2017-2018
MARCO POLO
FUND
Study Report
This form needs to be completed by every student who has received a scholarship from the Marco Polo Fund.
Signature Participant
!
Date: 17/12/2017
Last name*Please write your name as shown in your
passport
RIALLAND
First name*Please write your name as shown in your passport
Agathe Marie Sophie
RUG Student Number
S2707582
Please enclose a 2 page report on your experiences abroad, using the following headings:
1. Your study programme or your internship programme 2. Language
3. Finance and other conditions
4. Preparation and contacts with the faculty before, during and after your stay 5. Housing
6. Culture 7. Free time 8. Travelling 9. Other
1. Your study programme or your internship programme
I am a third year IR/IO student and I went on exchange to the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia. There I took 5 courses: 2 in english and 3 in Spanish, for a total of 24 ECTS. In English, I had Genocides of the 20th Century and International
Environmental Issues. In Spanish, I had Society and Communication, Rock and Politics and finally Environment and Politics.
The workload was doable. I had class only from Monday to Wednesday and I was usually trying to keep my weekends free of studying for other activities.
I was able to select any classes from the faculty of International Relations and Political Science. I chose courses that related to my personal interest and career prospects. I am really happy with my choices as all of my classes were very different yet very interesting. I would recommend to take classes that are open to students from different faculties as they did not require too much previous knowledge on the topics seen in class.
2. Language
My level of Spanish was good before my exchange but did I improved a lot during my stay. I never had trouble understanding the content of the courses and after 2 months, my level was fluent enough to have full conversation, read all the texts or answer exams. You really realise that your level is improving after the third month of exchange. I recommend to try to spend as much time as possible with locals instead of other internationals. Personally, almost all my friends were Colombian which obliged me to learn and speak the local Spanish
constantly. I was able to see a difference between my Spanish level and the level of some other exchange students who did not have the chance to spend so much time with locals as I did.
3. Finance and other conditions
Financially, Colombia is a rather safe choice if you are scared of spending too much money. I did not spend less than in Groningen but I also had a different lifestyle. With the same amount of money as in Europe, you are usually able to do a little more. I went travelling often, I was able to eat out almost everyday, use taxi constantly and still sustain myself comfortably. I think that on an everyday basis, your most expenses will be when you are craving some European goodies like cheese or wine or when you go out partying. Partying is more expensive than in Groningen because it is reserved to the higher class, but it is still completely affordable on a student budget.
4. Preparation and contacts with the faculty before, during and after your stay
Everything was well organised with our hosting faculty. We received an email with the date for the first official meeting and the rest was very clear. At university, we had a “student- mentor” that was also in contact with the mobility office and was able to answer most of our questions. The mobility office there was always open for us to drop by and Mariana, the coordinator, made us feel very welcome to ask whatever questions we may have. 5. Housing
I found a room for rent on Facebook. I had a small room with my own bathroom in a privately-owned international students house. I was leaving with 18 other people in the house, about a third from came from Europe or english-speaking countries, another third from South America and a third from Colombia. This balance was perfect as it made Spanish the main language in the house but still kept it international.
I paid €170,- incl. every month. The house was very big (3 floors) with spacious common areas. It was located about 20 minutes walk from University very near a busy bus station. I would completely recommend it for any future students as the rent was very affordable, and the atmosphere in the house absolutely amazing. Also, the fact that they were used to International students coming and going made moving in and out very easy (providing you with furnitures and bed sheets, furnished kitchen, etc.)
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6. Culture
The Colombian culture was the best I have experienced in any parts of the World. The Colombian people is incredibly open, welcoming and will always initiate a conversation. They are always happy to help, to share or to invite you. I never felt very unsafe. Of course, you have accordingly to the fact that it is Colombia and it is not as safe as in Groningen, but with following a few rules to keep yourself safe, you have nothing to worry about.
Colombians like to party but the party always ends at 3am, so you are usually able to be home at decent hours. I guess this goes along with the fact that Colombians wake up very early and start their day around 7am. I did have class at 7am on Mondays. it is actually not as bad as it sounds like. Furthermore, the sun sets rather early, at about 6pm everyday, but rises also at about 6am, so if you want to enjoy daylight, you have to be an early-bird.
Food-wise, be prepared for missing your favourite European treats. I missed bread and cheese and lot. But they have their own good share of treats that you will miss too once back home. I was an aspiring vegetarian before my stay but in Colombia, you eat meat at every meal, including breakfast. If you are a vegetarian, you will survive but it is harder than being a vegetarian in Europe. Luckily, the neighbourhood of the University is the new “hipster” neighbourhood of Bogotá so we had an amazing vegetarian restaurant right next to the University.
7. Free time
As many people were, I was surprised to see that the weather in Bogotá is not that warm. Depending on the time of the day, the temperature can be anywhere between 12 and 20 degrees, and the tricky thing is that if the sun is shining, you have to cover yourself in sun-block because at 2600 meters above sea-level, you burn very easily. But do not expect to spend all of free time roasting in the sun if you are in Bogotá. There are however many many things to do in the city. I spent most of my free-time with my Colombian best friend. As a photographer he got to go to many different places around Bogotá and always invited me to go with him. Aside from this, I kept doing music a lot. I found multiple DJ friends with whom I could practice and I also spent many hours playing for a clothing store close to my house. I did not join any sport team as there was only one team for my current sport, underwater hockey, but it was very far away from my house. I would however really recommend to join a sport team or another activities. The university offers many different activities you can join for free. I joined the Salsa Class. It was an amazing experience (even though I am a really bad dancer). The rest of my free-time was filled up with studying, visiting, partying and of course travelling.
8. Travelling
I travelled to many places around Colombia. I went to Medellin, Guatape, Barichara and San Gil with JOINUS ( a travelling agency that also organises events for internationals in Bogotá). I then travelled to the Tatacoa Desert, San Andres, Salento, Santa Marta, Cartagena, with my boyfriend. Travelling was rather cheap, or at least cheaper than in Europe. For transport, the bus is the cheapest option, for example, a 7 hours bus ride Bogota-Medellin is usually around 50 000 pesos (about €15). Flying was also affordable: I bought a return flight to San Andres, a Colombian Island facing the coast of Nicaragua, for €80. I always stayed in hostels, also a cheap accommodation option. The hostels in Colombia were always very good, some of them actually offered the same comfort as an hotel! I would however not recommend to stay in AirBNB in Colombia. A few internationals friends of mine had a very bad experience in San Andres where they got attacked and robbed with the complicity of the owner of the place they rented.
I went back to the Netherlands soon after the end of my semester at university. I did not have the funds to travel around South America for the following months. However, I would
absolutely recommend to stay as long as you can and travel as long as you can if you have the funds to do so. In my case, I hope to return to South America and visit more country once I am able to finance the trip!
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