Mobility specification

Country:Belgium

Institution:University of Gent

City:Ghent

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2022/2023

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Science / Department of Chemistry

Study level abroad:Master

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?they have tons

Are your credits converted?yes

Can you give an example?the course at the foreign university had 6 credits, MUNI accepted it for 4 credits (instead of a compulsory elective course)

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?Each lecture is accompanied by at least a practicum or lab, and sometimes both, so the courses are worth a lot of credit. The study is therefore more time-consuming, and there are frequent homework assignments and projects. For example, the laboratory practicum started with the student doing a project on a given topic, which has a similar structure to a grant proposal, which they then have to defend. Only after a successful defence are practical tasks in the laboratory followed by the results being compiled in a form similar to a scientific journal article. Thus, students already learn how to write articles and proposals during their studies. In addition, they get access to state-of-the-art instruments (orbitrap MS, TEM/SEM) as part of their regular exercises.
Compared to MU, it is not possible to choose the timetable or the date of the exams; they are given centrally. Each course always has only one exam date in a given semester, in case of failure there is then one make-up date in six months at the earliest. However, a student must earn enough credits (20 in my experience) to advance to the next semester - in the case of multiple failed exams, this is a problem.
Overall, I liked the courses I chose, very interesting lectures with links to practice.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?Yes, at least one every month, all free of charge - quizzes, guided tours, gastronomic tastings,...

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?I haven’t noticed

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:12500 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?yes

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Buy in large quantities and share with other students, shops usually have quantity discounts
pay with cash or by local bank card - cheaper shops don't take Mastercard and Visa

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?almost without problems

How does public transport work in the city?neutral

And what about transport outside the city?mostly fine

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?The connection can be found on the website of the carrier (De Lijn in Ghent), the ticket can be bought with a card on board the car, in vending machines at stops (only at major hubs) and in the app. Buying the ticket via the app is probably the easiest and cheapest, however it requires an internet connection to activate the ticket. Attention- the ticket is always valid only on the network of the carrier. So when travelling outside the city, you need to check if another carrier and therefore other tickets are not available.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?the historic centre (the square and the famous "three towers") - I recommend to visit on foot and also to take a boat to explore the citycentre, Gravenstein Castle with a very interesting audio guide
the first waffles are said to have come from Ghent, so definitely try one - I recommend the small Chocolate Home stall a little further away from the centre, where you can get excellent waffles for a reasonable price

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Antwerp, Bruges, for big travellers the coast with beaches and seals

Share your best experience:Ghent is a city that can be explored every day- parks, graffiti, ....My favourite place was the courtyard near the train tracks with tiny houses and a park in the middle, where the atmosphere and the peace was amazing.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Bus
Car

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?beware of passport and customs controls at the border with Germany - they search for drugs with trained dogs and throw people off the bus without mercy at the slightest suspicion

Can you pay by card?neutral

What not to forget when packing?Dorms don't have kitchenettes, so I recommend at least some of your own equipment so you don't have to buy everything
a network cable to connect to the internet

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?an amazing trip into the unknown that opened my eyes and taught me a lot of things