I always loved the idea of studying abroad for a few months, however Neuroscience didn't allow me this opportunity. Thus, I decided to enrol on one of LSE-UCT's Summer programmes in Cape Town for two weeks. The programmes were all very different from anything I'd studied previously, but I wanted to challenge myself whilst developing an interest of mine and so decided to opt for the International Relations course: 'Africa and Global Transformation: The Rise of Emerging Powers and a New International Order'.
So third year finished, and while most of my mates were excited to have finished exams, I was on my way to Cape Town for two more weeks of lectures. I arrived at Heathrow, excited for my long-haul flight (my favourite type of flight), but a bit apprehensive for my 50 minute layover in Qatar. After a delay, I arrived at Qatar with 20 minutes until my next flight and was told that I had missed that flight and will fly in 24 hours instead. Thankfully, Qatar Airways had organised a visa, (5-star) accommodation, and a food voucher by the time I'd landed. I spent the next 24 hours sightseeing by myself in 37°C in Qatar, and as arranged I got to Cape Town 24 hours later than expected. This meant that I had missed my Robben Island tour, but it was still a day before classes began. This confusion led to no one being there to pick me up at the airport, but soon afterwards I lugged my 25kg suitcase up three flights of stairs (with much difficulty) and was welcomed into halls.
The course itself was very well done; the class sizes were fairly small and because the cohort was so diverse (in age, occupation, and nationality) it meant that everyone had unique viewpoints to offer. One thing I noticed was that my entire British education was very focused on the Western world, whereas we were taught very little about each African country. This, alongside my lack of formal IR education, meant that I learnt a lot, and the (VERY thick) readings booklet we were given allowed me to consolidate the concepts learnt in class too. Neil and Chris were very engaging instructors, and the guest lecturers allowed for a lot of variety and kept the lectures interesting. Overall, I would very highly recommend this course, and the class trip to Stellenbosch for wine tasting was a very nice addition.
The best part of this experience was the chance to meet new people and explore Cape Town with the cohort. There were a lot of opportunities to meet everyone, and the WhatsApp group was very active so whenever anyone wanted to explore a new bar or go on a night out, it was easy to meet in the common room and join. This is the main reason why I enjoyed staying in halls (even though the accommodation was downgraded at the last minute), plus there was a university vibe to it, which I loved (having just finished my Bachelor's degree at Bristol). Because the course was only 2 weeks, everyone was keen to socialise and so it was very inclusive, and at the end of the first week everyone was invited to a house party. Those who wanted to focus and revise were able to, but the rest of us had enough time to go to bars or on nights out, hike Lion's Head, and go sightseeing. It reminded me a lot of first year - turning up to lectures hungover, meeting lots of new people, a lot of last minute revision (and luck!) and I absolutely loved it.
Despite the many positives, a few negatives were noted. Firstly, I only looked at the maximum temperatures predicted, forgetting that it was Winter in South Africa, so when I saw only a couple of jumpers in my suitcase and no jacket, I realised I'd messed up. But boy did I get my money out of those jumpers. I was also not the only one who made this mistake, which made me feel slightly better. The other downside of Cape Town was the lack of safety; several of the cohort got mugged and we were constantly warned to hide our phones and stay in groups. Prior to going, I also had no idea how high the prevalence of HIV/AIDS was in South Africa (25%!) and many conversations with locals proved that racism is still very prominent and real in Cape Town.
Cape Town has so much to offer and is one of my favourite cities that I've visited. The sunsets were absolutely stunning, especially from the mountains, with one of my favourite memories being a group of us watching the sunset with bottles of rosé on Signal Hill after visiting Bo-Kaap. One of my favourite areas to visit after lectures was the V&A Waterfront, with its bars and restaurants (I would definitely recommend trying game here), but we never ran out of things to visit and our evenings were always spent exploring the city and the weekends were spent visiting the outskirts, such as Cape Point.
Our last day consisted of an exam, followed by visiting Table Mountain, then a dinner with the cohort consisting of traditional African cuisines, and finally a night out. This day was filled with many mixed emotions, and I won't ruin the memories of it by sharing it with the world, but it led to several of us sleeping through the checkout time and a very eventful brunch. Nonetheless, I knew that these two weeks had been one of my favourite experiences when I felt as heartbroken as I had a few weeks prior (when I left Bristol after three years) and I can't wait to go back.
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