A Blog about Education Abroad

Category: BCom International Business

  • Elzé at Utecht University, the Netherlands

    Elzé at Utecht University, the Netherlands

    Pre-departure:

    I should first and foremost give a bit of context for my ‘situation’, which may be applicable for people similar to myself. I didn’t receive a lot of guidance on how to handle my particular health issues and type of medication, which isn’t surprising, due to the rarity of people with one of my chronic illnesses – ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis which primarily attacks the spine and causes the slow fusion of vertebrae. I didn’t expect to receive a lot of guidance from the university on how to handle being abroad with AS, but hope that my experience will be used in the future for people who have similar relatively unknown conditions which require a lot of planning ahead for travel. The medication which I’m on is not only several thousands of rand more expensive than my rent, but it needs to be kept at a temperature between 2-8 degrees Celsius and comes in glass. It’s perhaps unnecessary to describe how on edge I was about travelling internationally by myself with this obscure, expensive and fragile medication.

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  • Anika at the University of Malaya, Malaysia

    Anika at the University of Malaya, Malaysia

    My Malaysian Experience:

    I was so excited to embark on this new journey, especially since I was the first to go to Malaysia from Stellenbosch university, it had a sense of exploring and discovery to it. Unfortunately, my excitement mixed with stress when I had to wait longer to go to the orientation week in the University of Malaya because of my visa. Make sure you follow every crucial detail of your visa requirements to prevent delays. Make sure you research the weather for the months you go on the exchange. I did but didn’t think it would be as humid as they described it (prepare yourself for a climb out of a hot shower feeling). Pack few clothes, I promise you, you won’t wear all the clothes that you have packed. Take a bag you can fold up with you, for if you want to return with more things that you have bought. Make sure you take an adapter (for the plugs) with you that fits the Malaysian standard. I struggled to find their adapters and thought it was ok I’ll find a South African adapter there…I didn’t find one and ended up borrowing someone else’s computer for a semester.

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  • Ymse at Utrecht University, the Netherlands

    Ymse at Utrecht University, the Netherlands

    Pre-departure:

    VISA: Fortunately for me I have a French passport, thus I did not require a Visa to get into the Netherlands and therefore I have no tips to give.

    PACKING: I would suggest packing light, and buying all things such as towels, cutlery etc. in your host country. Once you go back home you have so much stuff that you’ve collected over your time abroad which can become problematic.

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