My Nice Study Abroad experience in Belgium Past Review
By Alysia S (Writing, University of Tampa) for
Vesalius College: Brussels - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
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. |
The teaching style and the workload seemed much more relaxed than what I was used to at my home university. Granted, I make a conscious decision not to take any "hard" classes so that I would have lots of free time for traveling and exploring when I wasn't in class. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our Program Administrator was absolutely wonderful! She made the transition and the entire stay in Brussels a thousand times easier. She was incredibly well informed in all matters — from filling out paperwork for a residence permit to cooking delicious meals. My expectations were met and exceeded. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The host family I lived with was very polite and very accommodating. Another student and I shared the top floor of the house. It was located very close to school, and within minutes of grocery stores and public transportation stops. |
| * Food: |
The portions in Europe are generally much smaller than in the United States, but they're definitely enough food. I would suggest buying a water bottle if you get thirsty frequently, as there are no water fountains anywhere. There were a lot of small places with very good food — stay away from the more touristy spots. The markets also have wonderful fresh produce. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We had "excursions" to various parts of Belgium and Holland about every other weekend. It's wonderful, because it's included in the ISA program, and I got to see museums and places that I never would have been to otherwise. My favorite excursion was the overnight stay we had in the Hague. There were lots of beautiful paintings, we got to see the Escher Museum, and the next day we saw a little miniature Holland. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Brussels was a fairly safe city. I r |
| 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
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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