A.HAZLEDINE - Belgium - Spring 2008 - Undergraduate
Amber HazledineUniversité Catholique: Louvain la Neuve, BelgiumSpring 2008Hazle013@umn.eduAcademic experiences at the partner schoolGeneral academic structure: The courses are much less structured than in the U.S. Generally you will have each course once per week for 2-4 hours. There may be a few small projects or assignments throughout the semester, but for the most part, the course evaluation is based entirely on the final exam at the end of the semester.Classes taken/ how they compare to courses here: The courses I took were European Public Affairs, International Business, International Financial Management, International Accounting Standards, and Corporate Social Responsibility. I haven’t taken courses similar to these at CSOM, so I cannot really compare them. However, I can say that while I felt like the courses were light-hearted and simple during the semester, I realized how much practical information I had actually learned during the final exam.Advising: Neither the advising staff at CSOM, nor at UCL, was able to offer much assistance in terms of what courses to take to actually advance in my degree. You must be very driven if you want to make this program work for yourself. However, in terms of other questions, both teams were relatively willing to help search for answers. As the program grows, and both staffs become more familiar with it, I’m sure the issues with planning will begin to get ironed out.Surprises/comparison with academic environment in the U.S: Since I took courses in English, the classes were generally smaller and more flexible. We were able to hold some of our courses at the European Commission and Parliament, along with being able to participate in complex projects such as running an online steel trading company. They really utilize a variety of teaching methods to keep courses interesting. As far as the attitude toward academics, it was much more relaxed. There is not as much of an emphasis on academic dishonesty/plagiarism, which made keeping academic standards while working with an international team somewhat difficult.Logistics at the partner school:Orientation/Arrival: The arrival was well coordinated. The program sets you up with a “buddy” who helps you get from the airport to Louvain la Neuve. They were waiting at the arrivals, helped me take some extra passport photos, drove me to the city, helped me find a place to stay, and pointed me in the right direction. The orientation was about 45 minutes long, and did not necessarily cover all of the information we needed. Further, getting set up in the city is a little bit difficult since the different administrative locations all have odd opening hours that are somewhat difficult to coordinate. It just takes a little bit of planning, and it’s only really chaotic for the first day or so.Housing: If you want to get housing guaranteed, be sure to send your deposit to the school early. You will get a place to stay, but keep in mind that it will be student style housing, so it’s not exactly fancy. I lived in a kot with a total of 6 people (they generally have from 4-12), and that included a bedroom, shared bathrooms, kitchen, dining area, and living room. It’s a great way to get to know some Belgians, but keep in mind that many don’t speak much English. If you want to look for your own place to stay, you can contact the housing facilities for a list of people searching for roommates. Something that also seemed to work well was to look on facebook for people searching. Generally you will have a larger, nicer space with fewer roommates, but will also pay more and be a bit more secluded.Meals: If you don’t like to cook, you can generally get by on cornets of pasta and sandwiches for 2-3 euro each. If you plan on eating a sit-down meal at one of the restaurants in town, it will probably run you about 12-20 euro. However, if you’re looking to spend a bit less money, there is an Aldi within walking distance of campus, as well as 3 grocery stores near the center of town. Prices are a bit higher than in the U.S., but are definitely manageable. If you live in a kot, dishes and cooking utensils are provided.Transportation: There are no buses or cars within Louvain la Neuve. Parking is all underground, so you rarely see vehicles unless you go to the outer parts near Hocaille. You will do a lot of walking. However, the train system is quite convenient. The station is in the center , and trains leave approximately every half hour for the next station over. (Ottignies) From there, you can easily catch a train to Brussels. The trip takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 ? hours from Louvain la Neuve to Brussels depending on which train you take. Do NOT pay full price for your train tickets. There is a GOpass, which gives you 10 one way trips anywhere in Belgium for something around 46 euro. Also, you will want to get a campus pass which gives you 5 round trips to Brussels for 6.40 euro. As far as traveling outside of Belgium, flying is pretty cheap and easy. Many discount airlines will fly out of Charleroi, which will take you an extra 2 hours and 13 euro to find, so plan ahead. Student activity groups: There are a few student activity groups around campus. Mostly, they will live in a kot-a-projet, which is similar to a small scale fraternity house. They share a common interest and complete a few projects or events throughout the year. For the most part, students all just go to the “cercles”. There are members, and they have different events, parties, etc. They’re most known for their parties which occur on a set night each week, and draw hundreds of students.Host Country Culture What were some surprises or insights you had into the culture of your host country/school? The culture as a whole is pretty relaxed. The people are very easygoing if something goes wrong.What are your recommendations for ways that other exchange students can learn about and become immersed in the culture? Meet the Belgians! It is very easy to just spend all of your time with the Erasmus/exchange students since you’re all in the same position. However, if you want to truly get to know the Belgian culture, get to know some students and maybe you’ll even have the chance to visit one of their homes and see how a Belgian family operates. The other thing that gave me the most insight into the culture was that I joined a church in Brussels. This meant that I met hundreds of people living in the country who could explain and show me life beyond the student experience.Did you have the chance to learn a second language? Why or why not? There was the opportunity to study other languages, but I focused on the business courses. You will be able to take courses in both French and English if you wish.Social life: How would you rate your integration with other students from the host university? It was very easy to get integrated with the other exchange students as there were events hosted for us, and we were all trying to figure out the school. It is possible to get to know the Belgian students as well. However, it is easiest if you speak French. Otherwise, it’s difficult to approach