Erasmus Experience in Gent, Belgium by Amina

Why did you choose to go to Gent, Belgium?

I have never been to Belgium before, and Gent is one of the best universities for my degree that is Law.

Source

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

I have an Erasmus grant worth 280 euros per month for the whole year that I am here.

What is the student lifestyle like in Gent?

It is very lovely; absolutely student-friendly, everyone is welcoming and there's a lot to do.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Ghent to other students?

100%, it is an experience that you will never forget!

What is the food like?

It is good, the University canteens offer a variety of food for a very cheap price. There are many cafes here, but they are quite expensive for a student. There are various restaurants but are also not cheap.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Gent?

No as I have applied for the university residence.

How much does it cost to live in Gent?

The rent that I pay in the university residence is 415 euros per month, and it changes every year. Finding a private living space will cost you around 300-400 per month, depending on the area and type of accommodation you find.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

There are language courses available for exchange students at a very cheap rate (50 euros for the whole semester). The course is quite easy and nice to learn. Everyone in the city can speak some form of English though, so it is very smooth to get by in Gent.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Gent from your city?

I am there as an exchange student at the moment and I study in Glasgow full time, so I came in by plane. Because Gent is a small city, you almost always need the train to get here. I would say train is almost always one form of travel that is easiest or most economical to travel to Gent.

Source

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Gent?

There is a street right next to the University Residences called Overpoortstraat. It is a street filled with bars and clubs that are very student accommodating. It can get a little out of control though and there is a lot of throwing up that happens there. Another cool place to go to would be the center, there are other clubs and bars for more mature students to go and have a good time, mostly a club called Charlatan.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Gent?

There is an excellent sushi and grill restaurant just by the university residences called Yammi Yammi that has an all you can eat style of serving but in a more unique way; you basically have five rounds and in each round you can order up to 5 items. However, once you order what you do in every round you have to finish it all otherwise you pay extra. You can stop at any round you like as long as you finish what you ordered in the round you are in. It costs 18 euros for lunch and 27 euros for dinner, so come in the hungriest you can possibly be to make the most of it! There are various different cheap places you can go to to have food like burgers, fries, and pizza for a very cheap price and you can find them everywhere.

Source

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

There are a lot of museums all over the city you can go and visit as well as boat tours. There are also nice castles all over Gent and Castle Gravensteen is a must go! It has one of the most beautiful views you can see of Gent on a good sunny day. In the center of Gent called KornMarkt, there are three towers and that is one of the things that Gent is famous for, and you must go in them.

Source

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Gent in the future?

Make the most of every day you have in this city. It is small definitely, but it is one of the most beautiful cities you can live in.