A Blog about Education Abroad

Tag: The Netherlands

  • Jamie Pretorius at Utrecht University in The Netherlands

    Jamie Pretorius at Utrecht University in The Netherlands

    Pre-departure:

    While it may – for a long time – seem as though your departure date for the Law Exchange Programme is in the distant future, you should begin preparing early as, before you know it, your Company Law and Evidence oral examinations will be over and it will be time to start packing your bags! Below are a few notes outlining my (unforgettable) experience in Utrecht which I hope may be of assistance to students thinking of pursuing an Exchange Programme there.

    Step 1: visa and residence permit

    Luckily, Utrecht University is really good with guiding you every step of the way and, if you do what they tell you to, your pre-departure process should be an easy one. One thing you’ll notice when interacting with the Dutch is that they are a pleasantly efficient people and your encounter with the Dutch Consulate in South Africa will be your first experience of this when applying for your visa and residence permit! Once all your documents are in order, the whole visa process should take no longer than two weeks.

    If I have any advice in this regard, it’s this: firstly, don’t worry about being refused entry into the Netherlands! I remember that, for some reason, I feared that all my hopes of going on exchange would come to nought at this stage of the process, however, such fears were unfounded. Secondly, make an appointment with the Consulate before collecting your visa and residence permit (I remember that the email wasn’t too clear in this regard).

    Step 2: housing

    Probably the most important thing for you to do in the pre-departure process is securing housing in Utrecht as there are many people looking to get their hands on whatever accommodation they can in a city, which has little accommodation to offer. Secure housing as early as possible! I secured housing through “SSH”, a student-housing company in Utrecht, which I found to be cheap in comparison to other housing in Utrecht.

    The accommodation itself was rudimentary but adequate and was about a 15-minute cycle outside the city (a lot of people live slightly outside the city and commute to work/campus). What’s nice about student housing is that you’ll be staying with other international students from all walks of life who will most likely be your first friends in a foreign place.

    If you’re looking for something a little more luxurious than student housing, I recommend posting on accommodation groups on Facebook. I met friends here who lived in a lovely apartment and who met online before moving to Utrecht.

    Step 3: go to the dentist

    While you’re still in South Africa, it’s probably a good idea to make sure that you won’t need to experience the (very good) healthcare provided by the Dutch. So make sure you have enough prescription medicine for your entire stay and go to the dentist! I had to have an unexpected root canal while in Utrecht which was luckily covered by my health insurance, but it would have been nicer not having to use my health insurance at all.

    Experience at Host University:

    I can confidently say that my choice to study in Utrecht was the best choice I made all year. The city is easy to fall in love with – I will never forget my time here – and, if I’m being honest, I don’t think I would have chosen a different place at which to spend my semester abroad!

    One thing you’ll notice immediately upon entering this once-Gothic city is its beautiful architecture, cobblestoned roads and charming canals (hint: make sure to go on a canal cruise while the weather is still warm). You’ll find that getting lost will become less of an accident and more of a hobby and that going to early-morning classes becomes a lot more bearable. Being a small city, Utrecht is perfectly sized. You’ll see the benefit of this as many of the more beautiful cities in the Netherlands (like Amsterdam or The Hague) are swimming with tourists which can be tiring. However, in Utrecht I never felt as though I was bumping shoulders with tourists despite the many attractions the city has to offer.

    The people are (almost always) very friendly and are eager to help you in those confusing first days living in a new city. Absolutely everyone speaks fluent English, but learning a bit of Dutch is a fun way to indulge in the culture, as is riding a bicycle or eating too many ‘oliebollen’ during the festive season. Utrecht also has a number of cafés, restaurants and bars (try Lebowski, Beers & Barrels and Mick O’Connells), and however, eating at home is certainly easier on the wallet!

    My experience with the University itself was also a very pleasurable one. The modules that were offered to me were all interesting, the lecturers were all highly knowledgeable, insightful and easy to talk to and studying in an international setting offered to me a completely new and invaluable academic experience.

