Experience in Catholic Universtiy of Louvain, Belgium by Tamara

Generally, what is Catholic Universtiy of Louvain like?

I talk from the UCL: Université catholique de Louvain which is located in the frenchspeaking town Louvain-la-Neuve not Leuven/Louvain!!

There are many different faculties, which means that everyone can find his or her type of friends if you search a bit.
It's located in a really tiny city where you can't use a car but everything is so close that you can reach it by foot.
Louvain-la-Neuve is close to Bruxelles/Brussel and half of the population are students who are more or less alternative and many Erasmus students (especially italians :D). Therefore are lots of activities, nice cafés, a little sea where you could spend time with friends and enjoy the city.

What are the facilities like?

The french faculty has intelligent professors and they are able to handle the modern technique. The equipment is more or less modern (it depends on the faculty). Each faculty has an own library. The faculties are spread all over the city. It could be that you have to walk to another building between two classes, which means max. 15 min walk.

What are the tutors like?

Depending on the size of the members of one class, the tutors are really familiar, friendly and helpful.

Are the lessons easy in Catholic Universtiy of Louvain?

It depends on the choice of your studies (in French normal but the professors attend a lot, you have to work a lot).

Does the University organise activities? If so, what are they like?

Yes, parties from each faculty each day organised from "kot"'s which are people who live together in a community and organise regulary activities for the students. Official parties from the faculty are organised by students and eaven professors take part.
For Erasmus students there are special groups (on facebook and WhatsApp) with trips to another cities, parties, food-tasting.... don't forget to learn!

Do you think there is a good quality of teaching?

Yes. Sometimes you have to work a lot! But it's a compressed time of teaching because after the period of classes begins the "studying time" and then the "exam period"

Are there any stories you can share?

It's a young city, not really beautiful but really open minded and nice people from Belgium and all over the world. You can do a lot, sports is really cheap, living in a kot means getting to know people. It rains a lot during the winter. People talk in french but also in english if necessary. The catholic church has a really nice community and different preachers adaptet to the students. The Waffles are so good. Brussels is not far by train.