Most students going on a semester exchange expect to have their boundaries shifted and to learn how to navigate different social contexts. However, the outbreak of the global pandemic has added a whole new dimension to the experience of studying abroad.
“We were determined to travel, despite all the uncertainty, and continued with our preparations until we were given the go-ahead," says Maëlle Barrere, a master's student from SKEMA Business School France. She was one of over 300 students who finally arrived at Stellenbosch University (SU) on a semester exchange in the first semester of 2021 after having waited a year for their home countries' hard lockdowns to be lifted so that international travel could recommence.
And it was well worth the wait, Maëlle says, as she was able to make the most of her exchange, even securing an internship at SU International. We sat down to learn more about her experience.
Explain the way you felt when you found out you could travel again after the hard lockdown.
Excitement was the first thing I felt, although there was still a lot of uncertainty. France was still under curfew, and the embassies were not fully functioning. And the stress slowly started to creep in when we received word of the rise in cases in South Africa. But since we were determined to travel, we continued with our preparations until we were given the go-ahead.
What were your expectations of SU? And have they been met?
Over and above everything else, I expected to have a rich cultural experience, to meet new people, and to grow from the experience. And, indeed, my expectations have been met, even though in between ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and hybrid ways of working. I didn't expect to meet such nice colleagues, see such beautiful landscapes, and create such good memories.
How did you end up working at SU International?
With hybrid learning and pandemic restrictions, it was difficult to meet new people and engage, but I was determined to make it work and still find a way to integrate with my new environment. So, when I was given the opportunity to intern at SU International, I grabbed it, and it has turned out to be one of the highlights of this exchange experience.
Now that you have been here a while, what has your experience of studying and working at SU been like?
What has stood out most for me is the working environment: Working at SU International as an intern is very different from working in France. Here, I enjoy an open-door and collaborative working approach, where I can talk directly to my manager and feel that I am contributing to the team. In a way, my interaction with my colleagues compensated for the fact that the peer engagement and social integration that normally come with an exchange experience were limited due to COVID.
If you were to explain your SU experience to someone who hasn't been, what would you say?
Firstly, if you are worried about travelling to South Africa, knowing that it is not the safest country in the world, arriving here at Stellenbosch gives you that safe cocoon feeling. Secondly, SU is beautiful – the landscapes, the culture. I really wish I could discover it fully. I did manage to travel during recess and enjoyed the beauty of the country. On a visit to South Africa, one at least needs to get to Cape Town and Durban, enjoy the beaches, and definitely see the Drakensberg. I am still hoping to get to see Kruger National Park before I leave.
