The thing I like the most in Belgium is how respectful people are for each other, regardless religion or political ideology.
Why I chose to study at the University of Antwerp
I really wanted a European degree, so I was thinking about The Netherlands, Germany or Belgium. One of my professors at my home university advised me to apply at UAntwerp because he liked the Belgian educational system in general and the M.Sc. in Applied Economic Sciences: Economic Policy at UAntwerp in particular.
Cultural aspect and student life
I go to events organized by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) which makes it easy to make a lot of friends. ESN is really successful in Antwerp, they are a big help for the international students. As for the culture, everything was ok for me, I got used to it easily. The thing I liked the most in Belgium is how respectful people are for each other, regardless religion or political ideology, for instance. They have a respect for diversity, I would say.
Academic aspect
I have no complaints about the educational system, since I had very good professors and I really liked them. My programme was quite demanding, but at the same time this helped me a lot to learn more.
Would you recommend the University of Antwerp to future international students who would like to enroll in one of our programmes?
Yes, of course, especially to my friends in Turkey. I think they would have a lot to learn. To put an example, when I came here from Turkey, my background had some lacks. I had a lot of catching up to do in order to reach the level of UAntwerp’s educational system. I consider myself improved significantly in an academic way.
The city of Antwerp
I think everyone would like it. Personally, I don’t like crowded cities, so I think Antwerp is perfect for me. It’s a medium-sized city: not too crowded or loud, not too much traffic ... those kind of things.
My future after graduating from the University of Antwerp
Well, now I have a degree from a European university, which is something I really wanted. It will be very useful to me in Turkey once I decide to go back to work there. Right now I am looking for a job in Belgium, that’s why I postponed my return to Turkey. I also learnt Dutch, which I think it going to be useful. From my personal point of view, I wanted to live alone, because before I travelled to Belgium I was living with my parents. I learnt a lot about life! I think living alone once in a lifetime is a must for everyone.
Some words to future international students who are thinking about studying at UAntwerp
You should totally go for it, I am sure you are going to like living in Antwerp as an international student. You will make lots of friends; there are lots of students coming from countries all over the world. It won’t be easy to pass the exams and you’ll have to work hard but I believe you’ll find it rewarding.