Pre-departure:
I had initially planned to go on my exchange in the first semester of my third year. It was, however, about two weeks before the closing date for applications and despite my best efforts, there was no way I could complete it on time. I decided to plan to do my semester abroad for the second semester and this seemed to work well with my subject choices and many other factors.
The biggest tip I can give someone regarding the planning stages is to do a lot of research about the partner universities. Stellenbosch has a long list of partner universities and you’re bound to find one that is suited to your needs and will contribute towards your degree in a meaningful way. I spent a very long time deciding which university to apply for. I took into account things like academic reputation, school reviews, location, weather, accessibility, living costs, accommodation and meals and the type of agreement that Stellenbosch University has with the partner university. I only looked at universities that covered full tuition, living costs and a meal plan.
After deciding on the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, I once again dove into deeper research of that specific university and looked at smaller details such as classes that I can take, residences that I can apply for and I also looked up the professors for my specific department.
The application process was kind of long and tedious. I handed in my application quite early and had to wait a while for it to be processed as they had to wait till the deadline before looking at all the applications. It was a time of suspense and I kept looking at my phone to see if I had gotten an email yet.
Once I got accepted for the exchange, however, the waiting was far from over. I still had to finalise my subjects and this proved to be very tricky. For the exchange to be a success all my Stellenbosch classes had to be replaced my similar classes that add up to the same amount of credits. Eventually I had a working learning agreement, but there was still a chance of something going wrong. I had a difficult decision to make, but with my department’s full support I felt comfortable taking the chance.
The visa process was very quick and painless. I expected delays or difficulties and prepared all the paperwork I could think of for the appointment. I was well-prepared and although many of the papers were not necessary, I am still glad that I had everything, had I been asked for it.
Tips for the application process:
- Start as soon as you can, it takes a lot longer than you think.
- Put in the effort, it will be more than worth it.
- Do not forget to budget. There are many websites that show the living costs for certain areas. Although it might not be 100% accurate, it does give you a good indication of what things will cost and what to budget for.
- On that note, always include a “what if” section in your budget. There will be unforeseen costs.
- Put a lot of thought into choosing a partner university. It is your home for the duration of your exchange and can make or break your experience.
- Look at the surrounding area to see if it will suit your living style or personality. Some people prefer small towns where other like cities more. Luckily, I picked one with the best of both.
- Try to get your application in as soon as possible to avoid having to spend time on it once the work starts piling up back home.
- Once your application is submitted, try to forget about it. Trust me, checking your email every 15 seconds does not make it go faster.
- Once you’re accepted, make sure that you hand in your forms and other applications as soon as possible and stay up to date with other applications or deposits that need to be completed for your host university.
Experience at the Host University:
I had a very good overall experience at the host university. Their coordinators and facilitators were all very friendly and welcoming. I had received a lot of information from them prior to my arrival and felt very prepared for the semester ahead. Before my flight, I was contacted by my host family for my first night in Charlotte. They picked me up at the airport and I stayed with them until I could move into my university accommodation. This host family was also South African and was arranged by UNC Charlotte’s International Office. The familiar accent was very comforting in this new situation and I appreciate the effort done by the International Office to put me with a family that suited my specific needs and interests.
The welcoming period at the host university was very fun and well organized. I met a lot of new people and participated in fun activities such as a massive waterballoon fight, an international night and an evening out in the city of Charlotte. The nice thing about the welcoming programme is that it not only consisted of activities exclusively for international students, but many activities were campus-wide events and in this way I got to meet a lot of locals. During this time, I became familiar with how the university works and they helped us to settle into the new system. This was also the time for admin and we got our student cards, meal plans and sorted out our registration.
As part of my exchange agreement, I was given a meal plan as well as a certain amount for accommodation. I was accepted to stay in the Global Gateways House in the Greek Village. This program is a girls-only program that houses locals with internationals in one of the Greek Village houses. In my house, we had many different nationalities including Japanese, Australian and Danish. It really is a great program, because as an international student I got the opportunity to really bond with other international students who were in the same boat as I, but I also got to become great friends with locals who could show me the ropes and teach me about their cultures and everyday lives.
