Brussels- go for food and beer Past Review
By Jordan P (Accounting & Studio Art, Trinity University) for
CIEE: Brussels - Advanced Liberal Arts
My study abroad experience was the best thing I could have done in college.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Vesalius College |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was much less than my home university. The professors rarely assigned anything beyond exams. The whole system was much less organized and efficient than the American university educational system. I wouldn't say that it was a poorly run college, it was just a different way of organizing and teaching. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CIEE's staff was amazing. They were well organized, helpful and educated about the host country. The trips were fun and educational. They had a good handle on how to keep college students entertained. They were a little bad about disappearing for weekends and holidays when I really needed help. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Well, I was an anomaly for housing. I was living with a very well off family who enjoyed having foreign students stay with them. My living situation was very nice. I had my own room and bathroom and access to a full kitchen. I did do my own cooking but I was often invited to eat with the family I lived with. |
| * Food: |
Belgian food is delicious! I LOVED going to outdoor markets and buying meats and produce to cook with. If you go to Brussels, make sure you go to the Gare du Midi market. There are other markets worth exploring but that is the biggest and cheapest. Try to find the Morrocan stand that makes olive naan wraps (olives, goat cheese, honey all wrapped into deliciousness). The food was one of my very major favorite parts of my study abroad experience. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The CIEE fieldtrips were the best for culture experiences. We went to several festivals and small towns that were very unique. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
In Brussels, you are very safe as long as you do not travel to the bad parts of down and always travel in groups. Women: do not interact with strange men on the street, especially at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about $30 on groceries a week and probably that twice again on drinking and going out. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Traveling expenses add up very very quickly. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I lived with a family that spoke English. The Brussels community as a whole was very English friendly. Unfortunately, this led me to learn very little French. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Learn to drink beer and like it. Always be open to trying weird food like pate', it's delicious. Try not to pack a million cities into a traveling week, slow your pace and you will have more fun. |
