{"id":4773,"date":"2018-10-15T10:20:45","date_gmt":"2018-10-15T08:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/?p=4773"},"modified":"2019-02-08T12:26:46","modified_gmt":"2019-02-08T10:26:46","slug":"eileen-at-leiden-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/2018\/10\/15\/eileen-at-leiden-university\/","title":{"rendered":"Eileen at Leiden University"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pre-departure:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Firstly, take note that living in another country for a semester is quite a lot of admin. Secondly, it\u2019s definitely worth it!<\/p>\n

It you are considering studying in the Netherlands, I hope Leiden University (LU) is your first choice! It is the oldest university in the Netherlands, one of the best, and extremely beautiful. Make sure you are well prepared. \u00a0Apply and reply on time for everything. \u00a0LU\u2019s admin is fantastic- they have a great Information Sheet, checklists and details on the university\u2019s website to help you. Their International Office is also very helpful.<\/p>\n

As I went during the Spring semester (February-June), everything happened very late in the year (e.g. my Visa was only provisionally approved by 20 Dec). Hence, I was still sending and receiving lots of emails during my December vacation.
\n
\nMeetings:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Netherlands requires you to make appointments for everything: intake appointment, Town Hall, bank account, TB test, etc.\u00a0 Make sure you arrange these and do NOT forget to attend them!<\/p>\n

Visa:<\/strong><\/p>\n

LU helps you by applying for your Visa for you. You just have to send all of your Visa documentation to LU. \u00a0The IDN will then contact you when they are busy processing your application. \u00a0When Leiden informs you that your Visa is approved- make an appointment with the Dutch Embassy ASAP to receive your MVV sticker in your passport. I went to Cape Town (note that they have to send your passport away for 3-5 workdays!).<\/p>\n

Accommodation:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Check the deadline for the university\u2019s housing (SEA Housing\/ DUWO), as they work on a first-come-first-serve basis. (I think I even applied before receiving my acceptance letter\u2019 from LU). Similar to Stellenbosch\u2019s situation, housing in Leiden is hard to find and expensive! \u00a0It is therefore much safer and easier to use DUWO. \u00a0I chose the cheapest accommodation where I had to share a room\/flat (about 70-200euro cheaper than a single room!). \u00a0I had a Chinese roommate who was lovely- also a great cultural experience!<\/p>\n

Book your flights so that you arrive in Leiden on a week day and in working hours – to collect your house key and sign your housing contract. (*Return flights work out much cheaper than one-way tickets).<\/p>\n

Money:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I found the whole process quite expensive, so be sure to have money readily available at all times. The Visa application is expensive, and you have to pay housing deposits, insurance, etc. (Bursaries usually take a while to pay out). Living in the Netherlands is very expensive for South Africans, so do apply for all the bursaries that you can find.<\/p>\n

Also, SAVE money so that you can travel while abroad!!<\/p>\n

You (usually) require a pre-arranged appointment to open a bank account (LU recommends using Rabobank). \u00a0Unfortunately, I could only open my Dutch bank account after about 2 weeks- hence, I had to rely on a travel wallet and cash.<\/p>\n

Experience:<\/strong><\/p>\n

After finding out that I was accepted to LU, I made an effort to meet the other SU student who was also going there with me. This really helped both of us, as we could support and remind each other about all the arrangements before coming to Leiden.\u00a0 \u00a0It\u2019s quite a lonely process – so it helps to know you\u2019re not alone and that you are still on the right track with your admin.!<\/p>\n

Sign up for the Orientation Week Leiden (OWL<\/strong>). The OWL is fantastic- you meet loads of people from all over the world (literally), and they help you with everything that you need to know. \u00a0I found that LU has an interesting registration process, so OWL was very helpful in explaining how to register for subjects, exams, etc.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Global<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As an Industrial Psychology<\/strong> second-year masters student, I only took courses for extracurricular (I did not have to transfer credits). \u00a0I also worked on my (SU) thesis while abroad. \u00a0I took 3 elective masters courses and 1 bachelor course (i.e. 2 courses per term). \u00a0The courses at LU are often divided into terms, not always semesters. \u00a0My faculty (Social and Behavioural Sciences) was amazing.\u00a0 \u00a0I had excellent lecturers and interesting classes. \u00a0If you are an undergraduate student, you might have to get use to 2 hour lectures (1h45mins). \u00a0The lecturers expect you to come to class prepared – so make sure you read those articles!<\/p>\n

Everyone in the Netherlands speaks English, which is very convenient. But Afrikaans also really helped a lot! \u00a0I understood many things much easier (supermarkets, signs, menus, announcements, etc.).<\/p>\n

I really enjoyed Leiden\u2019s<\/strong> local market every Wednesday & Saturday. \u00a0This is fantastic to stock up on fresh fruit and veg (much cheaper and better quality than the supermarkets). \u00a0One of my favorite spots in town was the Hortus Botanicus Leiden (botanical gardens)! \u00a0It\u2019s the oldest garden in the Netherlands and it\u2019s free for LU students.<\/p>\n