    If I can offer some advice that I wish I was given before I went to Utrecht, it would be the following: first, transferring money from a South African bank account to a Dutch one can be costly, so rather don’t open a Dutch bank account and, instead, try apps like Revolut or N26 which are far easier and cheaper. Second, don’t buy a bicycle for more than €80. Alternatively, one can rent a bike for €10-15 p.m. through Swapfiets or CheapAssBikes. Third, pack warmly. I personally found that the Netherlands was not as cold and rainy as people warned, but one can never be too prepared! Lastly, take advantage of the many travel destinations that are at your doorstep. I myself travelled to places in five different countries while I was in Europe, including Vienna and Budapest!

    Return to Stellenbosch:

    Surprisingly (especially in view of the fact that my bags were overweight upon my departure to Amsterdam), my bags were 3kg underweight upon my departure back to South Africa. I think one way I reduced the weight of my bags was perhaps to sell those pesky Company Law and Law of Evidence books that I had to bring along with me, including the stacks of notes that accompanied them. Also, make sure to pack all the gifts for your friends and family in your hand luggage so as not to add any unnecessary weight to your bags.

    Upon returning to South Africa, the first thing I noticed was the February heat. It certainly took a day or two to adjust to the weather and the strange feeling of being back home after Utrecht being my “home” for about six months. I was pleasantly surprised to find that being back home wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, being back home made me remember all the things that I had missed while abroad, including the sunny weather, my friends and family and the fact that there is less stress on my wallet! Moreover, recounting the stories of my time abroad hasn’t (yet) grown old as it makes me appreciate my time in Europe all the more!

    The colourful view of Utrecht
    The colourful view of Utrecht
  • Lizanne Visser at Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam in The Netherlands

    Lizanne Visser at Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam in The Netherlands

    Pre-departure:

    The first 6 months of your exchange year goes by way faster than one thinks. This is, however, a crucial period where most of the planning and administration of your semester exchange is finalised. It is very important to make sure that you have a “game plan” drawn up to ensure you get everything done in time because before you know it, you will be sitting on the airplane, taking advantage of the free wine ready to kick of your semester abroad.

    I decided to work towards qualifying for semester exchange from my first year of law after hearing about it from a friend who was leaving on her exchange later that year. So, be aware that your pre-final year marks are what gets you into the exchange programme and you must meet a minimum requirement. At that time, she was in the pre-departure phase and I remember her advising me that if you are not a “list” person now, be sure to acquire that skill before you embark on your “build-up to the exchange”.

    The ‘planning’-phase happens on top of a very full final year programme. In this period, you must apply for your VISA and/or passport and secure your accommodation. Deadlines are very important. Get a huge calendar to put on your wall so that you can manage your time effectively between your academic work and your preparation for the exchange. Do this to ensure you do not miss any crucial deadlines that could possibly stifle your exchange prospects.

    The first exciting step is finding the right partner university for you. The most important things to keep in mind is your personal interests, your budget, the language, if the host-university provides financial assistance and the accommodation options available. Vrije Universiteit was my first choice from the start. The reason being that they offered courses that fit my background in science and technology. They also offered financial assistance in the form of a “housing stipend”. The reality of the exchange is that it is very expensive. Housing is extremely expensive and scarce in many of the European countries and without the financial assistance offered by the VU, I am not sure I would have been able to take part in the exchange. Another bonus was that the VU helps you find and secure accommodation, something I know not all partner universities do. This really makes the process of finding suitable housing easier. They offer a variety of options that corresponds to your budget.

    There are other costs involved that you will be responsible for e.g. your visa and passport application and administration fees to the host institution. In preparation for the costs I decided to take up part-time work for the 6 months I was still in Stellenbosch. In this way I could finance most of the expenses. With regard to the VISA application, VU also assists you with the initial steps of the application. They handle the application from their side and you only submit all the necessary documentation to them through an online portal that guides you step-by-step.

     

    Experience at Host University:

    As I indicated above, I chose Vrije Universiteit based on the courses they offered. I chose courses in the area of technology law. The semesters are also structured somewhat differently to ours back home. One semester consists of three periods. In the first period I chose Internet Governance and Robot and Artificial Intelligence. The third course was a master’s course in technology law that stretched over period 1 and 2. An important consideration when choosing your courses (and your host university) is WHEN you return to South Africa. I had to return in January which means I had to take all my courses in period 1 and 2. Period 1 would run from September – October and Period 2 from October – December. In addition, you must also give yourself enough time to be able to do the self-study work for Company law and Law of evidence.

