Studying and Living as an Exchange Student in Thomas More University College, Belgium, Exercises of Biology

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Table of Content

• Welcome to Thomas More
• University College
• Thomas More - expect more
• Thomas More campuses
• Antwerp
• Mechelen
• Sint-Katelijne-Waver
• Turnhout
• Vorselaar
• Geel
• Lier
• Belgium & Flanders
• 1 BELGIUM
• 2 Flanders
• 3 Higher education in Flanders
• Practical information
• 1 Climate and clothing
• 2 Crime
• 3 Time
• 4 Using the phone
• 5 Mobile phone
• 6 Sockets
• 7 How to pay
• 8 Important phone numbers
• 9 Belgian cuisine
• 10 Transport
• 11 Health & insurance
• 12 Postal system in Belgium
  • Studying as an exchange student
  • 1 Academic year and public holidays
  • 2 Public holidays
  • Words and phrases in Dutch
  • 1 ASKING FOR HELP AND DIRECTIONS
  • 2 How to introduce yourself
  • 3 WISH SOMEONE SOMETHING
  • 4 SOLVING A MISUNDERSTANDING
  • 5 EXPRESSIONS AND WORDS
  • Facilities
  • 1 International office
  • 2 Student services (STIP)
  • 3 Buddy programme
  • 4 Network facilities
  • 5 Student union
  • 6 Student card

K.H. Kempen and Lessius Colleges recently joined forces and became more, Thomas More. Thomas More is the university college for those who expect more from their future: more opportunities, more ideas, more challenges. Every day, Thomas More inspires over 14. students on 12 locations in the heart of Europe. and hosts over 3000 students of KU Leuven. We also gladly welcome international students from all around the world. Your internship abroad is an excellent way to broaden your academic horizon, discover new points of view and immerse yourself in other cultures and languages.

Thomas More - expect more

Thomas More is a member of the K.U. Leuven Association. The K.U. Leuven Association is based on a structured cooperation between the K.U. Leuven and twelve other institutions of higher education (“hogescholen”). Its members have a total of 70.000 students in campuses in 23 towns and cities across Flanders, i.e. 44 percent of the total number of Flemish students in higher education. The challenges higher education in Flanders faces, are very demanding. In order to ensure a long-term effect for their efforts, the members of the K.U. Leuven Association have opted in favour of a strong decision-making and executive structure. The primary aims of the K.U. Leuven Association are:

• To offer a wide range of study and training
• To improve the quality of education
• To improve the quality of research by concentration and intensive cooperation

About KU Leuven Association

ANTWERP

Host of the Carolus campus, Sanderus

campus and Sint-Andries campus

A CITY FULL OF SURPRISES

Antwerp is a trendy and vibrant city, that’s for sure. The many cafés, squares, beautiful buildings and the good atmosphere make Antwerp a modern metropolis. If you’re looking for a city that is lively and cosmopolitan you’re at the right place. Maybe we can sum up a couple of reasons why you should definitely visit this marvelous city: As a big city Antwerp is the capital of the Antwerp region. Thanks to the stores of its world famous designers it is a dream for fashionistas – if you look for a place to go shopping and discover a lot of cultural places, that is the place to go! Antwerp has quite some eye-catching architecture, both historical and modern. The city has one of the largest seaports in Europe and its train station is considered as one of the most beautiful of the world! For more info visit: www.visitantwerpen.be

Thomas More campuses

MECHELEN

Host of De Ham, Kruidtuin, De Vest

and the Lucas Faydherbe campus

AUTHENTIC AND SENSATIONAL

Mechelen is situated in the heart of Flanders - halfway between Antwerp and Brussels. Mechelen offers some wonderful examples of historical heritage such as the imposing Saint Rumbold’s Cathedral, the large beguinage, eight historical churches, the belfry which is now part of the town hall and many museums. Nature lovers will enjoy a stroll through the parks and scenic areas in and around the city. Walk along the floating footpath on the river Dyle which lights up at night or make a magnificent boat trip. For more info visit: www.toerisme.mechelen.be

VORSELAAR

Host of the Vorselaar campus

SURPRISINGLY NATURAL

Vorselaar is a small village, situated in the heart of the Kempen region. There is no industry to be found, only nature and green open space. The village was built around a triangular market square in the centre. The centre used to consist only of the church, the castle and the convent which were constructed centuries ago and still carry many stories with them. There are numerous cultural associations that set up events throughout the year for you to experience. All in all, Vorselaar is a typical rural village with its traditions, active student life and a thriving food service industry and a yearly folk festival “Na Fir Bolg”. For more info visit: www.vorselaar.be