I tried to join societies to meet more people and to stay busy (e.g. Radiate, Contrast, ISN societies, etc.). This was very helpful. The OWL will introduce you to all of the societies and how to get involved. \u00a0I also joined Redeemer International Church in The Hague.\u00a0 I really loved it and felt at home. This also helped me slot in and join the local community. \u00a0I recommend joining ISN Leiden. They have lots of day- and weekend-trips and societies where you can meet other international students.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Explore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I really enjoyed making new friends and learning about their cultures and countries. \u00a0For example, I got to eat (and sometimes learn to cook) food from different countries (potluck dinners allow you to explore a wide variety!). We made pasta (Italian friend), dumplings (Singapore friend), stir fry (Chinese friend), Turkish pasta and cheese (Turkish friend), made a Dutch apple pie (Dutch friends), etc.<\/p>\n

I loved cycling everywhere and taking the train to other towns\/cities in the Netherlands. Leiden is quite central- which helps with traveling in the Netherlands. \u00a0<\/strong>Public transport in the Netherlands is crazy expensive.<\/p>\n

I bought a Museumkaart, which allowed me free access to all of the museums in the country. \u00a0If you enjoy museums and want to go to more than +-6 in the Netherlands- the card will definitely be worth it!<\/p>\n

In addition to exploring the Netherlands, I also had the opportunity to travel to different countries. I travelled to Dublin (Ireland), Budapest (Hungary), Istanbul (Turkey), Porto (Portugal), and Greece.<\/p>\n

I saw my exchange as a massive privilege and blessing. \u00a0Notice the small things and try to really absorb and notice the culture and way of life here. \u00a0I tried to enjoy every moment- cycling every day, the poems in the city (muurgedichten), the rain, flowers (tulpen), markets, museums, the quaint little European streets, canals, fantastic architecture, the interesting food at supermarkets, etc.\u00a0 With its rich culture and heritage, LU is a very prestige university and it was a privilege to study at such an amazing institution.<\/p>\n

Be OPEN. \u00a0Explore. \u00a0Have conversations with everyone. Learn from people! See place. Try new things. \u00a0Cycle everywhere. Do day-trips to Dutch towns- explore the country. Try ALL the Dutch food you can. You are representing our country & university- so make sure to stay positive and promote our country and educate people on what a beautiful town, country and continent we get to live in.<\/p>\n

Tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Go to the second-hand stores (Kringloopwinkel); especially for buying homeware. Or go to Ikea in Delft.<\/li>\n
  • Google Maps is a lifesaver (download the offline maps for safety).<\/li>\n
  • Download the 9292 app- it is your guide to public transport and it is user-friendly.<\/li>\n
  • Do not buy the LeidsePass. Personally, I do not think it\u2019s worth it, as none of us ever used it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Return to Stellenbosch:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    I was very sad to leave Leiden; I really got attached to my new Dutch home! It was hard to say goodbye to all of my friends. \u00a0I LOVED the Netherlands, and especially Leiden. \u00a0It is beautiful, and it was great to see the seasons change during my time there (winter snow to sunny spring).<\/p>\n

    However, it was good to return home, as I was excited to see my friends and family. \u00a0I think 5 months is the perfect duration for an exchange; long enough to feel like you are actually living in another country, but short enough to not miss home too much.<\/p>\n

    My time abroad opened up a whole new world to me. \u00a0It is a massive privilege to meet and interact with a diverse range of people from all over the world. I loved learning about different countries, cultures, beliefs, traditions, and mind-sets of people who think differently.<\/p>\n

    \"\"
    ‘Classmates’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    After studying at SU for 5 years, I enjoyed the change of scenery and seeing how another university operates. \u00a0I appreciate Stellenbosch and still think that it\u2019s a great university. We have fantastic staff, great facilities and good systems.<\/p>\n

    This semester definitely stirred in me a passion for traveling. So much to see- too little time! \u00a0I never thought I\u2019d live somewhere else, but now I might actually consider living abroad in the future. \u00a0Moreover, I am also inspired to travel around in SA more often.<\/p>\n

    Living and studying at Leiden is something that I won\u2019t exchange for anything in the world. \u00a0I had the best 5 months that I will always cherish.<\/p>\n

    Apply. \u00a0Do an exchange. \u00a0Go to Leiden. \u00a0You won\u2019t regret it.<\/p>\n

    Enjoy your new home-away-from-home. It is an incredible privilege. Time really <\/em>goes by too quickly!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Pre-departure: Firstly, take note that living in another country for a semester is quite a lot of admin. Secondly, it\u2019s … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10160,"featured_media":4778,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21248,44432],"tags":[41269,44690,21248,44688,28839],"class_list":["post-4773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leiden-university","category-semester-exchange-postings","tag-featured","tag-leiden","tag-leiden-university","tag-semester-exchange","tag-the-netherlands"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10160"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4773"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4773\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4836,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4773\/revisions\/4836"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}