How has this study abroad experience impacted your future?
Samantha: Living in Stellenbosch was one of the greatest things I have ever done in my life. I would wake up and see mountains when I looked out my window and this would always start off my day with a smile. It is just the most beautiful place I have ever seen and I hope to one-day move back to South Africa.
Time there feels slower and there isn’t as much need to rush things in your life; you can just enjoy the moment more. Being there helped me realize how much I want to travel in my life and I plan to incorporate that into my career as a photographer. My experience there also gave me insight into how vast the world is and how many cultures there are to learn about.
What is one piece of advice you'd give future AIFS Stellenbosch students?
Samantha: Make sure to join a society. When you come to the University of Stellenbosch with AIFS you meet lots of other Americans that are in your program and you also live with only other international students. For some reason they place all of us Americans, French, Germans, etc. together in the residence halls. Also, because we need to take classes in English there aren’t many South Africans in our classes. Because of this, it isn’t the easiest to make local friends. My suggestion on the best way to make lasting friendships is to join a society. When I was there I joined both the photography and yoga societies and went on a couple excursions with them.
Describe your program socially and academically.
Samantha: While there I was part of the special class/program called Learning Sustainable Community Engagement (LSCE). Through this class we went to a local elementary school and collaborated with the teachers to teach a specific grade once a week. It was tons of work, but it was definitely one of the most rewarding programs I have ever participated in and I recommend applying for it. We taught the students life-skills and they improved their English as well along the way. Without this experience I don’t think I would have learned as much about the communities around Stellenbosch and the way the school system is run. Plus, it was so much fun and we built them a tire dragon/playground!
Describe your favorite must-have food that you tried abroad.
Samantha: The food in South Africa was extremely fresh! There was a fruit and veggie stand outside of the grocery store that I loved going to. One thing I miss from there is all of the dried fruit. Another big thing there that you wouldn’t expect is how much feta cheese people eat. It would always be on a side salad with a meal. In South Africa you could go out to a nice sit-down restaurant for $5. If you wanted a super fancy meal, you would never pay more than $10. Stellenbosch has many quaint cafes and even on a budget you might be able to eat out every day.
Tell us about any interesting cultural tidbits you noticed about your country.
Samantha: Don’t be like those in the movie Mean Girls and be shocked that there are actually many white people in South Africa. In fact, Stellenbosch is comprised of mostly white Afrikaners. The whole area looks very European and if you don’t leave you might not think about the fact that you are in Africa most of the time. Traveling around the country and Southern Africa is a great way to explore more of the culture. Most people who go to the university speak English, but for many Afrikaans is their native tongue. I wish that I would have learned more of this language while I was there.