GEEL

Host of the Geel Campus

ONCE YOU VISIT, YOU WILL STAY

Geel is a small town but it covers a fairly large area. Geel is well world-wide known for the early adoption of deinstitutionalization in psychiatric care. This practice is based on the positive effects that placement in a host family gives the patient, most importantly access to family life that would otherwise have been denied. The rural area around Geel offers a lot for nature lovers: woods, sand dunes, a bird sanctuary and many walk and bicycle paths. For more info visit: www.geel.be

LIER

Host of the Lier Campus

CHARMING AND FUN

Lier is a charming small town in the Antwerp province. It is known for its “Beguinage”( semi-monastic community of women called “Beguines“), which is one of the oldest in Flanders. Other landmarks in the city centre are the City Hall and the Gummarus church. The Zimmer Tower is a famous curiosity in Lier. Here you can see Louis Zimmer’s world- famous Centenary Clock, the Astronomical Studio and the Astronomical Clock. For more info visit: www.toerismelier.be

2 Flanders

Flanders is the northern, Dutch speaking region of Belgium. For many centuries Flanders has been an important commercial crossroads. This is reflected in the architecture and atmosphere of cities like Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Leuven and Mechelen. The historical cities of Flanders (Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Ghent, etc.) share a historical and cultural heritage that includes historical market places, magnificent guild houses, beautiful cathedrals and many other monuments that display proud witness of a rich and influential past. The numerous smaller squares, cobbled streets, churches and beguinages all contribute to their typically old and charming atmosphere. One of the advantages of Flanders is that everything is close at hand: even on a short break, you can visit a lot of places throughout the region. For more info visit: www.visitflanders.com and www. fansofflanders.be and www.flanders.be Flanders is an internationally oriented centre of high technology. The Flemish economic network contains a web of innumerable small and medium-sized enterprises and many multinational industries have branches in the Flemish region. Flanders also has gateways to the larger ports of Antwerp, Ghent, Zeebrugge and Ostend. The airports in Brussels, Antwerp and Ostend carry passengers and goods to all continents.

3 Higher education in Flanders

BACHELOR AND MASTER STRUCTURE

After signing the Bologna Declaration the Flemish Minister of Education started a process to reform the Flemish higher education system. The Flemish Parliament adopted a new Higher Education Act on the 4th of April 2003. The degree structure based on three main cycles constitutes the core of the Act, which introduced this new structure for all programmes in the 2004/2005 academic year. For longer programmes, it may last until 2010. The higher educational system consists of professional Bachelor’s degrees and two-tier academic Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. DEGREE STRUCTURE Bachelor’s degrees

• professional bachelor’s programmes
• advanced bachelor’s programmes
• academic bachelor’s programmes Master’s degrees
• master’s programmes
• advanced master’s programmes Through the mechanism of bridging programmes, holders of professional Bachelor’s degrees may have access to Master’s programmes.

DEGREES

BACHELOR’S DEGREE

After successfully completing at least 180 ECTS-credits students obtain a Bachelor’s degree. Professional Bachelor’s degrees prepare students for specific professions in industry, education, commerce, agriculture, health and rehabilitation, social work, informatics, applied arts or the media. Courses are therefore practice-oriented and include periods of work placement. These degrees are only awarded by the university colleges. Some university colleges offer profession-oriented specialisation programmes for holders of a professional bachelor’s degree. These subsequent bachelor’s programmes cover at least 60 ECTS credits. Academic Bachelor’s degrees prepare students for studies at Master’s level. These degrees are awarded by universities and some university colleges. MASTER’S DEGREE Master programmes are characterised by the integration of education and research and a Master’s dissertation. They cover at least 60 ECTS credits. Depending on the field of study some programmes last longer (e.g. medicine, law, psychology, engineering,…). Advanced Master programmes are organised at universities, at university colleges as part of an association and at postgraduate training institutions. A Master’s degree is required for admittance.

