KU Leuven in Belgium: beautiful and inspiring
What’s required to apply to a Belgian university, how to adjust to the local academic system and grading, and how student life in Leuven feels — Elena Kuvshinova shares her experience studying at KU Leuven.
I had been thinking about studying abroad since my first year, but something always got in the way — incompatible subjects, the feeling that “it’s too early,” or simply other priorities. By the end of my third year, I realized that this was likely the last chance to step outside my comfort zone, prepare for my master’s studies, and gain an incredibly valuable experience. I applied for both university-wide and faculty-specific exchange programs, selecting all partner universities that offered the right set of subjects for my individual study plan. Matching and approving subjects, by the way, was the most difficult part of the prep — in most European universities, the courses we take in our final year of undergrad are already part of their master’s programs (their bachelor's programs last only three years).
After my application was approved, and many hours spent in the academic office (plus a few waves of doubt), I finally made it to KU Leuven for the fall semester. Founded in 1425, KU Leuven is now among the world’s top 50 universities, according to Times Higher Education. The university has over 58,000 students, 10,579 of whom are international. With a strong research base and a commitment to academic excellence, KU Leuven has been named Europe’s “most innovative university” for three years in a row.
For an HSE student, the academic style might feel unfamiliar. There are no seminars, no midterms or regular quizzes, and no ongoing presentations. Instead, most of your grade comes from the final exam (and sometimes group work). Lectures are designed to introduce the material and encourage discussion, but attendance and participation are not tracked or graded. The system expects that you're a responsible and self-motivated student who can manage learning across multiple formats and invest enough time to earn the 6 ECTS credits per course. Materials — lecture slides, videos, articles, problem sets and solutions — are published on Toledo, an online platform similar to LMS but without the bugs. It’s also used to submit homework and communicate with professors.
Leuven, where the university’s main campus is located, has a distinctive academic atmosphere. After 5 p.m., half of the city seems to go to sleep — shops and cafés start closing, and people head home. The other half moves on to events at sports or creative spaces, or straight to the bars. Waste sorting here is strictly enforced — there are no big public bins, and if you leave a bag with improper sorting on the street, it will be returned to you. Parking rules, bicycle traffic, and nighttime noise levels are also carefully monitored. The city hosts small festivals regularly, and every weekend there’s a lively street market.
What I love most is that Leuven feels like one big campus, with everything you need for comfortable student life. Studying here is constant. Midway through the semester, it’s nearly impossible to find a seat in the study centers, co-working spaces, or libraries — and there are a lot of them. But that’s no surprise: these places are perfect for staying focused, researching, working on projects, and sipping amazing hot chocolate.
Academic life is balanced out with travel to nearby cities and countries, themed events organized by student clubs, and a huge selection of free activities at the sports center. There’s always something going on: 90s dance parties, faculty-organized trips to historic sites, international karaoke nights, environmental lectures, and BBQ evenings.
Time flies here, and your schedule fills up fast — so don’t forget the most important and stressful part of your exchange: exams. Ideally, you should start preparing from day one and keep up with the materials. If you understand the slides and know the key concepts, you’ll be fine. Just don’t panic, remind yourself that it’s all temporary, stay in the moment (through the ups and downs), and believe in yourself!
Quick Tips for Belgium:
1. Start your housing search early, as soon as you’re sure you’re going. By July, most options are already gone. The university housing deadline is usually the end of May.
2. Attend all orientation week events. You’ll learn a lot of useful things and meet amazing people.
3. For travel within Belgium, get a 10-ride youth train pass (Go Pass Youth < 25) — it’s very cost-effective.
4. Rent a bike. It’s convenient, enjoyable, and essential if your classes run back-to-back without breaks.
5. Use your student ID for discounts at museums, supermarkets, and for travel tickets. Also, register it on studentbeans.com to get additional shopping deals.