them. Overall, I’d say I met quite a few students from the host university in my classes.How would you rate your integration with other international students? They become like a second family.What were some of the best ways you found to make friends and meet people at the host university? The easiest way to meet people was to go out to the parties. There were everything from beer and cheese tasting and barbecues by the lake, to cercle parties, dancing at Beckett’s, and dinner parties. There is really something for everyone, and you meet a ton of people this way. Of course, you can always just talk to students in your classes, or choose to work with Belgians instead of exchange students on projects.What kinds of after-hours and weekend activities would you recommend for other students? Travel on the weekends. Most of the host university students leave every weekend, leaving only the exchange students. Since there are parties every weekday, the weekends are a good time to relax and travel. (and take advantage of the cheaper weekend train tickets.) As far as after hours, there are a few cheap places like the Creperie Bretonne or the Taverne on Grand Place to grab dessert or something if you’re not up for the cercles.If you traveled with your family, how was their integration into the host community? Did you find any particularly helpful resources for them? Other:Budgeting: how much would you recommend students take with them? How much would you say would be the monthly living expenses in the city you lived in including rent/food/misc. expenses? I will give the amounts in euro, since we never know where the dollar will be by the time they go. -For food, if you don’t go out too often, you can get by on 100 euro per month for food. If you include drinking and eating out maybe once per week, plan for at least 200 euro per month. -Rent varied anywhere from 215-450 euro per month. It depends on where you get placed, but most kots were less than 300.-Electricity will cost around 30 euro for the whole semester. -Many kots will get internet and split the bill between all of the members. I paid 20 euro for the semester.-You will want a cell phone which varies in cost based on how much you use it. (most will have a prepaid phone). Most people got by with about 25-40 euro per month for the phone plus 35 euro to initially buy the cheapest phone.-Plan about 30 euro per month for transportation to classes in Brussels, small trips, etc. as you will likely be doing that.-You can budget almost 0 for books since almost all resources are provided or available online. Total: 2150-3700 (range mainly the result of rent/food differences)The amounts listed above are basically the minimum living expenses while you are there. If you plan on taking trips (which you should), eating out frequently, shopping, etc. it will clearly cost more.Do you have suggestions on the types of students who would be well suited to this program? You have to be very open-minded and independent. Everyone in Belgium knows of Louvain la Neuve as having its own culture, which can’t really be explained until you go. It is definitely different, but very enjoyable. You will need to be independent because there is nobody to really hold your hand through the whole process, and very few past testimonies since it’s a relatively new program for CSOM. Also, it’s not very much like living on your own – to keep in mind for younger students. You will be responsible for setting up your bank account, paying bills, cooking, cleaning, etc.Did you need a visa to enter the country? If so, how did you apply for one and how long did it take to receive? Yes you need a visa, including a medical history, physical with HIV tests, evidence of financial support, passport, fees, acceptance letter, as well as a criminal background check if you are over 21 years old. The whole process takes a minimum of 5 months as they take up to 18 weeks to process the background check alone, and that must be included in the application. However, once the application was submitted, I received my visa within a week.What recommendations would you give to other CSOM students going on this program (to bring, to wear, etc.)? Bring something from home. They have an event called Global Village where each country brings traditional food, music, art, etc. to share with the community. Besides that, the students are always excited to learn more about each other’s home culture, whether it is homemade cookies or local alcohol. Bring foods that you know you are addicted to since they may not have them in Belgium. (ex: macaroni and cheese) Bring lots of pictures of friends and family, posters, etc. to decorate your room as they are usually plain white walls. Do not bring incredibly nice shoes. You will do a lot of walking on cobble stones, and they will be ruined by the time you leave. Bring at least one pair of old, dirty shoes and jeans for the cercles. The saying is that students here dress up for class, and dress down to go out, so unless you’re planning on going out in some other cities, you can leave most of your club clothes at home. Finally, bring an umbrella – you never know when it’s going to rain.General recommendations for study abroad: Do it! “Il faut profiter.” Actually, don’t do it unless you’re going to take advantage of it, and go in with an open mind and a good attitude. You will likely feel homesick and have a bit of culture shock, and unless you’re willing to go outside of your comfort zone, it may not end up so well. Something that will help with this is to do a little bit of research on the culture before you go. Have an idea of what you’re getting into.What resources did you use to plan your trip or semester travels that you think other students should know about? Definitely the discount airlines were helpful: WizzAir, SterlingDK, RyanAir, Brussels Airlines, and SkyEurope all had good deals from time to time. I usually would just check through all of them for the cheapest flight, and then plan my trip to go there for the next weekend. Keep in mind though that many of these airlines fly into suburbs, and you’ll have to take a bus or train into the city. Once you’re in the city, was a great resource for finding a decent place to stay. They have listings for hundreds of cities along with reviews from customers so you have a real representation of the place. They also offer lists of the best sites, maps, and ideas of how to save money in each city. They there is always the lonely planet book or website, which will give you in depth information about each city you want to visit. Finally, if you’re just traveling within Belgium, check out the website b-rail.be for the train schedules.Did you receive a scholarship for your study abroad program? If so, can you tell us about the award, how you found it, and the details of the application process? I received a $1000 scholarship from Carlson School of Management through their application program. I wrote an essay about why I want to study abroad and how it will fit into my future. Then, I was notified I had received it, and had to write a thank you letter to the family. ................
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