Erasmus Experience in Leuven, Belgium by Omar

Source

Why did you choose to go to Leuven, Belgium?

I chouse Leuven because of the high level of education at KU Leuven and the academic environment, since Leuven is a university town.

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

It lasted 2 months and I received 1500 euros.

What is the student lifestyle like in Leuven?

It's enriching in every way possible. Living here as a student means taking care of the world in our daily habits, sharing with people from all around the world, doing sports, studying, of course having fun, going to many student bars and cafés to keep on sharing, and being surrounded by nature.

Source

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

I would totally recommended them.

What is the food like?

It's much better than Scandinavian food, but not as good as Mediterranean, so you can put it in a medium level. Besides, as there is people from all around the world, you can find different types of restaurants and diverse food from different regions in the supermarket.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Leuven?

As I was going to stay for a short period, it was huge problem. I can say that if you are looking for short-term, less than 6 months, look only in summer months, when students are in vacations. Because of course landlords prefer a rent for a year or at least for 6 months. If that is the case, 6 months at least, there are a lot of places to stay.

Source

How much does it cost to live in Leuven?

The usual rent is between 350-450€. I pay 650€ per month for a studio, kitchen, private bathroom, good furniture, WiFi, and TV in a really nice neighbourhood. But the cost was high because of the short term, because it was in winter.

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

There are language courses at the university, I did not look for one. I speak English and Spanish and did not have any problem.

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

I am from Monterrey, Mexico. I travel to the US, London, Paris, Brussels. And train from Brussels to Leuven. The train station is at the airport.

Source

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

I recommend going to Oude Markt ("Old Market").

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

No.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Arenberg castle is so amazing! You should visit St. Peter's Church too.

Source

Source

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

There are no long distances: you can walk from one side of Leuven to the other easily, although, of course, a bycycle is the best way to move around the city. It usually takes around 35 minutes to walk from side to side.