2016-2017
MARCO POLO FUND
Study Report
This form needs to be completed by every student who has received a scholarship from the Marco Polo Fund.
Last name*Please write your name as shown in your
passport
Sweere
First name*Please write your name as shown in your
passport
Lisa Joanna Wilhelmina
RUG Student Number
S2383586
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 Signature Participant ……… Date: 03-01-2017
1 Lisa Sweere
lisasweere@hotmail.com
South Africa, University of Pretoria Study programme
My study programme consisted of the following courses: criminology, human rights and South African history. At the University of Pretoria exchange students do have a large
responsibility to find out what courses they are able follow. In most cases, it is possible to choose whatever you like and at any faculty you are interested in. My advice would be to look around and to try as much courses as possible to orientate what courses are interesting. I had to obtain 15 ECTS (which is the same as 30 South African credits) to get my grant amount. However, the rate can be different for every other University. The level of difficulty was the same as in the Netherlands and for some courses easier.
Language
The spoken language at the University of Pretoria is English and Afrikaans which seems a lot like Dutch. While Afrikaans is a bit difficult to understand, the English-teached classes are good to follow and most of the teachers do not have an accent. Also in everyday life most people do speak English. Most of the white population do also understand a bit of Dutch. The language issue is still quit a big problem in the country. In my time abroad (2016) there were a lot of student protests and one of their statements was the wish to abandon Afrikaans at universities.
Finance and other conditions
During my time abroad I spent about 9000 euros which is a lot of money. For the campus I had to pay 1440 euros. Besides that I made a lot of trips in the weekends. For that, it totally depends on yourself whether you want to pay a lot extra to see other countries and to travel.
Preparation and contacts with the faculty before, during and after your stay
The most important lesson I learned is to begin in time with the preparation! The embassy in Den Haag is not that cooperating and you have to travel to them at least three times to get your documents for your visa ready. Besides that, it takes a lot of time to obtain your VOG, medical insurance and all the other stuff the embassy asks for. The contact with the Faculty however was very good. During the time being in Pretoria, there were a lot of riots going on against Zuma and the student fees he raised. During the protests I experienced a lot of anxiety from the exchange students. My contact person e-mailed me to ask how I was and she took my concerns serious. In case anything happens you have to let them know! The contact after my stay was a lot less, which was no problem to me. However, they did sent all the information I needed in time.
Housing
The housing in Tuksdorp was okay but very simple. I had to share a house with seven other girls, because boys and girls live separate. In my room there was a bed, a bureau and a closet for my clothes. The kitchen was good although you can’t expect a lot of luxuries like blenders and that kind
2 of stuff. Furthermore we had a table and some chairs in the dining room which was not very cosy. Also the wifi was not working half of the time I spent there but you get used to the South African ‘speed of life’. Still though, I would recommend to stay in Tuksdorp because there I met all the other exchange students. In the evenings you can do a Braai with each other for example or hang around the small pool. Also, the university is only about two minutes’ walk from Tuksdorp.
Culture
The culture in South Africa is very interesting and knows a long history. I noticed that in everyday life the consequences of the Apartheid are still visible. Black and white people are largely separated although Apartheid does not exist anymore. Also a lot of the Dutch/British culture still remains, for example noticeable are the names of the villages Utrecht and Amsterdam. If you are interested in history a must see is the Apartheid museum in Johannesburg. Other countries around South Africa like Swaziland do have a totally different culture which makes them also interesting. In Swaziland for example you can visit the Reed Dance in October which is an ancient custom. During this dance, young virgins dance for the king and he is allowed to choose his queen.
Free time
Most of the courses are not obliged and if you want to make a long trip, it is possible. My advice is not to study too hard but to enjoy your time in South Africa as much as possible. Pretoria’s location is very central so in the weekends you can visit Johannesburg for example. Besides, the courses were not very difficult so you will find enough free time to do whatever you like.
Travelling
Most important for me was to get an expression of the country by travelling. I went to Mozambique, the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho. I would strongly recommend anyone to visit most of mentioned countries! During the holiday after your exams are finished you will have enough time to visit Capetown by airplane. It is not very expensive, around 50 euros. For the other countries I rent a car which is cheap and easy. In South Africa the roads are fine. In other countries you will have to pay more attention to the road and wild animals. Of course Krugerpark is also one of my favorites!
Other
At last, before I went I heard a lot of stories from other people who felt afraid in South Africa. In my experience, when you pay attention to your stuff and are not being naïve, you don’t have to worry about safety. There a lot of thieves and pickpockets but in my opinion, they are in every big city. Another important point I would like to mention is that it is worth it to spent a lot of money. In other words: don’t try to economize to much! Truly, it has been a lifetime experience partly because of all the beautiful countries and people I saw and met.
