Mobility specification

Country:Belgium

Institution:Vrije University Brussel

City:Brussels

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2022/2023

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Economics and Administration

Study level abroad:Bachelor

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

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?no

Does the university offer enough courses in English?it's alright

Are your credits converted?yes

Can you give an example?In some cases it might have been less credits at MUNI, but mostly everything was for 6 at the foreign university and at MUNI similarly.

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?The lectures and exercises had frequent breaks and several of them, the studying was more difficult than I thought, but it was manageable with preparation. I thought the subjects at Erasmus would be easier, but some were quite a bit harder than at MUNI, but it gave me a lot of new information.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?Yes, they have ESN and some university-wide events like barbecues, free chips, parties and the like.

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:23000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?yes

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Cheap shops - Coloruyt, Aldi, Lidl and every weekend markets in the Abatoir de Anderlecht, discounts with an ESN card.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?perfectly

How does public transport work in the city?mostly fine

And what about transport outside the city?mostly fine

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?Stib-mivb app, purchase a transport card with school confirmation from the local transport company - costs 12 € for 1 year (student price).

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?Plux - every Thursday event in front of the European Parliament, Pride, Omegang festivities, museum of peeing boy outfits - Garderobe de Manneken pis, summer festivities at the Arc de Triomphe approx. June-July.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Antwerp, Amsterdam, Ghent, Brugge, Knokke, Hague.

Share your best experience:When I left my friends made a farewell party for me, we went to Delirium and danced there, but it was Thursday and they were closing early. So we went to my dorm and there we decided to still play just dance all night in the common room until morning. My flight was at 10 in the morning and they talked me into not going back to sleep because I would definitely fall asleep. I just took a power nap and the dancing turned into a huge sleepover in the living room. My friends were covered in newspaper instead of blankets and such :D. Of course I almost fell asleep, but my friend helped me to the airport, got my suitcase and everything worked out fine :)

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Plane

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Cheap flights are to Charleroi airport, which is about 50 km from Brussels, you have to take into account that the bus to the city costs about 20 € including luggage.

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?Rain and vitamin D, it rains often in Belgium and there is little sun except in the summer months.

🥳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?If I could, I'd go back in time and slap myself for even hesitating to go :D
1000/10 experience.