Salut! My name is Ive Ekeberg, and, in the spring of 2024, I went on exchange to ULB, Université Libre de Bruxelles, in Belgium. I went on exchange during the 6th semester of my bachelor's degree in international Environment and Development Studies.
Courses, my experiences with classes
and exams
At ULB, I was placed in the Faculty of
Philosophy and Science, and I could choose between master's and bachelor's
level courses. However, since I was a bachelor student, only 2 out of all my
courses could be at the master's level. ULB offers a wide variety of courses
available through different faculties, most granting 5 ECTS. The introduction
at ULB is excellent, with the first two weeks of the semester allowing you to
test all the potential courses you might be interested in. I highly recommend
looking through the faculty course catalogues, talking with your study advisor,
and testing as many classes as possible during the first two weeks. I aimed for
30 ECTS for the semester(but only 20 ECTS were a requirement), thus I took six
courses, 5 ECTS each; Tandem (a language learning partnership), Introduction to
the European Institutions, 60-hour French (language course), Environmental
Politics, Introduction to International Relations, and Sustainable Development,
Business, and Courses. Course structure varies; most have written exams but
might also include group work, hand-ins, presentations, or homework. The
workload will be presented in the presentation week, so pop by to try the
class. The semester in Belgium consists of lectures for the first three months,
followed by a "blocus" period, which is intended for exam
preparation. Once exams start, you can take exams in the first session, or the
second session if you fail.
My personal growth and motivations
One of my lifelong dreams was to go on an
exchange, as I believed it was one of the most exciting adventures. The idea of
being on my own, trying to be a part of a new culture and meeting new people
are some of my favorite hobbies. I chose Belgium because I wanted to improve my
French. I also wanted a contrast to NMBU. Brussels was within the EU and a bigger
city which was a criterion when picking a location. It was also practical due
to the ERASMUS scholarship. Brussels is a great city with many districts to
explore, and it is also a great starting point to see the rest of Europe or
Belgium.
My childhood dream was to become an
ambassador or diplomat, and I saw Brussels as a great opportunity. I quickly
understood that EU and international politics were significant in Brussels,
allowing me to gain many contacts within these fields. Being close to one of
the biggest international actors, the EU, really piqued my interest and made me
consider institutional work.
Accommodation, rent and quality
Most people in Brussels live in private
student accommodations. ULB does have student accommodations, but they are not
easily attainable. I found my housing by googling and searching for student
accommodation (a "kot"). I stayed with Cohabs in the EU quarter,
which is a bit pricey, but it was great. The price of renting in Brussels
starts at around 400 EUR, but I believe the average is around 650 EUR per
month. The quality of living as with most big cities is dependent on the price
point, but in general it's quite good. The biggest risk is being scammed if you
find housing through Facebook. Also, I recommend doing research on the area you
decide to live in they differ in regard to safety, prices and activities. My
monthly expenses included rent (which covered cleaning, electricity, and
water), food (still cheaper than in Norway), and activities (exploring Belgium,
going to cafes and museums). For transport, Brussels offers great prices for
collective transport for those under 25, and you will receive a paper from the
university allowing you to travel in the city for 50 EUR. If not, biking is a
great and super cheap alternative.
The University: Facilities and
internationals
Université Libre de Bruxelles is a large
university (20,000 students) with a great history. Note that as ULB is a
French-speaking university, most bachelor-level courses are in French, and
communication with students and professors is also in French, so basic
knowledge of French is necessary. The culture in higher education is very
different, especially in terms of how you communicate with professors—remember
to always call them by their last name and write formally. ULB does not have
many exchange students at the bachelor and master levels, and most speak
French. However, the Erasmus group is great, as it is the EU's headquarters.
There are tons of events, where everyone can find something that interests
them, and they have a buddy system to help you settle in.
The campus itself has many facilities,
including healthcare, libraries, sports memberships, canteens, and more. The
university offers numerous majors, thus has various classrooms, labs, and
auditoriums. Yet the quality of the buildings varies depending on the time they
were built. The university also specializes in many different fields and has a
rich academic environment.