PH D DEGREE

‘Doctor’ is the highest level of specialisation in scientific research. It is based on an original research project that takes at least two years, resulting in the public presentation of a doctoral thesis. This degree is only awarded by universities. DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT The Flemish Diploma Supplement is made up according to the recommendations of the Council of Europe, UNESCO and the European Commission. It is an important tool to improve the international transparency and fair recognition of qualifications in the European Higher Education Area in 2010. A Diploma Supplement is awarded to all students regardless their programme. It is free of charge and delivered in Dutch and English.

restaurants called “frituur/frietkot” – there you can get fries with a big variety of sauces, snacks and burgers. A speciality of Belgium is the Bicky Burger! In Flanders, people usually have three meals a day:

• Breakfast: sandwiches, slices of bread or cereals, coffee or tea
• Lunch: sandwiches/bread with coffee or tea
• Dinner: 3-course hot meal (served around 6 pm)
  • Soup
  • Main dish with meat or fish and potatoes
  • Desserts Typical Flemish dishes are:
• Steak and French fries
• Mussels
• Rabbit in “Trappist” beer
• “Gentse Waterzooi”
• Stoofvlees (Beef stew)

10 Transport

In Belgium there are several ways to go from one place to another - you can take the bus, tram, bike, train or metro to travel within one city. AIRPORTS The two main international airports in Belgium are the International Airport of Brussels (Brussels Airport Zaventem) and the Charleroi Airport in Brussels south. This airport mainly caters for cheap flights offered by airlines such as Ryanair. For more info visit: www.brusselsairport.be/en/ or www.charleroi-airport.com Another alternative is the Eindhoven airport in the Netherlands. This airport also mainly caters for cheap flights offered by airlines such as Ryanair. For more info visit: www.eindhovenairport.com TRAIN Belgium has the densest rail network in the world. Trains run regularly between 06:00 and 20:00, only a selection of trains runs until about 23:00. Trains run less frequently during weekends. There are first and second class coaches and a standard return (round-trip) fare is double the price of a single (one way) fare. Keep in mind that this ticket is only valid for one day. Tickets can be bought online, in the railway station or if you had no time to buy one in advance, you can also buy a ticket on the train by informing the train conductor before you get on the train or as soon as possible after departure. The cheapest ways to get around are either week-end- tickets or the Go-Pass. Go-Pass-Tickets can be used by everybody under 26 years. Just get either online or at the

METRO

The metro can be used in Brussels and Antwerp. Tickets are available in the station at the counter or the ticket dispenser. In many metro stations you have to pass the entrance gates to take the metro. Hold your ticket against the scanner and the gates will open. Don’t forget to scan your ticket while leaving the metro station. Please take into account that the ticket you bought in Antwerp can’t be used in Brussels and vice versa. RENT A BIKE At the different campuses of Thomas More you can rent a bike via Student services on good terms for your whole stay. If you only want to exercise or if you need to travel a short distance, you can rent a bike at “Fietspunt” for a day or for several months (including maintenance costs). You can find them at the main entrance to the railway station in Mechelen, Geel, Antwerp, and most medium- sized towns. In many other cities you can rent a ’Blue-bike’ in the railway station. After registering online or at one of the meeting points you receive a card with which you can independently rent bikes at the nearest cycle point. For more info visit: www.fietsenwerk.be or www.blue-bike.be/en train station a Go-Pass 1 (7,80€ for one way) or a Go-Pass 10 (51,00€ for 10 ways) and travel to any destination in Belgium. For more info visit: www.b-rail.be Check out the free “NMBS/SNCB” app for your smartphone! BUS AND TRAM The busses and trams are operated by ‘De Lijn’ company. You can find their yellow bus/tram signs to wait and take the bus to find information about the service in many streets. When you get on the bus or tram, validate your ticket by putting it in the yellow box with the arrow pointing downwards. You can find these yellow boxes either at the front of or in the middle of the vehicle. When you have nearly arrived at your destination, press the blue button so the driver knows where to drop you off. Watch out for the red buttons, they are only used in case of emergency. You can buy a ticket

• Either online on the website: www.delijn.be
• At the selling points
• With the driver.
• By sending a text message to 4884 (text “DL” for a 60 minute drive for 1,55€ or text “DL120” for a 120 minute drive for 2,35€ according to www.discobal.delijn.be/en/ verkooppunten/sms_ticketing_copy.htm If you plan on using the bus and tram on a daily base, it is better to buy a Buzzy Pazz (under the age of 24) or an Omnipas (if you are over 24) for a period of a week, a month, three months or a year. Check out the free “De Lijn” app for your smartphone!

In this month you will have exams based on the material you have handled from February up until May. Once you’ve finished these exams you will get to enjoy your Summer holidays.

2 Public holidays

• 1 January: New Year’s Day
• 1 May: Labour Day
• 21 July: National Holiday
• 15 August: Assumption Day
• 1 November: All Saint’s Day
• 11 November: Armistice Day
• 25 December: Christmas Changeable days include Easter Monday, Ascension and Whit Monday. During public holidays shops are usually closed.