     

    As the names of these courses suggests, the content very relevant and dynamic. Classes are in the form of seminars which means you always need to be prepared and come to class with an informed and defendable opinion. In contrast to classes of 200 students, here you are in a small room with a maximum of 40 students, so at some point you are going to have to speak up or be asked something. Unlike at Stellenbosch, most of the subject matter dealt with in class, is from prescribed academic articles. So, you spend loads of time reading. I found this refreshing and stimulating because you are exposed to many different perspectives on the topics covered. After a period, there is a week of exams where you then “write-off” the particular courses. This structure was very beneficial because it meant after period 1 exams in October, we could solely focus on Law of Evidence and Company Law exams.

     

    VU is a very modern university. The architecture of the buildings is a stark contrast to the Old Dutch style at Stellenbosch. Modern art and sculptures are exhibited all over campus and this provides a very inclusive learning space.

    Lizanne cycling through campus
    Lizanne cycling through campus

    Living in the Netherlands exceeded all my expectations. The moment I got my bicycle (the main form of transport in the Netherlands) you get a sense of independence you cannot easily find in SA. Finding parking or having to pay for parking is never a problem. The fact that a global city like Amsterdam is accessible with a 20 min bike ride still blows my mind. The city is organised and efficient and I will really miss how safe and easy it was to get around in town. Whether by bike or public transport, the city is at your fingertips 24 hours a day. It was one of the most beautiful things biking through the canals of Amsterdam 2 o’clock at night marvelling at the lights and old buildings that surround you. You could either buy a second-hand bike in the Netherlands at a reasonable price or in most of the cities you can rent a bike from “Swapfiets”. A very successful start-up in the Netherlands that rents out bikes and provides you with roadside assistance when you break down or experience difficulties though a simple app on your phone.

     

    Another remarkable aspect of the Netherlands is the fact that you can reach many other European countries with a 3-hour train ride. During my stay I had the privilege of seeing parts of Germany, Belgium and had an incredible weekend in Paris. We mostly made use of a cheap bus service, Flixbus that offer trips to many destinations at very affordable prices.

    Lizanne enjoying a cheezing Dutch experience
    Lizanne enjoying a cheezing Dutch experience

     

    Return to Stellenbosch:

    Experiences like this are not without its own difficulties. I had to get used to living with 11 other people in a house where we had to share facilities. This took me out of my comfort zone.  However, I feel this really equipped me for my future as I learned a lot of patience, how to deal with multiple personalities and the importance of effective communication. You experience a lot of individual growth which I think is very important as you embark into the next adult phase of work life.

     

    As my exchange ended, I really looked forward to returning to South Africa. I missed my friends, I missed Häzz and I missed the familiarity of my hometown I love so much. I also had a lot to look forward to upon my return. My adjustment back home was therefore not as challenging as they warned.

     

    At this point in time I am happy with staying in South Africa but the prospects of moving to Europe for a few years is not off the table. Life is about exposing yourself to as much as possible and living abroad opens your eyes and broadens your mind by challenging all your preconceptions of the world. Each country experiences their own difficulties and social issues and by engaging with local people you learn a lot about how these countries function and deal with their respective problems. I believe a semester exchange is very valuable in shaping your opinions about your own home country and really makes you appreciate what you have back home.

     

    I encourage everyone who finds themselves constantly curious about embarking on this wonderful journey. Not only do you get a unique educational experience, the skills you learn go much further than just equipping you for life in the legal world. You come back an informed, well-rounded individual and with new energy to take on the next phase of your adult life.

    Lizanne taking her little sister for a night out
    Lizanne taking her little sister for a night out
  • Sechaba Mokobane at Maastricht University in the Netherlands

    Sechaba Mokobane at Maastricht University in the Netherlands

    Pre-departure:

    Having travelled abroad several times before I applied for the exchange program, I was reasonably prepared for the pre-departure admin. I assumed, naturally, that the pre-departure process would be like my previous trips. Once accepted for the exchange, I would gather a bunch of documents and make an appointment at the visa office. Several weeks later, I would make the trip to Cape Town and patiently wait for my visa to be accepted. Within a week, it would be approved, and I would be ready to depart. Sadly, I was mistaken. A series of mistakes cost me valuable time and forced me to book my flight a mere five days before I departed. Assuming you want to avoid panic and stress, these are some things you might want to do:

