Erasmus Experience in Gent, Belgium by Clara

Why did you choose to go to Ghent, Belgium?

Gent is a beautiful city, full of students and a lot to do. Belgium is a really interesting country of Europe, that offered me a lot of things like: they speak an excellent english, has a lot of culture, and the level of universities is high.

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

Well, I live in Barcelona, it means that I'm Catalan. Turns out that catalans receive a ridiculous amount of scholarship in order to go abroad. I got 800 Euros for 6 months, but again, just because I'm Catalan I got that insufficient grand.

What is the student lifestyle like in Ghent?

I have never been in a such small city with as many students as Gent does. It's amazing! There is young people everywhere.

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

Totally! Gent has a unique and charming atmosphere. I would repeat the experience 100%.

What is the food like?

To be honest, the food is not really good. I live in the Mediterranean sea, and I'm used to salads, veggies and healthy meals. However in Gent there are thousands of different restaurants, the typical food is oily and crispy, like the famous fries.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Ghent?

There are hips of advertises everywhere in the city. You can find accommodation via internet as well. But there's always the option of going to a residence.

How much does it cost to live in Ghent?

I would say is not a cheap city, but in general the student prices are affordable.

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

The dutch is so difficult! I thought it would be easier to learn it, but forget about that, if you're lucky, you will be able to learn some few key words and sentences. But again, everybody (even grannies) speak a great english.

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

By plane, with Ryanair, the cheapest option always.

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

There's always crazy parties going on in OVERPOORTSTRAAT.

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

As I said, there are a lot of good restaurants spread around Gent, be brave, save a lil bit of money and try all of them.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Too many to say them here. Try to check the website: http://www.visitgent.be it's super useful.

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

Take really good and warm clothes with you, in winter is pretty cold. And get used to going around with bike!!!