is the one opportunity you will have to take weird and wonderful modules; I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone. I found the workload to be much less than I was used to. There was a lot of little homework assignments I needed to do, but they were all relatively easy and did not take up a lot of my time. If you go to class, complete all the assignments, and study an average amount, you can definitely get an A. Most of my lectures were much smaller in size compared to Stellenbosch and I found that the lecturers engaged with you on a much more personal level than I was used to – they spoke about their families, their past jobs and their daily lives. The lectures were also much more participative and casual than I had experienced at Stellenbosch.
Emily with a friend on campus
I would highly recommend that you stay at Tower Village if you go to UNCG. This is a residence made up of many apartment style dorms where most of the international students stay, as well as some American students. I absolutely loved staying there –I had my own room, and I shared a large bathroom, lounge and kitchen with four other girls. There were 60 other international students living there and we all became one big family. We often went out as a group of international students to explore downtown Greensboro, shop, and go to the few bars and clubs. Top tip: if you find yourself in Greensboro, go to the Corner Bar on a Tuesday night. You can get a beer for $1, and this is the student night, so it is a great place to meet new people!
I had an unlimited meal plan which allowed me to eat at the cafeteria (the ‘Caf’ as the students call it) as many times a day as I wanted. At first, I was very worried about the variety and quality of the food at the Caf, especially as I am a vegetarian. Much to my surprise, they had everything: pizza, pasta, burgers, a salad bar, an Asian section and a vegan/vegetarian section. After a while, the food can become a bit repetitive and it was oilier and saltier than I was used to, but I was still very grateful to not have to shop, cook and clean for myself. I would highly recommend getting a meal plan as this is also a time to sit down and chat with all the other students daily.
As much as your semester abroad is about being exposed to academics at a different level, it is also about immersing yourself in the culture, meeting new people and travelling to new places. I made many new friends, mostly with the other international students. I must admit, I struggled to connect with the American students. I found them to be very friendly at first but not very engaging and interested in you on a deeper level. This is a stereotype, but Americans are known to be individualistic and a bit self-absorbed, and from my experience this is true. My one goal during the semester was to travel as much as I could and I was fortunate enough to travel to many new places such as Charlotte, Charleston, Chapel Hill, the Smoky Mountains, Nashville, Boston, Chicago, New York City and a few places in Florida. Flights within the US can be very expensive, especially if you do not book them far in advance. A great option is to hire a car with a group of people and to make a road trip out of it. One thing I would therefore highly encourage you to do before leaving South Africa is to get an international driving license (it is just a piece of paper, there’s no test or anything), and to get a credit card. The rental car companies will not let you be the driver of the hired car unless you are the one that is paying for it, and to pay for it you must have a credit card.
Emily in Greensboro
Return to Stellenbosch:
I returned to South Africa after a trip of a lifetime just in time for Christmas. It was such a bittersweet moment as I was incredibly sad to say goodbye to all the wonderful people, I had met but I was also so happy to see my friends and family and be back in sunny Cape Town. The last few weeks in the US were quite an emotional rollercoaster – realizing that the whole experience was over already, that you would never have that time back and would probably never be with your whole group of friends again. I was very happy to be home and it helped that I arrived back at a time when there were things to look forward to such as Christmas, New Years and a whole summer holiday still left to enjoy.
It was so fun to be able to tell my friends and family about my experience and show them my pictures, but it is also hard to recount such a unique experience to people who did not live it themselves. The hype of arriving home does fade quite quickly and for me it kind of felt like I had never left. It is easy to come home and feel very critical of all South Africa’s problems which you may not have seen or experienced abroad, such as poverty, loadshedding, crime… the list goes on. As much as it breaks my heart that our beautiful country experiences these things on such a severe level, there is also so much that South Africa does have that other countries do not. I was more hyper-aware of all the problems we experience as a country on my return, but I was also incredibly grateful for the beautiful country we live in, for the South African humor and slang us locals use and all the eccentricities of our diverse country.
Travelling widens your perspective on many things. One thing that stood out for me from conversations with my European friends was how the opportunities for internships, scholarships and jobs in Europe far exceed what we have in South Africa. I am now very interested in doing my Masters in Europe and possibly working there in the next couple of years. I also realized from talking to other international students that I really need to up my game in terms of internships and experience before I enter the working world. I am so grateful that I was able to have such interesting and eye-opening conversations with such a wide variety of people because I now have a much better understanding of how some systems and processes work outside of South Africa. I think it is very easy for us to become consumed in the bubble of South Africa so this study abroad experience is invaluable.
