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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.
One institution with a wealth of history to draw from when it comes to welcoming students from overseas is KU Leuven in Belgium. And Lucía Allende Garrido, an international student from Spain, has decided the university is the right place to advance her education.
“I chose to study at KU Leuven for a number of different reasons,” Garrido explains. “I am currently enrolled in an advanced master’s in digital humanities. I was attracted to several different aspects of the course itself, which helps prepare students for the many challenges thrown up by today’s digital world. The fact that the programme was taught in English was also appealing to me.”
As Garrido says, although many programmes at KU Leuven are taught in Dutch, the university also offers more than 100 degree programmes taught in in English, as well as additional support for a host of other languages.
“KU Leuven has a real international atmosphere,” Garrido says. “As well as the opportunity of studying in English, I was also attracted to the different way of working compared with institutions in Spain. There is a network-based approach that brings together expertise from various faculties and departments.”
A typical day for Garrido at KU Leuven varies depending on whether she has lessons scheduled or not. “I have lessons three days a week,” Garrido says. “On those days, I have lessons for around four hours, followed by an hour lunch break where I can socialise with my classmates. Then there are more lessons and perhaps it might be time to collaborate in order to finish a group project, or I will visit the library for some personal study time.”
Away from the academic side of life at KU Leuven, Garrido notes that there are many opportunities to engage in sports and other activities. “On the days when I don’t have lessons, I often just take the time to relax, " Garrido says. “On the weekend, for example, I often visit nearby cities with my friends, like Brussels which is just a 20-minute train ride away. There are also weekend activities organised by different associations at the university.”
Having had a hugely positive experience at KU Leuven thus far, Garrido states that the university has more than lived up to her expectations. “What I like most is the education system and methods employed,” Garrido notes. “Here, a lot of importance is given to group work. In many subjects, we have theory sessions that are followed by practical classes where we can employ what we’ve learned previously, as well as talk through any questions we may have with our professor.”
Garrido is full of praise when talking about the institution – enthusiasm that comes across most when talking about other international students thinking of applying. “I would definitely recommend KU Leuven to other international students,” she says. “The university has a lot of support services for anyone who may have reservations about moving abroad and a lot of activities to enjoy once they’ve settled on the move.”
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