Details

• Belgium
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 5 months
• Contact: Login to see contact information

1. Preparation

It's helpful to inform yourself well about the location of the partner university and the surrounding area. When planning your journey, consider which travel option is the most comfortable and practical, especially depending on how much luggage you need to bring. It can also be very helpful to accept support from family or friends, for example when transporting a larger amount of luggage.

2. Accommodation

I found my accommodation mainly through Facebook by joining several groups. Moreover I also already knew someone living there who was able to give me useful tips about local websites and platforms for finding accommodation. I would recommend only contacting people who seem trustworthy and, if possible, arranging a video call before making any payments or signing an agreement. A video call is also a good opportunity to see the accommodation beforehand and get a better impression of the place. Another important tip is to start looking for accommodation early, even if the exchange still seems far away. Having accommodation arranged in advance reduces a lot of stress before moving abroad. Furthermore it was also for me a good choice to live in a student residence rather than private as so I met a lot other students that I became friends with. For me, it was also very important to live close to the university, which turned out to be very convenient in everyday life. Regarding safety, I would recommend talking to locals or other students who already live there.

3. Academic life at host university

The Camps facilities were very nice and modern but in an old vintage way what I really liked. Regarding the academic culture I can say that I really underestimated how hard it is to study in Antwerp, Belgium, as the courses were way harder than at WU Vienna. As I didn't do really a research on that I would recommend to do that in advance and look it up how hard it is to study at your partner university. The teaching style was pretty similar to the WU we also had a lot of guest lectures and the professors were also very motivated to bring their topic near to the students. The courses I attended were hard but also interesting. For me the best course was the I week sustainability as you met a lot of new students worldwide in a fun way. Moreover also all my other courses like the real estate and social psychology one were also interesting but harder to study for.

5. Every day life in the host country

In general I didn't use public transport very often because Antwerp is a small city and many places are easy to just walk there. If I didn't walk there most of the time I just went by bike. As I really like doing spots I also subscribed to a gym membership and I also bought the sportsticket at the University, which I definitely recommend. It gives you the opportunity to try out many different sports classes and it is also a great way to meet new people with the same interests like you. In my free time I went to the gym, explored the city and also cities around, met some friends, went to bars, played volleyball together and went for some runs. Overall, it was very easy to find possibilities to spend your free time in Antwerp in a good way.

6. Testimonial

My exchange was especially shaped by meeting new people, broadening my horizons, and learning about different cultures. Some of my favorite moments were cooking together, going out, having spontaneous breakfasts, and simply spending time talking and having fun. Traveling together and visiting different countries also brought us closer and made the whole experience even more special. Overall, it was an unforgettable time filled with new friendships, experiences, and memories.