How will a typical day on Erasmus will look like? Will I find a new routine? If you ask yourself these questions, I can help you! Here is what my days at university abroad look like!I’m currently spending the 4th semester of my Bachelor degree as an international student in Belgium. Let me guide you through one of my days!
7am is just too early
7.00 am. My alarm rings. It’s time for a new day at HOWEST University in Kortrijk. Kortrijk in West-Flanders is what I call my home for 5 months now. You are also thinking about coming to Kortrijk for Erasmus? Check out my classmate‘s YouTube channel to get some impression about the city. For my time here I have a room at a local hostel. I’m very happy my room there has a private bathroom and shower! Anyway, back to my morning routine. So, after I forced myself to get out of bed, I head to the bathroom and get ready. Then I make my way to the breakfast buffet, which is included in my monthly rent. To go to campus I always take my bike. Biking is very popular here in Belgium. At home I’m not a big fan of biking, but here it’s simply the best way to get around. As long as it’s not pouring outside, I actually really enjoy my daily bike rides.
Get to know HOWEST & my courses
The university I’m attending in Kortrijk is called „HOWEST“. All my classes take place at the campus building „The Penta“. Lots of working spaces, big windows and a nice cafeteria really make it an enjoyable place. My schedule varies every week. Usually classes start around 8.30 am, which is the same as at my home university in Vienna. Back at home I study “Journalism & Media management”, whilst here the courses focus on communication. Lecturers here try to teach in a very practical orientated way. That means lots of assignments, group works and projects. My friends and I usually spend our lunchbreak at the cafeteria. The prices at the cafeteria are alright, but to save money I mostly bring lunch I prepared at home.
Recharging my batteries
After biking back home after classes or stopping by the grocery store, I need a cup of coffee. Coffee is my life elixir as a student! In the evening, I make myself dinner in the common kitchen of the hostel. Today I had chickpea curry with pita bread. Easy to make and very delicious. If you have quick and easy recipes you’d like to share, please do so in the comment section (I’m running out of ideas haha)!
Outside the classroom
For me and some other exchange students it became sort of a ritual to do to movie nights at the student dorm. We started to watch the Harry Potter series 2 weeks ago and now we’re already at the 5th movie. You should know that I’m a huge Harry Potter fan, watching the movies together with my friends is so much fun! Especially, because some are watching them for the very first time. If you haven’t had a movie night with your friends in some time – organise one now! I’m always on the hunt for good movie recommendations, so please let me know about your favourite movies. When I have to bike home from the student dorm in the pouring rain, I feel really jealous of the students, who live there. Almost every Thursday night we go to our favourite bar in Kortrijk, Cafe56. There we just dance, dance, dance. It’s the perfect way to forget about school work and just enjoy time with your friends.
Can you picture it now?
Well, that’s how a typical university day here in Kortrijk looks like. Even though my routine is not that different from home, it doesn’t feel the same at all! Of course, this is just an example of a very standard day of school. Trust me, there is much more exciting stuff happening on Erasmus! But I hope, this helps you picturing how your daily-routine could look like on your Erasmus semester! Did you imagine the routine of an exchange student like this? Leave a comment and let me know what else you would like to know about living in abroad!
You need a more visual idea of my life in Belgium? Take a look at my YouTube channel to check out my vlog „Erasmus…what to expect”.