Language: learning courses and in the
daily life
As I wrote previously, one of my main
reasons for going to Belgium was my wish to improve my French. Before I went, I
spoke basic French, having studied it for 6 years, so I thought I had a good
starting point. However, once I arrived, I noticed that I needed to drastically
improve my French. Thankfully, ULB has great initiatives for language learning;
they offer many courses at different levels (only above B1 will grant you
credits). There is also a course called Tandem where, together with a partner, you
can practice the language in an informal setting while hanging out. Throughout
my time in Brussels, I managed to really improve my French. By the end of my
stay, I spoke more fluently. I made a goal for myself to speak French every
day. I used it for everything from shopping to understanding signs or news. I
was also able to talk with friends and have classes in French, increasing my
vocabulary. It felt incredible returning to Norway, feeling like I could hold a
conversation and having realized my goal of improving my French.
Student visa
The University is great at giving
information about the preparation needed to be done when you enroll at ULB. Yet
it takes some time to become organized, this might also depend on which part of
Brussels you live in. The most important are the transport card which you will
be able to pick up at the main metro stations (bring photography, identity and
transport letter from the University), otherwise there is registering that you
live in Brussels. This process depends on which district you live in, but in
the center it takes a lot of time(3 months) and is quite pricy. PS; this
process is also fully in French, thus you will need to be able to have quite
complicated conversations in French. Other than that, it's easy to move to
Belgium. However, to fulfill the requirements of Erasmus takes a long time, but
as long as you do your research and keep organized it will be fine. For the
university they will also wish to register your information, but this is a
fairly easy process. They will be writing everything in the guidebooks they
hand out.
Questions:
Am I happy with my exchange and would i
recommend it?
I am forever grateful for my exchange. It
was a great opportunity to grow as a person and to achieve a dream I have had
forever. I would absolutely recommend everyone to go on an exchange. It might
be a bit uncomfortable at the start, but it allows you to grow in ways you
would never have believed. You will also get a greater understanding of another
culture and country, which might make you learn some valuable lessons. Belgium
is a great alternative with many opportunities, both professional and social.
Brussels is the perfect size, and ULB is excellent. No matter what kind of
experience you would like, you will never become bored of Belgium. The party
scene was also great! However, no matters the destination, if you have an ounce
of want, pursue it.
Was it hard to get the courses you
wanted?
No, it was easy to attend and enroll in
classes. Yet I will give you a tip that there is no rush in choosing courses
and filling in the OLA and pink form (application for chosen courses). It's
better to spend time looking into each course and taking your time to speak with
the professors.
Were the courses approved when you
returned?
I was thankfully able to have all my
courses from exchange integrated into my bachelors once i returned. But i was
quite particular about choosing courses i felt like could be tied to my
bachelors.
Are you happy with the academic quality
of the univeristy?
I learnt a lot from my time at ULB, all the
professors were competent and very motivated. However, to reach the
administration could be a little difficult at times. As well as it was
difficult to find information about courses regarding their contents as the
course catalogue was unspecific both in French and English. Thus, finding
potential courses was challenging. The readings and contents of the different
courses were also interesting.
How did you fare with the Lånekassen/Erasmusstipend?
Belgium counts as a mid-tier country qualifying
for the Erasmus stipend which in my case amounted to approximately 400€,
however I only received half of it during my stay. Thus, in my daily life I my
savings. The money from the Norwegian lånekasse went to my rent each month, and
due to the weak kroner in comparison to the Euro it wasn't always enough. Still
Belgium is not the most expensive and if you are frugal with your money, you
will be fine.
Did you achieve everything you wanted to
achieve on exchange?
I didn't have that many concrete
expectations before going on exchange. However, I felt completely satisfied
with my stay when it was finished. I had a great time and was able to grow as a
person while also building friendships along the way. When I think back to my exchange,
I'll remember all the amazing moments, dinners, events and smiles. I learnt
tons about different cultures and life, thus i would absolutely do it again. Brussels
taught me a lot about living in a city, as well as the hardships of moving
countries and being an outsider.
«Stikkord: Belgia, Belgium, ULB, Universite
libre de bruxelles, Philosophy, Social science, Bachelor, International environement and development
studies»
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