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Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL)

K.U. Leuven, Oude Markt 13, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
4.03 / 5 based on 474 reviews.
Description:
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven can look back upon six centuries of history. On 9th December 1425 Pope Martin V conferred upon it the bull of foundation, thereby making it the oldest university in the Low Countries and the oldest Catholic university in the world.


Reviews
International Partners
Programmes
Accreditations
86% of students recommend
474 reviews
Housing
3.9/5
 All experiences (474)
Student life
4.4/5
 5 stars (180)
Academic
4.1/5
 4 stars (210)
Languages
4.2/5
 3 stars (60)
Expenses
3.6/5
 2 stars (12)
Overall
4.4/5
 1 star (12)
“I will recomend to everybody to have an erasmus experience.” Read Review
Jonba, Spain

474 reviews of Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

PAGE: 1 2 3 4 5 … 79    NEXT »
1 to 1 of 79 
HOUSING    
by Ginny, Mount Allison University, Sackville, Canada
Religion/Theology, Independent
Personal assessment
Cost
KEY:
Couldn't have asked for more.
Pretty good.
Could've been better, but didn't lessen the overall experience.
Disappointing.
Facilities
Location
Cleanliness
Space
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Independently - I had no other choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why? I would live in a house with other students. Most Flemish students live in small student rooms because they go home every weekend. Yet, for an international student, it would be better to live in a house with other students for the company.
Personal comments:
I think the university should help students find housing and should offer housing on campus for international students (ie non-exchange students and non-Erasmus students). I was basically told to fend for myself, and it would have been better to have a built-in environment (ie a residence/dorm) where I could meet other students.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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STUDENT LIFE    
by lirdal, Universidad de Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
Law, European Community/EU, Erasmus
Personal social experience
Activities
KEY:
Amazing! Hardly had time to study.
Plenty to do when I had the time.
So-so.
Did not get involved.
Nightlife
Travel
Overall
Describe host city: Student life dominates the city
Activities, Nightlife: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Travel: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal comments:
There are some pubs for international students like "Wink" and "Geckoos". However, I recommend trying "Dutch places" like "Het vliegend varken" or "De Verbeelding". The visit to the Stella Artois factory in the very Leuven is highly recommended. If you really like beer, then make Belgian friends and ask them about the "cantus". This traditional ritual from the middleages is something no student should miss!
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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ACADEMIC    
by Mualla, Hanover College, Hanover, IN, United States
European Studies, University Agreement
My academic experiences
Quality of courses
KEY:
Fantastic.
Pretty good.
Could've been a bit better.
Disappointing.
Variety of courses
Availability/access to resources
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with other international students
Interaction with local students
Course recommendations:
"Independent study" is the key word here. You don't have as many papers/tests/quizes/presentations as you do in the US, so you have to research on your own to get the most out of this educational experience.



My opinion of the university assessment
Exams at end of course
KEY:
Liked it.
It was alright.
A bit annoying.
Didn't like it.
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course.
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
Overall
Personal comments:
Having one single exam at the end of the semestre to shape your grade for the course was a little scary since i didn't know what to expect.

This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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by Jonba, Universidad de Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
Law, European Community/EU, Erasmus
Language difficulties
Social
KEY:
No problems.
I coped pretty well.
Sometimes it was difficult.
It was a constant struggle.
Educational
Administrative / Institutional
Overall
Language of instruction: English
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
How much did you improve your English?
My level before: At ease in most situations
My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang)
Personal comments:
During my year in Leuven I improve my english since I did not know, before my stay, law technical english. I already adance english since before I had have some experiences abroad (USA 3 months, New Zealand 3 months and England 3 months). I also learnd some french even thouhgt it was not the local languaje.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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EXPENSES    
by Isabel, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
Economics, Erasmus
The accessibility of student needs
Second-hand text books
KEY:
Very easy.
Minimal effort.
Accessible but required effort.
Almost impossible.
Second-hand household items
Computers / Internet
Administrative
Money from home
Main source of funding:
Family
Other sources of funding:
Personal savings
An ERASMUS grant
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits:
I spent more in traveling because I took advantage of the fact of being in center of Europe to travel in that region and to visit my Portuguese friends who were in Erasmus in the surrounding countries. I spent more in housing because in my home country I living in my own home.
Travel, Housing: was more expensive than at home.
Food, Nightlife, Overall, Telephone: was the same price as at home.
Personal comments:
Before leaving your home country, be sure you have access to your bank accounts through the direct channels (internet and phone).
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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OVERALL    
by sonoman, Universidad de Lima, Lima, Peru
Business Studies, Independent
Important to choosing this university...
Academic reasons
KEY:
Very Important.
Important.
Not really important.
Unimportant.
Culture
Costs
Activities
Campus life
Party / people
Weather / Location
I wish I had known...
Is always good to stick around with other people on the weekends, otherwise you'll have this "homesick" feeling...actually, you will get it anyways: just start working on that idea before you travel, it makes it easier to know you're expecting this than rather just have that feeling out of the blue.
In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!



During my experience abroad, I ...
Became familiar with another culture
KEY:
Happened all the time.
Happened quite a lot.
Happened a bit.
Didn't happen.
Traveled
Improved language skills
Met people from other countries
Became more independent
Partied a lot
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies/career
Personal recommendation:
Leuven rocks in everysense. Comparing it to my previous international experience (at the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School in Gent, Belgium) I can say that the student atmosphere is by far thousand times better. But, eventhough the city can offer everything, is still quite small. In that sense I think Gent is a better place to live, but Leuven a better place to interact with other international students and with the university itself.



FINAL COMMENTS

I've worked and studied at the same time and been able to handle it perfectly. You should do it to...is a great way to make money to pay for expenses/travels/night outs, etc. For foreign students: you can apply for a work permit C at the city hall which allows you to work as a student 20 hours a week.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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