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author
Yu-Min Wang
Yu-Min
Wang
faculty
Faculty of Science
academic year of the stay
2022/2023
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author
Yu-Min
faculty
Faculty of Science
academic year of the stay
2022/2023
traineeship
study stay
short-term mobility
other
Ghent University
How does Yu-Min rate their stay?
university
city
accommodation
financial demands
about university
What made your university special? What were the facilities where you studied and the university equipment like?
I was doing my internship at Ghent University in Ghent, Belgium. For the university, they have quite nice and organized offices/labs in the building which students/employees must use their own batch to enter the building/office/lab during certain timing (evening or weekend). I think this kind of control is helpful to avoid some unwanted situation happened (crimes from outsider). The city itself is very pretty with some historical buildings, it was also a nice experience walking along the river at the old town. Most of the lab equipment are also in a good condition to operate.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about your "adoptive" university? What made it special? What were the premises where you studied and the university facilities like?
In this internship, a PhD student was working with me as a mentor to understand how to work in their lab and it was very helpful for me to adopt to the new working environment. My internship supervisor was also very kind and motivated to instruct me for the project. We had meeting every 2 weeks and it was very sufficient to carry on to further steps. I highly recommend other interns to join the traineeship in Ghent University
What is student life like at university?
I was doing a PhD internship, so I didn't take any lectures during my stays. I only attended a few seminar to listen to others and to present my project. During my seminar presentation, I introduce my home country and my home institution.
Did you study in English or in the language of the host country? What language requirements does the university have?
I communicated in English during my stays and they didn't specify the language requirement for internship.
about the city
What was your impression of the city? How would you describe it? What is interesting to see here?
Ghent is a historical city and also a student town. Besides enjoying the history adventure, there were also many student activities running around the dormitory.
about finances
In your experience, how far does the scholarship go? What percentage of your expenses did it cover? What is your opinion on prices in the country in general?
I got 750 euro per month from the Erasmus+ program, but this amount of money is way below the living cost of Ghent (Belgium). I have paid my dorm for 615 euro per month and spent around 300 euro for food per month (I usually cooked at dorm for 3 meals). Including some social activities, I generally spent around 1200 euro per month. I think the Erasmus program for internship should raise up the stipend to western Europe for more, also the inflation situation must be taken into account.
Please advise your classmates on how to save money—Where to shop? What services can be used to save money?
There are always some second hand shop nearby dorm or city center, it's very suitable for temporary stays. Cooking by your own is also a big plus to save money. ISIC card would be useful as well, but some places may request to use it when you are under 26 years old.
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about accommodation
What type of accommodation did you choose? Would you recommend it to others? If not, what type of accommodation do you think is best based on your experience (dormitory, private apartment, private dormitory, shared room, etc.)?
I highly recommend to apply for the dormitory, they have much cheaper price than the private market. In Ghent University, they have very quick response for dormitory repair, mostly they come to fix your request by the next day. I was staying in a studio of the dorm with own shower and kitchen. They also have very strict fire sensing and electricity control to avoid any accident. The stove only valid 7 mins after a safety switch, so you need to switch on every 7 mins which lower the fire accident as well.
about experiences
Did you use Erasmus stay to travel around your country/Europe? What are your best travel experiences? What would you not recommend?
I have been many cities in Belgium during my stays, Ex: Bruge, Antwerp, Brussels and Liege. I really like Bruge and Liege, these two cities are common shown in some movies which also satisfied my movie passion. Also, there are weekend train tickets which provide 50% off.
Language and culture: what cultural differences did you notice? How did you cope with the national language? Was it also the language of your studies? Do you feel that your language skills improved during your stay?
Ghent is in part of the Flanders which they speak Flemish (Dutch) there. It was a totally different language for me, but still close to English or German for me. After 3 months of stays, I can speak very simply ones, such as greetings and thanks. The culture differences compared with Czech cultures exist, Belgian students are a bit shy in my opinion because they make friends with you slower (but they will be very very outgoing since they are comfortable with you).
final rating
Why here? What makes this location special? Why would you send your friends to your country/city?
Nice environment, good safety, professional education system.
live-saving tips
If I went again, I would definitely remember to pack...
Czech beers to share with new friends
Before leaving, I would like to know that...
Nothing.
What surprised me most was that...
The various of food option in the supermarket.
The hardest thing for me was...
The health insurance reimbursed the payment very very very slow.
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