“I love this medieval ancient, yet modern city of Ghent. Ghent is one of the charming “darlings” of Belgium. It’s so different than what I saw on the internet. The internet can’t do justice to any place and this is quite true. The Gothic Architecture of the Cathedral, the eternal silence of sunsets across the river, and the colourful bubbles at the city centre are some of the things I keep falling in love with. Graslei and Korenlei are two of my favourite streets. They are so magical during the day as well as at night. Also not to forget the amazing fries and waffles. If you love chocolate, trust me, you will love Belgium. If you fancy student life, just go to Overpoortstraat, grab a beer and you will find the craziest of students there. I had the assumption that no one here would speak English because their native language is Dutch, but this turned out to be a misconception. Almost everyone, old and young can speak English. So, whenever you get lost, don’t worry. Belgians are among the most helping and friendly people. With Belgium lying at the centre of Europe, it’s so easy to fulfil your dream of travelling to all the European countries. Paris and Amsterdam are just two hours away from Brussels.”

“Ghent University is one of the best-ranked universities in the world and our professors are so friendly, nice and their knowledge is amazing. The academic staff is helpful, caring and making your arrival in Belgium so smooth. When in trouble, they are always there. There is an introductory session by the university common for all students and also some fun activities. There also was a kick-off event by Photonics Group. All detailed information was given, which made me comfortable enough to plan out my studies for two years (this really isn’t a piece of cake). The professors are so kind and they reply promptly to every question you have. So the transition from the culture in my home country to the European culture was so smooth. Now I feel so confident about the perfect career choice I made. In the kick-off event, the information was crystal clear, so I could figure out my way through these two years. I have a sound plan of going for an international internship to CEA-LETI in France. I will share my experience if the Coronavirus outbreak doesn’t screw up my plans. Also, since our programme and our professors both at UGent and VUB have so many industrial contacts, getting a job won’t be like walking through thorns in a garden of roses.”