r/KULeuven

I'm going through the process of applying to Belgium for study visa, and tearing my hair out. I'm applying by mail, and I've got an issue with the medical certificate. My doctor (non-affiliated, not on the official Belgium authority list) who signed is a DO, not a MD. Is there anybody who has any experience or knowledge about if this is a deal breaker for the New York Consulate? They are genuinely not responding to any of my emails, and it's really frustrating. Thanks so much, in advance.

Hey everyone, BAES applicant here, has anybody received their outcome for their application yet? it’s been so long and I have to make a decision for other universities. Was wondering if anyone has had theirs already.

Hello everyone, I am a 21f student and I will be starting my Master’s at KU Leuven this September. I wanted to ask if there is an active Muslim community in Leuven, and whether there are halal grocery stores or restaurants nearby.
I would also appreciate advice on which areas or neighborhoods are good for renting a room or apartment, especially in terms of being close to both the university and the community.
Thank you in advance for any recommendations or advice!

Hello, I'm an international student, and joining this September. I was wondering if €680 (all-inclusive) is considered expensive for a single studio with its own kitchen/bath?

Would appreciate any insights, and if I should consider renting a kot. Tnx

I'm a first year chem student at KU Leuven, currently on another campus. However, next year I will join other students in Leuven. I've been thinking of joining a student association, but I'm not sure if it's really "for me".

On the one hand, I'm excited to meet new people and join the activities.

But I also think it will be way too demanding. I don't have a good perception about it, but I feel like it's only drinking and going to cantusses. I'm someone who really hates excessive drinking, definitely if it's beer.

What kinds of things do you even do in a student club besides that? I'd love to know more. Does it also really depend on which faculty?

I'm thinking of just having social contacts at kot, but I struggled to form good friendships this year because they all did different studies. I'm not so sure if this will be the same in koten at KU Leuven, I'm going to Studentwijk Arenberg if that helps.

While looking for the best central residence halls, I applied for Groot Begijnhof considering the location, rent and atmosphere. I recently got accepted there, but I can't find enough reviews of its residence or even pictures of it. I want to stay there but I want to have a more comprehensive view of the situation. I went through all the reddit threads, and its webpage and found out some things but some questions still remain unanswered. It would be great if someone who has lived there or knows about this stuff could answer:

1. How is the shared kitchen facility or is there any to begin with? Because there is no mention of it.

2. Same question as above about the shared laundry facilities.

3. It is mentioned that there is no Wifi but the CampusNet Ethernet is available. Can we use a WiFi Router for personal use?

4. I got accepted for a double room. It says there's 7 such rooms, of which 5 have toilets and one has a shower. So is the shower facility shared between the residents of these type of rooms?

5. I would mostly accept the offer but if I were to cancel or not respond, would the second preference of the central residence hall still consider my application or does it become null after i cancel this one? I would mostly not do this looking at the housing situation but just wanted to know.

6. Is there any site or place where I could see any photos of the residence? I found one little picture after searching far and wide and all the pictures on the internet are of the premises and not of the residences.

Even if any of you knows the answer to even one of those questions, please respond. It'd be nice to have some discourse available and accessible on this serene residence.

Thank you!

hi guys!

i’ve accepted my offer for groot begijnhof and haven’t received a response acknowledging this from the residence. I’ve sent a follow-up email, but the deadline is tomorrow (wednesday). of course, i have acceptance by responding to the email and sending a follow-up, but im a little worried about not hearing anything back.

any advice is appreciated.

Hi everyone, do you have any recommendations for the health insurance (minimum coverage of 30000€), and they say that I need to have proof that I have or will have health insurance by the time I arrive at Belgium.
How does that work? Like after I talk to the insurance company can they issue a comprovative that I will have insurance starting from September for example?
Thanks

I use AI myself for papers, assignments and thesis work, and not only to improve text I already wrote. I also use it to help generate full sections, such methodology, discussion, conclusions, and so on. Of course I still edit, check and adjust the output, but AI is doing more than just fixing grammar or making sentences sound better.

From what I see around me, a lot of students seem to use it in the same way. Not just “I wrote everything myself and AI only improved the wording”, but actually using AI to create large parts of the text and then adapting it a bit afterwards.

So my question is: is this basically the reality now? And honestly, can professors even control this properly? Because unless someone submits a very obvious AI text, how can they prove it was not written by the student? A student can always say: “I wrote it myself.”

I’ve been in Leuven for about more than 9 months now, and honestly, it’s been harder than I expected.

I’m pretty introverted, so making friends doesn’t come naturally to me. I work at imec, which is more of a professional environment, so it’s not like being at a university where you’re constantly surrounded by people your age or in the same situation.

I came here thinking I’d explore, travel, and experience a lot more. But most of the time, I just don’t. It’s been feeling a bit lonely, and sometimes even demotivating.

This is also my first time living this far away from my family, so I guess that adds to it.

Is this something others have gone through? How did you deal with it?
Would really appreciate hearing from people who’ve felt the same or found ways to get out of this phase.

Hello everyone,

I recently received an email from KU Leuven confirming my acceptance into the BAES program. I’d like to create a group chat for future BAES students where we can share information about allocations, student accommodation, and other relevant topics. If you’d like to be added, feel free to share your Instagram username. Also, if a group chat like this already exists, please let me know. Thanks!

I applied for don bosco, groot begijnhof and copal. Havent heard from them. I am getting a private place which i like. Should i go for it or wait for the residences to respond me ?

Hey guys i submitted my application for the MAES program around 20th April and now its currently in the second stage of review. Two more to go. Still not decided on housing as I haven’t received an admissions decision yet so I was wondering if anyone has been accepted into this program yet.

Hey all,

My first year of studying civil engineering (ingenieurswetenschappen) is coming to an end.. and I feel like I'm in over my head. I find the courses to be too challenging, which makes me doubt if I will be able to succeed in graduating at the end.

I'm thinking about making the switch to industrial engineering (industriële wetenschappen) since the material is generally less abstract, more hands-on and thus easier to comprehend. This would also give me more certainty in being able to graduate.

Does this seem like the reasonable thing to do? I'd like to hear your input if you know about someone who went through a similar situation.

Thanks in advance.

Hey everyone, I am looking for accommodation currently for the academic year 2026-27 and was wondering if there are any girls who are looking for a new roommate or have a room available?
Please lmk 😓🙂

I haven’t received anything from the uni yet, and I’m curios whether I’m the only one, i know some people already revived theirs.

I recently got accepted into Studax residence but i see that there is no mini fridge in the rooms, only a space in the common fridges. How does that work? Do i just put my stuff and hope that no one takes it or do i get a shelf with a lock or something?

I know there's an option to get a mini fridge in the room but i want to avoid the extra costs since I'm already cutting my budget pretty close.