Host University: Ghent University, Belgium
Programme: Greek and Latin Languages and Cultures (with side courses) Name: Cornelia Hefting
Email address: corneliahefting@gmail.com
In the first semester of study year 2018/2019 I went on an exchange to Ghent, Belgium. The semester only started halfway September, but I was there a few weeks in advance and I’m very happy I was there early. This way, I could take some time to get to know the city, make my room more comfortable and - most of all - meet other Erasmus students before you’re lunged into the study life. I got to know my closest friends in the weeks before the semester kicked off and we had a kind of mini-holiday before the real deal even started.
After three weeks, classes started. I had a diverse programme and had at least 4 completely different groups of classmates. Some of the courses I followed were within my own study field of Greek and Latin: those were Old Greek Literature, Latin Poetics and Ancient Rhetorics. Partly related was the course Byzantine History. Besides those courses, I followed Society and Religion in Mesopotamia, which was related to my minor (that I did in Amsterdam) and to the Master I hope to do, and I took a course in Swahili, which was not related to anything I’d done before - except that it’s a language.
One of the main reasons I chose to study in Ghent was the study field of Assyriology, so the course about Mesopotamia for example. I liked this course, it was diverse, as there were lectures on many topics with an exam, a paper with some preparation classes and a (voluntary) trip to the British Museum. It was also really great to learn an African language, because it is very different from all other languages I had learned. All in all, I liked all of my courses, although I had my preferences of course. I personally liked the mix of gaining more in-depth knowledge of my own study area and learning something almost entirely new to me. I passed all my courses, which I was really glad about.
Beforehand, I had heard that Belgium would be quite different in teaching styles and atmosphere, but because I mostly followed small courses, it wasn’t that big of a difference. Belgian universities and staff are a bit more formal than in the Netherlands, but in my classes there was almost as much room for discussion as I was used to in Groningen. Something that is quite different from the Dutch way of studying is that there are much more oral exams in Belgium than in the Netherlands. Another difference is that you have two weeks to make up your mind which courses you want to follow. You can try out many courses in the first (two) week(s) and then choose which you want to keep. I really liked this, as there is no better way to know what a course is like than trying it out. The quality of courses and teaching was quite the same as in the Netherlands. I didn’t notice many differences. The course on Byzantine History was quite difficult for me, but that was because it dealt with a period of time and an area that I hardly knew anything about and I had experienced the same with a course in the Netherlands in which I first learned about another period and area. So over all, I wouldn’t say there is a big difference in the quality of education.
I didn’t look for help or information from the host institution a lot, so I’m not sure how much they can provide. I did visit the international office in one of my first weeks and the people there can answer some of your questions and give you some folders. You also get a starter’s pack with a city map, information about sports, university cafeteria and more when you register at the university. I didn’t use all these folders a lot, but they can come in handy. One tricky thing is the naming of the buildings. Most buildings and abbreviations are either clear or they are listed somewhere on a website. But there is not a complete list with all the abbreviations of all the buildings, so one of the buildings I only found after a long search, ending up in just typing the first few letters in Google Maps and being lucky to get a hit. The tip would be to start searching and asking around early enough so you know where you have to be the next morning.
The university organizes Welcome Days for exchange students, which includes a general talk, an information market, a tour through the library and some activities (for example games in a park, a city tour, a visit to a brewery or a tour of an abbey). There is also a welcome party by the university.
ESN organizes a lot of activities in the first few weeks, so that is also a nice way to get to know people. Throughout the semester I joined some ESN activities and parties, but not that many. Other Erasmus students went to almost all of them, so it depends on what you like and what your friends like. My friends and I preferred hanging out and going out with our group of friends, but other groups preferred ESN activities.
As for accomodation, there are 4 student dorms, I believe, and many exchange students live there. There’s also a lot of exchange students who found something outside of the dorms (which is also necessary, because there aren’t enough rooms for all Erasmus students). I lived in something I found via one of the Facebook groups. It is quite hard to find accomodation, because many rooms and studios are only available for one year, so not just for one semester. Start looking early, because you don’t know how it will go for you: one of my friends got a room on his very first try, but another friend slept in his car for a few nights before he found a place to live.
I don’t think I had any contact with teachers from my home university and I also didn’t have students support from the University of Groningen. I had no need for contact with teachers, as this semester abroad wasn’t compulsory for my programme, nor did I want to use one of my courses in Ghent as a substitute for a course in Groningen: I had finished all necessary courses for my Bachelor and only did extra courses in Ghent. I also didn’t need students support. What I did do, was talk sometimes with a study friend who also was on an exchange. We sometimes chatted about how it was going and what our experiences were like. But I didn’t get or need support. The mobility office of the university of Groningen sent reminders of the deadlines of all the forms you had to get signed and hand in. I liked how clear they all put it down. It is of course a lot to take in and I have read some emails tons of times, but they send you clear overviews, so that makes it a bit easier.
Life abroad was much more expensive than I had thought, but that was mostly because my lifestyle was different than at home: you do fun things with friends a lot, go on trips to see different parts of the country, you have drinks and eat out more often. You live life to the fullest, so it’s logical that you spend more than you would in your hometown. The prizes for things in supermarkets are very similar to the Dutch prizes. But with a different lifestyle, I spent much more than I did in the Netherlands. My living expenses were often between 400 and 500 euros. My rent was €425, which was a bit over a hundred more than when I lived in Groningen, but luckily, you get support from the Erasmus grant. I also applied for - and got - support from another fund, which was very welcome, too. You should really look into the funds you might be eligible for. Every support is welcome. I ended up taking a job in Ghent as well, otherwise I might not have made it. I worked as a delivery rider, which I think is the perfect job for an exchange semester, as you can decide when you want to work. You’re not obliged to work if you have a lot of plans or have a deadline for example, and when you have a lot of time to spare, you just work and earn money whenever you feel like it.
When I talked with my friends, we agreed that Ghent might be the perfect city for an Erasmus:
the city is very beautiful, it is not too big and not too small, there’s enough going on here but you can also randomly run into friends on the streets. If you’re there around Christmas, you’re lucky, because the Christmas market is very nice and you can go there everyday! The summer is also nice, because you can sit along the water then at Graslei, which is the place we went to almost every day in September. There’s even a small beach in Ghent: Blaarmeersen. But you can also go to the Belgian coast in an hour. There’s also a lot of bigger and smaller festivals going on in Ghent, like the City Festival, Film Festival, Gentse Winterfeesten and, most popular of all, the Gentse Feesten in the summer. I haven’t been there but they’re very famous and I’m planning on going there this summer.
To get around in Ghent, a bike is very handy. You can rent one as a student at the Fietsambassade for only about 25 euros (plus a deposit). If you want or need to travel with public transport within Ghent I highly recommend the 10-trips ticket (only €1,60 per trip). For transport
between cities you should buy the Go Pass 10: it’s a ticket for 10 trips for people under 26, so you only pay about €5 per trip. As Belgium isn’t too large, you can get to other cities quite easily and quickly, so make the most of it!
I loved my stay abroad for a lot of reasons. Most of all, I made some very nice friends and had the greatest times with them. I also followed very interesting courses, learned great things and met nice classmates there. I got to live a life with a lot of freedom, which is great to experience, and I got to know a different part of myself. I also grew quite a bit as a person, which might not have happened in this way if I hadn’t gone abroad. People talk about studying and living abroad a lot, but I found that you only understand what they mean when you’re going abroad yourself. It’s an experience you never forget and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
