Living & studying in Belgium #2

by Laura Davis, Clemson student

     In the spring of 2009, I had the opportunity to study at l’Université catholique de Louvain (Catholic University of Louvain) in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. I am a communication studies major with a French minor and I went there to advance my French language skills.

     And I am so glad I did. Belgium is an amazing country with incredibly nice people. Louvain-la-Neuve is a university town not unlike Clemson, so there was always a part of me that felt at home. Yet, it was not like Clemson in so many ways. Classes are different, housing is different, the food is different, and the people are different…but in a good way.

     Louvain-la-Neuve has an amazing Erasmus (i.e. international students) network so even though I was in Belgium, I got to hang out with people from Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Ireland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and even the United States, to name a few. I was exposed to so many cultures, and as international students go, we knew how to have fun. I even became close to the other Clemson students because nothing like being away from a place you love brings people together.

     So, all in all, Belgium is an awesome place to study. It is in the center of Europe so traveling is easy. It has some of the best food in the world (Belgium actually invented the fry, not France!). They have festivals all year round and they are SO MUCH FUN! (like everything else in Belgium)

 
Take a look at Laura's blog about her experience at UCL, including some great videos!