379 reviews
4.06 / 5 based on 379 reviews
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ariane p
Overall
I wish I had known...
In my opinion:
Most people loved it.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
It's famous and the teaching staff is good. Many foreign students.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
Cloudy weather most of the time... The place where the university was built was formerly known as "Little Siberia", because of its VERY cold wind...
Local beer may keep you warm - they drink LOADS of it.
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ariane p
Academic
Course recommendations
Good teaching staff
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
Slightly a grandpa-like way of teaching (maybe because it's the oldest university in Europe - XIIIth century ?)All classes are given in huge classrooms, you may feel at a loss if you're not used to this kind of knowledge-transmission... You're not supposed to participate in any way except through listening & writing down notes. You may only talk to the teacher at the end of the class, it can be frustrating.
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
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ariane p
Languages
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
For french-speakers : funny Belgian accent and language odd tips, such as the general incapacity to distinguish two verbs ("savoir" and "pouvoir"). You may be surprised to be asked in French whether you "know" how to open the door, or how to read... They only ask you if you CAN open the door, or if you can read althought it is dark, for example. Many weird local words, funny to discover.
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ariane p
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Personal savings
Other sources of funding:
none
Work opportunities:
It was not legal for me to work
Personal spending habits
Belgacom, the local phone company, charges far too much to give you a number, and they charge again when you cancel the line at the end of your stay. Even if you don't phone a lot, you pay every month, and it's quite a lot. Try to live in a flat where they already have a phone ! Local supermarkets are expensive : they're well aware of the fact tat most students have no car, and therefore have no choice : they shop in Louvain. Find friends to go shopping in the surrounding malls.
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Telephone:
was more expensive than at home.
Food:
was the same price as at home.
Overall, Travel, Housing, Nightlife:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
1/ The railway company allows young students to buy 10-journey travelcards called "Gopass", it's a cheap and handy way to discover Belgium.
2/ Food : See 3.
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ariane p
Housing
Type of housing: On campus
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: On campus
Why?
The campus is alright, but it's big, and some places are much nicer than others
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Personal comments
Watch out ! The accomodation in this university is almost entirely in the hands of private investors. Their agencies own a great number of apartments (individual or collective). Students who can afford to go to Louvain during the summer or in early September can choose flat location and accomodation, but most foreign students have no choice. Local accomodation agencies tell them they had to book them a room (a "kot", as they say in Belgium - a Flemish word for "corner"), and it's too late to change, even if your classes are a 40-minute walk away from your "kot" - and classes usually start at 8 in the morning. (Cars or buses are not allowed in the city - Bring your bike, roller-blades, or donkey).Or you may be at ground level on the busiest street of Louvain, unable to sleep before 3 AM or after 7 AM (night life is rather busy there, except during week-ends).
So tell the agency from the beginning what kind of accomodation you expect (find out in wich part of the city your classes will take place, it depends on your academic area) and make sure you can change if your "kot" is not suitable for you. If they refuse, DO insist. They seem to be used to consider foreign students a handful tribe to fill in the lousiest "kots", and they ask you to send up money to book the kot long beforehand. The whole thing seems to be a hell of a money-making business, but it's not very honest. And the university itself will be of no help, as they're not in charge.
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ariane p
Student life
Describe host city:
Student life dominates the city
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Nightlife, Activities: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Travel: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
Each Belgian region has its own house, where tey have parties, and they're much more fun than the city bars and cafés. It's hard to go out at night in Brussels if you ave no car - public transportation between Brussels and Louvain stops around 11 PM. Week-ends are terribly dull if you don't travel around the country (many beautiful cities to visit up north, in the Flemish area). All Belgians get back to their parents' on Friday afternoon. The local cinema has cheap sneak previews.
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