    • Remember that the Dutch have a strict visa process so make sure your documents are faultless.
    • You will have to liaise with one of the departments at Maastricht University during the visa process. The department deals with plenty of exchange students and it could take them as much as five days to respond to an email. Respond to their emails speedily.
    • If you are using the Pretoria embassy and are pressed for time, make an appointment at the embassy before your visa has been approved. Some people book their appointments weeks and months in advance and can make it difficult for you to book an appointment on time. If you are visiting the Cape Town embassy, the process is much easier, and you do not have to fret about appointments.

    Read as many of these blogs as possible. Some people have discovered indispensable gems – you do not want to miss out.

    Experience at the Host University:

    Once you manage to get through all the preliminaries, you will catch your flight and presumably land in Amsterdam. From there you will catch a bus or train down to Maastricht down in the south. This quaint city nestled between Belgium and Germany will become your new home for the semester. In addition, if you are one of the lucky ones, which I hope you are, a part of you will remain in Maastricht forever.

    It took me about two months to truly fall in love with Maastricht. The first few weeks were difficult. I found myself struggling to adjust to the weather, teaching style, and social circles that were forming around me. During this time, I missed home and did not look forward to the prospect of spending another three months in Maastricht. Nevertheless, things turned around and I am extremely happy I decided to go on this exchange.  Maastricht is undoubtedly a beautiful city filled with many exciting touristic things to do and I did as many as possible, but I will always remember it for the people I have to meet there. Without them, the experience would have not been the same.

    Most of my time was spent at the guesthouse where I stayed in a section made up of full-time students. Despite being chaotic at times, it was a section filled with warm and friendly people who made me feel welcome from the time I arrived. Some of them, for whom I am truly thankful, ensured I didn’t burn down the section as I was learning how to cook.

    The other group I spent time with was a wonderfully diverse bunch compromising of people from America, Brazil, Columbia, and a few European countries. Most days were spent sitting in someone’s living room appreciating the peculiarities of our respective nations. Sometimes we had picnics together and cycled through the city for fun. The greatest adventure, however, was when 16 of us decided to travel together for a week. First Germany, then Prague and then Budapest to end what proved to be an unforgettable trip.

    I was also fortunate to find a group closer to home: “Saffas in Maastricht”. Not too long after joining the group, I met up with two South Africans for drinks. Our meet up provided the taste of home that I was missing. Although we did not meet frequently afterwards, someone did host a braai that I gladly attended. We got a chance to put some pork chops on the fire, stick a peppermint crisp tart in the fridge, and enjoy South African classics such as Weekend Special by Brenda Fassie. In addition, of course, the night would have been incomplete if we did not sokkie at the end. We also had fun on the Whatsapp group that kept us updated on all the weird and wonderful things happening in South Africa. Observing South Africa as a semi-outsider was surreal.

    The final group was one that formed at a church called Redeemer in Maastricht. Once again, it was a wonderfully diverse group of people that I could interact with. Germans, Poles, Indonesians, and Canadians amongst others. Most of the time we spent together was on a Sunday at church or during the week at someone’s flat where we would have Connect Groups. Some of the other time we spent doing things like attending festivals, watching movies, or simply sharing a meal and playing board games. At the end of the exchange, it was especially difficult to say goodbye to this group of people who had helped me find a home in Maastricht.

    Sechaba getting things festive
    Sechaba getting things festive
    Return to Stellenbosch:

    Something people do not stress enough is how quickly time flies by. While in the heat of the exchange, I certainly experienced wonderful moments that will stay with me forever. However, it was only on the last day that I could truly and fully appreciate how amazing the experience had been. It had truly been a dream come true.

    Surprisingly, settling back into normal South African life was easy. After spending about three days reminiscing and borderline wallowing, I took some time to meaningfully reflect on the experience. It was an experience that exceeded all my expectations and for which I have much to be grateful for. I made incredible friends, explored new parts of the world, and returned with invaluable perspective. South Africa, however, remains home and I was excited to return. I got a taste of life in another country and I could appreciate all the things that make both countries unique. Thank you to the Stellenbosch International Office for making my dream a reality. I am eternally grateful.