'High level university'
Doing a master abroad has always been a dream for me. The choice of the country can be very tough, but Belgium has a great educational system, highly qualified universities and affordable prices. The University of Antwerp is a high level university and it offers many master programmes completely taught in English. I did my Bachelor in Business Administration at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and wanted to continue within this field of study. After looking at several master programmes abroad, I finally decided on the Master in Applied Economic Sciences: Business Economics at University of Antwerp.
It’s a one year programme, it has a very international approach and it’s entirely in English. Most of the professors graduated from great international universities and their teaching is really practical, which is very helpful when preparing for the real working life. The cases we cover are international and not only considered from a European point of view. The teaching level is very high and the system itself is very tough, since there is only one exam at the end of the term. So you really need to be dedicated to what you are doing and study hard.
Since I’ve been in Belgium before, there weren’t too many things that were totally new to me. The biggest challenges I faced were adapting to the cold weather and the life in a Flemish speaking city. People keep telling me that this was the warmest year ever but I am still freezing most of the time! On the other hand I absolutely love the fact that I am finally able to experience the four seasons of the year. That's something you don't find in Brazil, since there is hardly any difference in the weather all year round.
Central location
Antwerp itself is a great city and I also love the Stadcampus (campus in the historic centre of the city), the buildings are amazingly beautiful. My favorite place in Antwerp is Middelheim Park, which is not just a park but also an open air museum. If you are an arts lover like me, you should definitely go for a visit during your stay in Antwerp. The best thing about Antwerp, in my opinion, is its central location in Europe. You can easily go on day trips abroad and have a great time in many different countries. I love the feeling of getting on a train and easily arriving in a completely different country and environment.
I will graduate soon and I am planning on going back to Brazil to start my career there. But I am really happy that I could spend this year in Belgium and I’m sure my Master's degree will be of great value to start developing my career. I highly recommend everyone to go study abroad one day. There’s nothing like leaving your comfort zone and being exposed to different cultures. It may seem difficult at the beginning, but if you make a plan in advance and choose a good university, I’m sure you are going to have a great experience. So don’t think too much, just go abroad, leave you comfort zone, live a different life experience, learn a different language, experience new habits, meet people from all over the world and when you go back home I’m sure you will have grown not only academically but also as a person.