Sponsored content: created in partnership with KU Leuven.

Situated some 25km east of Brussels, Leuven may not be as well known as Belgium’s capital city, but it has plenty to offer students. For instance, it is home to KU Leuven, the country’s largest university, with some 65,000 students.

Unlike some people, I did not have a specific country or university in mind when I first started high school. However, I attended a school trip during the summer break of my sophomore year that helped me decide where I wanted to study. 

As part of the trip, we visited Toronto and were all registered at an English language school. For a month, I had the chance to practice my English and experience student life in Canada. After that school trip, I decided to study in Canada and, in particular, Toronto. 

My past three years at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) have given me some of the best memories and experiences I could have asked for. But the process of choosing my university and moving to a whole new country was a daunting experience.

As a pre-law student studying at the University of Texas at Austin, I was lucky to have the opportunity to study abroad in Prague in the Czech Republic during the fall semester of 2022.  I studied at Charles University, one of the biggest universities in the country.  

Sponsored content: created in partnership with KU Leuven.

For students who enrol at a higher education institution outside their home country, the choices available to them can be overwhelming. Universities all over the world are competing to attract the brightest minds, and prospective students have many factors to weigh up.

Sponsored content: created in partnership with Duolingo.

What is a vision board?

A vision board is a collage of words and images that represents your goals or dreams. You can make them about anything. Whether you want to focus on mental health, your studies or bigger life goals, it’s usually a tool to help you visualise what you want to achieve.

University students will spend a lot of time on their computers, whether it’s doing research for an essay, looking up resources or sending emails to lecturers. There are many ways that you can ensure your data is kept private and to ensure that you remain safe online. Here are our top 11 tips:

For many students, sticking to a strict monthly budget may have fallen by the wayside after the holiday season. To help get back on track, we have some tips to save some money and get better control of your finances come January. 

Review your budget 

You may have spent the final months of last year buying gifts or attending events so it’s worth taking some time to re-evaluate your budget for the new year. This will help you assess your outgoings, prepare for upcoming bills and avoid overspending.