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Study Abroad students settle in at Monash South Africa

23 March 2009

A group of five Monash Study Abroad students visiting the magnificent Drakensberg while on exchange in South Africa.
A group of five Monash Study Abroad students visiting the magnificent Drakensberg while on exchange in South Africa. They are from the left: Ruth Featonby, Yola Frank-Gray, Elsa Carnaby, Vince Naidu and Lily Shaw-Reynolds

As part of the Monash University Study Abroad programme, a group of 10 Australian and two Malaysian students arrived at the Monash South Africa campus in time for Orientation Week at the end of February and are making the most of their one-semester exchange.

 “When we arrived the people here were warm and welcoming and we found it quite easy to find our feet,” says Yola Frank-Gray a second-year exchange student from Monash Australia. “In comparison to our university at home, this campus is small which is wonderful because it’s easier to get to know people in the university community.”

Half the group went to (the coastal city of) Durban in search of a summer adventure before the start of classes, where they tried the local food ‘bunny chow’, joined a drumming session and visited the beautiful Valley of 1000 Hills.

The students have also visited Soweto. “It was a great experience and gave us a great insight into this country that we had not been exposed to before,” says Yola.

This past weekend, a second group of students travelled to the magnificent Drakensberg where they stood in awe of the view from the Amphitheatre, visited a remote village in the Kingdom of Lesotho and tried abseiling off a cliff face in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

“A group of us intends visiting Cape Town over the mid-term break, and we hope to visit Botswana and as many other local sights as we can, and to make the most of this incredible opportunity that Monash has provided us,” says Yola.

“I would definitely encourage other students to apply to study abroad at Monash South Africa. The campus is perfectly situated to make weekend trips away and to experience diverse world views on subjects which would be much more basic at home.”

“It is hard for us to believe that a month has already passed, and is always said: time flies when you’re having fun!”