When studying abroad, it's always a bit hard to know in advance exactly what it will be like. As such, it's well worth thoroughly researching everything beforehand, so that you gather a clear idea of what you can expect. As a glowing country, Belgium has everything you could want as a student, fantastic universities, a vibrant cultural scene as well as a vibrant nightlife and every year thousands of international students head to the capital to begin their education. To give you an idea of what's on offer, here is an overview of student life in Belgium.
While studying abroad is a prestigious thing in almost every part of the world for aspirants, it can be quite frustrating to confine to the life of books throughout your course with little outdoor explorations.
For the reason RocApply has set on this platform how you can fully utilize your idle time in Belgium free of boredom. Be sure to check with our community feature to interact with other students from around the world and build yourself a network to get started!
While Belgium is certainly a fascinating place to live and work, it is also a popular place to study, and nowadays the universities are just as multicultural as the rest of the country. Indeed, there is much on provision that appeals to students besides their chosen program and university.
There are lots of fascinating sports facilities for instance as well as a plethora of different cultural events and festivals taking place across the country’s big cities every week.
This again applies to the specific program you are interested in, and it is a good idea to look into the ratio of students to lecturers. As almost everyone is accepted to university in Belgium provided they have the right qualifications, the first year of a study program is generally calm and intensive as the expectation is that a lot of people won't pass their exams and will fail the course.
This means that classes can be quite full although numbers will often drop tremendously in the second year. Part of the reason that so many students enroll is because tuition fees are so low.
Alongside the study program, there are lots of ways that students can immerse themselves in university life whether that is through associations and sports clubs or research groups and volunteering seminars.
In addition to this, the universities in Belgium offers up a myriad of opportunities for students looking to work or do an internship during their course of study. There are a plethora of activities to do here as a foreign student!
Amongst other things here, it is important to mention that Belgium beer and chocolate is tantalizing, however touristy as they sound have to be taken during a holiday as the two delights are as much a part of Belgian culture as mussels and chips with or without the mayo.
Universities in the main cities have something for everyone. Tours specialize in visiting the local breweries which make the country’s famous craft delights. Also institutions take students on a delicious stroll to the best chocolate places in the capital, guided by an expert chocolatier.
Most of the academic institutions will start the first semester of the year off with an orientation week to help new students settle in, make friends and learn about what opportunities are on offer at the institutions as well as the capital in general.
There will also be specific info sessions at various points throughout the year for Erasmus students to get to grips with student life here and experience the life at its best. There is so much universities that have to offer once you are done applying on RocApply!
DISCLAIMER: The suggestions on these pages are based primarily on recommendations that we receive from former students. Activity lists are by no means exhaustive; rather, they are meant give an idea for exploring all of the ways you can get involved in Belgium!
We advise you to check by yourself what beauty lies ahead!
