My Study Journey in Europe - The IMRD Story

A New Journey Begins

Last year, I had the opportunity to begin my master's program in Rural Development at Universiteit Gent . How I got this opportunity is nothing short of a miracle, and I am grateful and excited about the journey and its prospects. I decided to record my experience in school for the next two years – one for each semester. I want to look back at this in the future and reminisce about the good old days. Hopefully, this account would be a useful guide for someone wishing to take their further studies outside of their home country or comfort zone.??

The IMRD Program

The International Masters in Rural Development is an Erasmus Mundus joint master’s program coordinated by the University of Ghent in Belgium. It is offered in partnership with other universities in the European region such as Slovak University of Agriculture, Pisa University among others. However, there is a partnership also with the University of Arkansas in the US and an opportunity to obtain a double master’s degree at the end of the study period. The program is split into three Erasmus tracks and two VLIR-OUS tracks so that students could choose from a selection of courses offered by the partner universities depending on their track; the theme of the tracks depends on the study period Students in this program are required to study in at least two different universities before the end of the two years in school. You can read more about the program from the website.

Back to School

I have always been deeply passionate about education, and the opportunity to further my studies came at the perfect moment, for which I am truly grateful. I remember the first day in Gent, I thought to myself, This is it! I am finally here. I looked to the future with excitement hoping for a memorable experience. For me, this is not just school, it is a story of hope, an inspirational story to be shared with young students in my rural community and a testament to my belief that dreams do come true!

It was with this enthusiasm that I embraced school and all that came along with it. Whenever I sit in class, I try to emulate the advice and tips I give my students. What I expect them to do - if you do not understand, ask! You do not have to be the leader to contribute actively in the group, be friendly and network – I had to consciously keep myself on track.?

My bachelor's degree was in Food and Nutrition, now I had to sit through an economics and? agriculture class! Well, as is my usual practice I find a stronger reason to counter negative excuses for anything I have to do. So this is what I told myself; “Deborah, you graduated from the university six years ago before starting this master's program, and even if you had to go back to study the same course, you would still have to relearn and readjust to the subject. So you had better buckle up and learn what needs to be learnt because quitting is not even an option and failing is not your style!”

I must admit that Universiteit Gent offers such a great learning environment. Top of the experience for me was that the lecturers were approachable, open to feedback and ready to support us to succeed. The programme structure was also dynamic; it included presentations, field trips, and a boot camp (which was the highlight for me). I had such a hard time with some of the courses but this program was all I expected.?

Lesson - The position you assume on a matter impacts your behavior towards it. Most times, Plan B is making Plan A work!

Arriving and Adjusting

Moving to Belgium was made easy for me thanks to the support I received from my work colleagues. In Belgium, I found it easier to move around because of the use of English. However, just like when you are new to an environment, I had to learn to navigate this new system. There were few times I missed my bus or train because I was on the wrong platform or the times when I missed my stop and had to get off somewhere and travel back. Most of these mistakes would usually make me laugh at myself. I was fortunate to secure an accommodation before getting in. This helped me to avoid the ordeal that came with searching for a place. At Gent, I found it easier to process official documents; this I believe was due to the initial preparations made by the school to make our lives easier.?

Being a cycling-friendly city, the majority of the student population including international students, own bikes and cycle most of the time. Unfortunately, this wasn't the same for me because I never learnt how to ride. I was always scared of getting injured in the process. Oooh, how I wish I did! The good thing is that I have a friend who taught me to ride, however, I have still not been able to master the courage to ride in the city. You could say the “Daring Deborah” fears nothing but bicycles –? hahahaha. I had to do a lot more walking. Well, for me, this was an opportunity to do a 45-minute prayer or praise session in the morning or the evening to or from lectures.?

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AI and automation have contributed greatly to the simplification of processes in the advanced world and this is true also in Belgium. However, it is also true that AI cannot and should not be left alone to manage the human world. I say this specifically because of my unfortunate experience with Proximus Group , which up until now seems to me as the proverbial “Bruno” described in the Encanto movie. The company, to me, has displayed such poor customer care. I need to admit that I got on this very bad side due to my negligence; I had to pay them for a data subscription which I never used! Initially, I accepted my ordeal since I knew I caused it because I ignored what I shouldn’t. However, I realized there was more to this – I feel they can do better! I do hope they would be able to take time to assess their processes as an organization. It seems they don’t have a good report out there. I have vowed to stay away from Proximus as much as I can, for my own sanity!

