A Blog about Education Abroad

Category: Semester Exchange Postings

Blog Postings by Returning Stellenbosch University Students

  • Gerard at the University of Zurich, Switzerland

    Gerard at the University of Zurich, Switzerland

    Pre-departure:

    SU International has an excellent preparatory programme for all the exchange students. A meet-and-greet session allowed the exchange candidates to meet other students going abroad and it was there where I met students who would be travelling to the same country and institutions as I was. This helped to lay the foundation for some great friendships before leaving abroad. This event was proceeded by a short departure workshop which was full of useful information and insight into the life and mind-set of an exchange student and was highly beneficial.

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  • Vanessa at the University of Helsinki, Finland

    Vanessa at the University of Helsinki, Finland

    Pre-departure:

    Thanks to the hard work of everyone at SU International, the pre-departure preparations went smoothly. The team made sure that we had all the information we need. In terms of preparing for the trip itself, the travel bursary was really helpful with paying for flights and the trip to the Finnish Embassy in Pretoria. The Finnish Embassy has a wonderful website where you could apply for your Student Resident permit (for people staying longer than 3 months) which made things a lot easier. No paper work was involved, so glad I could save a few trees.

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  • Victor at West Virginia University, USA

    Victor at West Virginia University, USA

    As an International Studies student, my choice to study in the US was based on the leading position the country holds in International Affairs, though this position may recently have come under strain. Studying at West Virginia University was truly an amazing experience, but before we get to that…

    Tired of your friends rattling on and on and on… about how eye-opening, culture shocking and simply amazing their semester exchange abroad was. You’ve made up your mind, you’ve done your research and you’ve found a programme that has a perfect blend of academics and the “kuier” culture we’re so accustomed to here at Stellenbosch University. You’ve got the brochures, the go-aheads, the thumbs up, you’re good to go… but are you really?

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