Suzaan Hobson at Wageningen University, the Netherlands

Suzaan Hobson

MSc in Food and Nutrition

Semester Exchange in the First Semester, 2022 at Wageningen University

Pre-departure:

From the start of my degree, it has been a dream of mine to do a semester exchange at Wageningen University since they are considered to be the best food and agriculture university in the world. Choosing a host institution was therefore a breeze, but there is so much admin and planning that happens predeparture that you almost neglect being excited. My exchange had been cancelled twice before due to Covid, so everything probably only really sunk in when I was sitting on my flight to the Netherlands. Till 2 days before I flew, I was required to quarantine, but luckily the rules changed by the time I landed.

A tip is to not waste energy on stressing about minor details and wondering whether everything will work out. Book your appointments early, and then focus on being present around the people you will soon have to greet. I booked my Visa appointment for my MVV visa 3 months before I flew. I would really recommend booking it ahead of time because I felt a lot less stress once my visa had been approved. The Dutch immigration office is super-efficient, and Wageningen University also guided the process. In my experience flight tickets only get more expensive the longer you wait, so prioritize that too.

I was very lucky to have been given a Zuid-Afrika huis bursary. However, I could only receive my first payment once I had arrived in the Netherlands and organized my Dutch bank account. It took me longer than expected to open my Dutch bank account as I had to wait for my BSN number. A tip is to organize a personalized OV chip card (their travel card) and Dutch bank account as soon as you arrive. I had to pay my first month’s rent and deposit, health insurance, flight tickets and visa costs before receiving my bursary. Stellenbosch University generously gives you a travel bursary which covers most of these start up fees. I would however advise that you plan to go overseas with a safety net of money. Spoiler: day to day life in the Netherlands is very expensive. Every train you take adds up fast. So, if you are doing an exchange to the Netherlands, you should most definitely apply for the Zuid-Afrika huis bursary.

Student accommodation, actually accommodation in general, in the Netherlands is viewed as a national crisis. Luckily, the university helps exchange students by giving us priority on the housing system called Idealis. I would recommend registering early on Ideal is and organizing accommodation through them instead of trying to sublet or get a room through Facebook groups. I chose a student room in a residence close to campus called Dijkgraaf. We are 12 in a corridor that share a kitchen and bathroom. I chose this set up because it is cheaper than self-contained rooms but also you get a chance to interact with your corridor mates while making food.

Experience at the Host University:

Wageningen is seen as a ‘University town’, much like Stellenbosch, with very impressive facilities. The University aims to be one of the most sustainable universities in the world, and this is clear by the manner in which they make decisions and drive initiatives. I joined Wageningen’s welcoming week programme (called AID, similar to the orientation week at Stellenbosch) which is for all the new students. I cannot recommend doing this enough, as this is where I met most of my friends and it was the perfect introduction to Wageningen campus life. I met people from so many different countries – we often hosted nights where we shared food and music from our countries.

My exchange was not for credit transfer purposes as I had already finished all my subjects and am working on my thesis. I therefore had the opportunity to choose subjects that truly interested me and that I believed would be beneficial to my future career. The first course I took was called Food Systems for Sustainable Diets. This was an intensive course, with class from 8 to 17:30 every day. The course involved people from so many different countries, with some participants even zooming in from countries such as Ethiopia and Bangladesh. Debates were filled with varied perspectives and gave us a diverse understanding to the content. I was impressed that the lecturers had so much practical experience in the food systems field. Food system thinking is a concept that I will carry with me out of this course and into my South African context.

My favourite course was Nutrition and Sports. I have never before been so excited to study for an exam because I could just not get enough of the content. Our lecturers were incredibly approachable and passionate. I often spoke to the lecturers after class. A very practical course I took was Responsible Learning Organization for Sustainability. This is because we worked on a real-life case for corporate sustainability. Classes at Wageningen are very interactive and involve a lot of group work, much more so than Stellenbosch.

During my time at Wageningen I ran for the university’s athletics team. I would recommend joining one of the university’s associations or sports clubs, as it gives you an opportunity to integrate with the Dutch students. I also joined Navigators International Wageningen (NIW) which is a Christian association and Erasmus Student Network (ESN) which is an organization for international students that organizes fun events. Highlights from my time there were the friendships made and the places I got the opportunity to travel to. Belgium is an ideal weekend trip and Paris is just 3 hours from Amsterdam with the Thalys train. Flixbus is a student’s best friend when travelling Europe. I also made an effort to properly explore the Netherlands.

Return to Stellenbosch:

Returning to Stellenbosch, it felt as if everything and nothing had changed at the same time. It was so lovely to see Stellenbosch as full of students as it was pre-covid. The first thing I did when I got home was go for a mountain bike ride with my mom (I missed the mountains in the Netherlands!) and bought an affordable post-ride cappuccino.

This exchange was the most impactful 6 months of my life. The time abroad shifted my perspective on what is possible, and I am in awe of all the opportunities out there. A massive perk of being alone overseas is that you also become ‘better friends with yourself’, in the sense that you build on your self-awareness. You suddenly have the space to scrutinize what you liked and didn’t like about your own culture, social norms and lifestyle. During my exchange I had to constantly practice the art of problem-solving with all the missed trains, miscommunication, financial mishaps etc. Managing problems while in a foreign country is the best place to practice problem solving skills. I believe I also built-up intercultural competencies and cultural awareness, which are assuredly skills that will be of advantage to me in my career.

I love South Africa and would like to settle here one day. I notice that I have a greater appreciation for details in my day-to-day life that I took for granted. And the people! My community in South Africa is simply irreplaceable. Connecting with the people I love again is something I had looked forward to for such a long time. However, this semester exchange has made me consider the option of working overseas for a year or two. This is because the work opportunities in the Netherlands are impressive and plentiful. I was stunned by the number of companies doing work in the sustainability field. In the Netherlands there are more job openings than there are people to fill them. Wageningen had many extra curriculum career evenings or interesting talks that made me excited about future work options. The memories from my previous semesters at university all sort of blur together. But lessons and moments from this semester abroad stand apart. Studying overseas has been a defining life experience which I am immensely grateful to have had.