Hi there, my name is Michael Maas and I recently went on an exchange to the Technical University of Munich in Germany. This is my blog post…
Pre-departure:
Before my departure I had a lot of admin to complete. This included Visa applications, police clearances and applying for the exchange. The application process is quite tiresome, with many documents to complete, a video CV, and letters of recommendation. Get these things in order way in advance, and trust me, the exchange is going to be worth all the administration!
The VISA application was relatively painless. You have to get quite a few documents in order, including your passport, police clearance (which takes forever!) and health insurance. The health insurance has to be organised in advance, as well as your acceptance from the university. Make sure you check all the dates, and ensure that you have ample time for completing all these necessary things.
Before I went, I sent emails to the host university requesting a project. Luckily I found a supervisor who was willing to take me on as a research student for my stay in Germany (seeing as I am a Master’s student). The main tips I can give for future applicants is to ensure ALL your documents are correct for the Visa application – I had to drive to the embassy three times due to incomplete documents. This includes your banking administration, available funds, application letters etc.
I went to Europe in the summer, when the weather is quite good. I did not have to prepare a lot in terms of clothing etc., but I would advise a great pair of walking shoes. This is a critical item to take with. You are going to be walking a lot, which is great, but your feet will hurt. Take some great walking shoes, and you will have a fantastic walking experience.
Another great preparation step I would recommend is to organise your budget before the time. This includes things like food, rent, transportation, and of course travel. Europe is very expensive, but if you could manage to receive a stipend from the host university (I was lucky enough to receive one), you could manage well. If you could organise a cash flow before hand, it will save you a lot of stress when you are already there. Oh and don’t forget to organise your credit/travel cards if you need to move money from South Africa. Once you are there, it is very difficult to organise anything with organisations in South Africa.
Experience at the host university:
I was attending the Technical University of Munich in Germany. I was completing my Master’s degree in Electronic engineering. While I was there, I worked on a project similar to my thesis. My thesis was about low-cost, portable biosensors for the detection of E. coli in water. At TUM, my project was related to detecting bacteria using a novel method developed by TUM and a small tech start-up in Poland.
I was mostly doing research. This included designing the system, building and testing it. I spent many hours in their laboratories. TUM is one of the best funded and run engineering research institutions in Germany, and it goes without saying that their facilities were well equipped and organised. I thoroughly enjoyed working there. My supervisor was a specialist in the field of research, and his contributions made a major difference to my final thesis that I completed for graduation in South Africa.
At first I was only working on my thesis, but later it turned out that the project was in collaboration with a small tech start-up in Poland. This was very exciting, because I was getting international exposure in my field, working with researchers and engineers from various backgrounds, and making valuable connections for the future. While working on the project, the team was flown to Warsaw in Poland to complete some of the experiments. This was a great experience.
While I was in Germany, I travelled as much as I could. I made many good friends from all over the world including Norway, France, Turkey, Costa Rica, Canada and Bulgaria – to name just a few. It was wonderful to get to know so many different people from different backgrounds. We shared our common experiences together including our cultures, languages and world views. This was very stimulating and enriching.
Our group of friends also travelled together all over Europe. In the 6 months I was there, I went to Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Northern Italy, Warsaw, Vienna and many towns in Bavaria and Northern Austria. We also started a hiking group, and went hiking in the Alps every chance that we got. These were some of the experiences that I would not trade for anything.
I was not as involved at the University – except in my research capacity – as the other students who had to attend classes. Nonetheless, I experienced TUM to be well organised, open and a world-class institution.
My cultural and societal views of Germany can be compared with South Africa. As a developed nation, Germany has very little poverty. The education if free, and public transport is widely available. Stellenbosch, as well as South Africa, has a long way to go before we are on par with Germany. This will take a lot of hard work, Government reform and education. That is what I believe is the most value thing gained during the exchange programs – educating yourself, seeing the world, learning about others, changing your perspectives and coming back, ready to contribute to South Africa in whichever way you can.
Return to Stellenbosch :
I returned to South Africa after 6 months of research, travelling and great experiences. A few things stood out when I came back. First of all, I hadn’t spoken Afrikaans properly in many months, and it sounded quite strange when returning to South Africa. I was also not used driving around as much, due to the constant use of public transport in Europe. Other than that, there were no adverse effects on returning.
When I came back, there were a few things that I never knew I would miss as much. I ate so much biltong the first few days – and it was fantastic. I have not gone without at least one braai per week after returning (I have not met anyone from anywhere who knows how to braai as well as South Africans can!). There are also some things that you appreciate more, excluding the food of course. South Africans are some of the friendliest people in the world, and one realises it when you return from a foreign land. We have one of the most beautiful countries, with beautiful people. I also realised that South Africans complain a lot. And with good reason, our country is not in a great place at this moment in time. Instead of constantly complaining, I think we could all make a difference. There are various ways – using our minds and resources we could all contribute to building a nation where we share in the wealth, are all safe, and where we do not survive, but thrive.
I had completed my thesis while I was overseas. When I came back I did not spend much time in Stellenbosch because my time at Stellenbosch University had come to an end. After Studying for 6 years I was finally done with my formal education. I had ended the 6 years with a wonderful exchange in a foreign country.
I must say that this had been one of the best experiences of my life. From the beginning, all the admin and hard work, to finally being there, and coming back with such excellent memories, friends and experiences. I would highly recommend an exchange to anyone who is interested in changing their world view, wanting to travel, and learning a lot about other cultures.