Vesalius College: AMAZING Past Review
By Jacob P (International Relations and Affairs., Tufts University) for
Vesalius College: Brussels - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was among the best experiences of my life. If I had to do it again, I would have enrolled via a study abroad provider, like CIEE, since their program administration helps you avoid the hassles I encountered prior to arrival. I also would have lived with my friends if possible. Otherwise, I'd return in a heartbeat.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I completed the certificate program in European Peace and Security Studies. It was an amazing opportunity to get to study the EU while being in Brussels. The professors are amazing and the courses were very challenging, even compared to those at my home university. The ability to take a class at the Royal Military Academy through Vesalius was very unique. Academically, this was the most rewarding semester I have had since starting college. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There is very little support for directly enrolled study abroad students. Communication prior to arriving in Belgium was very difficult and certain aspects of how things worked in terms of registration and housing were unclear for a long time. The school had just moved to a new campus, which was the cause of some of these issues. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment was well located with respect to my school and was in a very safe neighborhood near an amazing supermarket (Carrefour Planet). It was very clean and spacious. Beyond that, it was a bit of a nightmare, due to issues with my landlord and it was far from most residential areas in Brussels. Better accommodations can be found however. |
| * Food: |
The campus has a cafeteria and a cafe, which can serve most students' needs. There is also a supermarkets and restaurants nearby. Brussels is very affordable when it comes to groceries and dining out and I was able to eat easily despite many severe food allergies. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Socially, the school does not have many activities. However, they run a very good orientation program at the beginning, so I was able to make many friends from the start of my program. Brussels has amazing and cheap museums and lots of bars. Culturally, it is a great city to study abroad in since it takes time to get to know the fun things to do. It is very centrally located, which makes travel to other countries very easy. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Brussels is a fairly safe city, but it gets a little more dangerous in certain neighborhoods and at night. Friends were pickpocketed and I was accosted once on the metro, but this is not out of the ordinary and I felt much safer in Brussels than I did in other cities I visited while abroad. |
| 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? | Around 50 euros. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Shop at the cheaper supermarkets and avoid going to bars/clubs every weekend. Plan trips with food expenses in mind, since these can add up. |
Language
| 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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Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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 did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | DO IT. Studying abroad can and will change your life and Vesalius is a great place to study. |