The Global Gateways program also offered many fun opportunities for its members including a Japanese night, a pumpkin-carving contest, a trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville and many more. I also got the opportunity to volunteer at a program for kids from varying backgrounds at their after-school club. The living arrangements for Global Gateways were very nice. I had a big room with my own personal en-suite bathroom. The kitchen was fully stocked and it we had a big TV with Netflix logged in. As a student, that is all you need.
The academic programme at UNCC was absolutely fantastic. In their system, I was classified as a music education major. This meant that the majority of my classes were music education-related with some general music classes as well as my practical lessons in between. I really enjoyed the atmosphere in the music department. It was uplifting and extremely positive. The lecturers were invested in each student’s education and classes were organized, focused, engaging and fun. I did find the standard of work to be below that of Stellenbosch University. It is much easier to excel in their assessments, but this actually motivated me and encouraged me to work harder.
My horn lecturer, Dr. Christopher Griffin as great. He is a brilliant player and I got the opportunity to see him perform a few times. He is a true inspiration and my playing really improved tremendously from the lessons that I had with him. I also had the opportunity to play in the horn ensemble at UNCC. This is something that I have never experience before and I loved every second of it. I am the only horn player doing BMus at Stellenbosch, so having about 8 other colleagues to work with was incredible. I learnt so much from them and really enjoyed practising with them and seeing where I fit into the horn world.
The campus had a lot more events to attend than Stellenbosch. Or at least a lot more than what I am aware of and these events are almost always free. The campus always had something going on and free stuff being handed out. It was fun to see how the campus engaged with the community and the businesses around it with numerous promotions. I enjoyed the cafeteria as the meal plan allowed me to eat what I want where I want. Stellenbosch, however, has a lot more healthy options which I find preferable.
Return to Stellenbosch:
Returning home has not been as hard as I would have imagined. I expected a major culture-shock, but instead it felt as if I never left. This is what bothered me the most as my experiences seemed more like a dream than reality. After about a month, however, I am started to process the whole experience properly and many days I find myself longing for the life I had at UNCC and missing all the wonderful friends I made. Luckily, I am still in contact with most of them and will be seeing a couple of them at the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival in July this year.
As I mentioned previously, I had to troubles adapting to life back in Stellenbosch. I missed the challenging curriculum that Stellenbosch offers and find myself engaging with the work in a more focused way. I enjoy the healthier food options and missed cooking for myself. Although cooking takes a bit of time, it is still less inconvenient than walking to the food court which was about a 20-minute walk away from my accommodation. I have also returned to my flat where I stay alone. This was a welcome change from staying in a house with 11 other girls as emotions sometimes caused some friction between the girls.
My perspective on South Africa has not changed too much, but my idea of the USA has. I had never been to the States before this exchange and did not know what to expect. I had a lot of pre-conceived ideas about the country and its people and although I was right about some things, I was very wrong about others. I have, however, learnt to appreciate things more during this journey and that includes certain things in South Africa as well. I really missed the mountains while I was one and since Charlotte is very flat, I appreciate them a lot more when I came back. I was also reminded of the beauty of my country. We have such beautiful nature and sometimes it is over-looked as negative aspects come into focus instead. I did, however, forget how it feels to be scared to walk alone even in bright daylight as I felt a lot safer on campus at UNCC. I am aware that it is also dangerous there, but maybe not as dangerous. At least it didn’t feel that way.
This trip has had a big influence on my future plans. I am planning on furthering my studies abroad once I have finished my degree at Stellenbosch. I do not think the standard is necessarily higher, but I do enjoy living in new places and adapting to new ideologies and cultures. I will do anything to continue travelling and will definitely go to the USA again. I really want to see the West Coast and will save up to hopefully go visit my friends in Charlotte on the same trip. Another influence that this experience abroad has on my future plans is the inclusion of certain universities in my list of possibilities for postgraduate studies. I had the opportunity to visit some of these and they have motivated me to work hard in order to be accepted into one of their programs.
In short, this has been one of the best experiences of my life and I would recommend it to anyone.