Let me not get you started on food and how I eventually got by… that can be a whole chapter of a book.

Lesson - You are responsible for yourself, do all you can to protect yourself.?

Making Friends

My course group was a melting pot of many cultures; 35 students from 19 countries. The ability to make new friends in new environments is quite tricky yet very important. This is because the earlier you make friends, the easier it is to assimilate into the group and the faster learning and working becomes less weird. That is why I applaud the initiative of the facilitators of both the Erasmus Mundus and VLIR-UOS scholarships to organize meetup sessions with the beneficiaries before they report to school. That way, people met their colleagues coming from the same country before getting into the school setting. And then the orientation program organized by Gent University and the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering played a key role in helping students further bond with each other (from the stories I heard, the activities were fun and useful).?

But, there was me! The one who wasn’t aware of these initial meetings. The one who was still waiting for her visa when orientation in the school had commenced. Fortunately, I arrived at school early enough before lectures could begin. For the first few days, I had to figure things out on my own. I didn't know any course colleagues and I was staying in Brussels. Thankfully, the international support desk of the faculty was supportive and the process to get me set up was easy and faster because I didn't have to join any queues.?

I was elated when I finally got to meet my class members. As expected, it was easier to start conversations from the known, so my “not-so-fellow-Ghanaian”, Kennedy and my “so-fellow-Nigerian” friends were there first I got close to. And subsequently, we got associated with our sisters from Haiti because we had worked together on an assignment which lasted the whole semester. This relationship has been one of the best associations I've made on campus! Eventually, I got to know and work with other course mates; I believe my class is very dynamic and the best. Well, my disposition is always this: wherever I find myself, is the best. And this doesn’t mean others are not equally great.

Lesson - the blessing of men and community can never be overrated.?

Preparing for Exams and Exams?

Four-hour long exams! You can bring snacks! There's an open-book exam too! (This one is a trap - haahahaa). These were some of the initial statements that stood out for me when we were being prepped for our first semester examinations. The examination month was one of the hardest and longest for me. Why? This is the moment I get to prove to my sponsors whether they made a good bet on me. This was also a moment to make my family proud and finally, this was a moment to put into practice all the learning and advice tips that I always dished out to my students at Dreams Arise Ghana. But all thanks to God, my friends and course mates I had a successful process. The interesting part of the exams for me was the fact that the lecturers were mostly not interested in accessing our memory skills but in our ability to prove that we understood the topics and concepts discussed.?

The image above to me is a summation of the exam period. How? It felt like we were all wearing skating boots because we all didn’t know what to expect, we were all international students and this was our first exam in a Belgian university, a top university at that. But, as you can see in the picture, we went through the uncertain process with happiness, holding each other for support, and beckoning each other on so we could all go through successfully. I was grateful for the class support during the exam period.

Lesson – Winning is a beautiful thing but not as much as winning together

Saying Goodbye?

The IMRD program is a mobility program with three tracks. This meant that, after the first semester, the class had to be split up into three – each group to a separate university. The last night together was beautiful but it is always hard to say goodbye. I was grateful to have been connected to such a lovely group. The group was a unique one together. We created memories, laughed and learned together. I look forward to meeting most if not all of my colleagues in the near future.

The second semester has already started and I have already been enjoying all the courses on the list. I look forward to sharing my experience at the end.

Lesson – What would people remember you for when you are no longer with them?

My Reflection

Studying abroad is a challenge! Away from home, away from the know but the experience and learning opportunities it offers is worth it. I am grateful for this opportunity as I know it is the beginning of a new path being charted for me. The new connections, learning new ways of doing things and learning tolerance and patience in the process.

Hopefully, you enjoyed my story and learnt a thing or two from it.?I look forward to sharing my experience from the second semester with you.

Cheers,

Debs