ISA Brussels: Belgium was Beautiful, Historical and Rewarding! I had the best time of my life. Past Review
By Hawa U (Interdisciplinary Studies, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts) for
Vesalius College: Brussels - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It most definitely was! I have so much understanding on how Europe views America and also got so much different prespective on topics such as WWI and WWII. Belgium is such a historical country and so beautifully done, the architecture of the city which very old but has that amazing charm to it and makes the country so special. I met some amazing people and had the best food and chocolate and waffles and saw lots of Castles. Truly he best time of my life and very rewarding!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Truly one of the best and most challanging semesters I have ever had! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The fact that ISA has an office right next to Vesalius College was life saving. When we had to wait around in between classes and or internships we had a cute office we could hang out in and have lots of coffee and other goodies! They had two computers in the office available. The location of the office itself was great because of all the amazing food places that were around and also Vesalius and Vrije University, we were able to interact with a lot of local people and students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had a wonderful house-mom and I loved living there! |
| * Food: |
Belgium had THE BEST FOOD EVER! It was so diverse, Indian, Turkish, Moroccan, Asian and etc! They had so many amazing sandwich places. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The Trip to Den Haag in the Netherlands and Dinant were very fun, we learned so much about the Belgiun culture. The City of Dinant was beautiful almost very similar to Venice, I loved it! I only felt that the program should include more trips such as trips to Germany, England and Spain and then maybe alternate one of them with Italy. Some of the students don't always get a chance to do any traveling so having a program where trips to a few countries in Europe are included, would make the program a lot more rewarding! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Belgium, it is a country just like any other country you have to take care of yourself and be aware. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I didn't take a language class in Belgium. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be open minded and smart about how you act in a foreign country. The experience that you have will all depend on how much effort you put in to make sure that you have a great experience. Travel as much as you can and enjoy because you never know when you will have a chance to do something like this again! |
