Let’s start with my studies.
I’m studying at HEPL – University College of the Province of Liège. It’s located in Wallonia, which means people in this area speak French. And ironically, it’s not a joke that French speakers often speak poor English. All of the classes are in English, but because many Belgian students struggle to understand English, the teachers need to explain everything twice.
I came here without knowing a single word of French, which has been a struggle from time to time. I already have countless stories from just the two months I’ve been here about how the language barrier has caused issues for me or my fellow exchange students. However, don’t let this frighten you. Most people are still very warm and welcoming, no matter how much French you know.
It feels almost irrational how much the English level improves when traveling within Belgium — moving from French-speaking areas to Dutch- or German-speaking regions.
In my program, radiography, we have six weeks of clinical placements and three weeks of studying. I’ve learned that no matter which one I’m doing, the days are long. School days are often even longer. This honestly came as a bit of a shock to me because back in Finland, you’re usually guaranteed to be home by around 4 PM. In Belgium, school days can go on until 5:30 PM.
During clinical placements, the days are also long because the lunch break is not included in your working hours. On top of that, distances in this city are quite long. I’ve lived in two different places during my exchange, and from both of them I’ve had to travel between 40 minutes and an hour just to get to placements or school.
And speaking of traveling — we even had a public transport strike for two weeks. Nothing moved. Another strike is yet to come in the following month so wish me luck!
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On the other hand, the free time has been amazing. Belgium is incredibly central in Europe, so it’s really easy to hop on a bus or a train to another country (and it’s fairly cheap).
With my friends — other exchange students — that’s basically what we’ve been doing. We’ve visited multiple places in Belgium, such as Ghent, Antwerp, Bruges, and Brussels. We’ve also already traveled outside the country multiple times: Cologne, Aachen (Germany), Paris (France), and Maastricht, Rotterdam, Amsterdam (the Netherlands) and Luxembourg, Vianden (Luxembourg). Even now, we’re planning trips for the following month!
The food and pastries are delightful. I’ve had way too many fries in all kinds of different forms. Waffles are also extremely popular here, and when I tell you they don’t need any toppings — I mean it! I’ve never really liked beer, but somehow, in this beer-loving country, I’ve found beers that I actually enjoy. So, go Belgium — for having so many weird and different kinds of beer, like lemon and banana!
Compared to Finland, eating out or having coffee with friends is affordable.
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However, now that I’ve spent nearly two months in this country, I do believe it when someone says that things are better in Finland — even considering the current state of the world.
This has been an eye-opening experience during which I’ve made new friends and unforgettable memories. But I’m glad to be coming back home in a month.
Au revoir,
Pinja Nummela
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