1 Academic year and public holidays

Throughout an academic year at one of the Thomas More campuses you will get to enjoy quite a few days off. There are 42 holiday-days to be precise (excluding weekends). A full academic year counts 26 weeks of actual classes. Week 1 starts, just like in most countries, mid-September and the academic year ends in June, after the final exams. Your first week off won’t be long after classes have started in September. At the end of October/beginning of November there is the so called ‘Herfstvakantie’ (Autumn break). At the end of December, you will get 2 weeks off to celebrate Christmas and New Year. It is important you know, though, that as soon as the Christmas holidays are over, exams will take place. This is why you should use those two weeks to prepare the exams and study all the material you have handled since the beginning of the school year. To know the exact date of your exams you have to check your exam schedule which will be given to you in the first week of December. After your exams, in February, you will be given another full week off to recover from all that hard work and studying. In April you will get 2 weeks off for the Paasvakantie (Easter Holidays). Just like the Christmas Holidays and the Autumn break these dates change every year. At the end of May, your 2nd semester will come to an end and the study leave will start. This is another week that you get to prepare for the exams that take place in June. June is your last month at Thomas More.

Studying as an exchange student

It is up to the participating institution to subdivide the credits for the different courses. Credits are awarded only when the course has been completed and all required examinations have been successfully taken. More information can be found in the course guide. For more info visit: http://www.thomasmore.be/welcome ECTS LEARNING AGREEMENT The ECTS Learning Agreement is a form which is to be used when you choose among the different courses from the host institution. The courses have to be agreed by you, the ECTS coordinator at your home university, and the coordinator from Thomas More Mechelen. After you have finished your study abroad period, the agreed courses should be fully recognized by your university. More information about the ECTS system can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/socrates/ ects/index_en.html.

5 BASIC LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

The instruction language of all bachelor degree programmes is Dutch. Sufficient knowledge of the Dutch language is an admission requirement for all our bachelor degree programmes. For exchange students following the international programme, a good knowledge of English is required. The international programme is offered in the first and second semester. Going abroad on an exchange programme requires a lot of preparation and administration. You have to think about all the documents to regulate your credits, but also insurance, taking money along, passport and visa requirements must be considered.

4 ECTS

WHAT IS ECTS?

The recognition of studies and diplomas is a prerequisite for the creation of an open European area of education and training where students and teachers can move without obstacles. ECTS, the European Credit Transfer System, was developed by the Commission of the European Community in order to provide common procedures to guarantee academic recognition of studies abroad. It provides a way of measuring and comparing learning achievements, and transferring them from one institution to another. The ECTS system is based on the principles of mutual trust and confidence between the participating institutions of higher education. The few rules of the ECTS system, concerning Information on Courses Available, Agreement between the home and host institutions, and the Use of Credit Points (to indicate the student’s workload) are set out to reinforce this mutual trust and confidence. Each ECTS department will describe the courses it offers not only in terms of content but also indicating credits for each course. THE ECTS CREDITS ECTS credits are a value (between 1 and 60) allocated to course units to describe the student workload required to complete them. They reflect the quantity of work each course requires in relation to the total quantity of work required to complete a full year of academic study at the host institution. ECTS credits express a relative rather than an absolute measure of student workload. In ECTS, 60 credits represent the workload of an academic year of study. Normally, 30 credits represent a semester and 20 credits a term.

5 EXPRESSIONS AND WORDS

Good / Bad / So-So. Big / Small Today / Now Tomorrow / Yesterday Yes / No Here you go! (when giving something) Do you like it? I really like it! I’m hungry / thirsty. In the morning / evening. At Night. This / that. Here / there Me / you. Him / her. Really! Look! Hurry up! What? Where? What time is it? It’s 10 o’clock. 07:30pm. Give me this! I love you! I feel sick. I need a doctor. One, Two, Three Four, Five, Six Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten Goed / slecht / zo en zo Groot / klein Vandaag / nu Morgen / gisteren Ja / nee Alsjeblieft Vind je het leuk? Ik vind het tof. Ik heb honger / dorst ‘s ochtends / ’s avonds / ‘s nachts Dit / dat. Hier / daar Ik / jou. Hij / zij Echt waar! Kijk! Haast je! Wat? Waar? Hoe laat is het? Het is tien uur. 7:30 pm Geef me dit! Ik hou van je! Ik voel me ziek! Ik heb een dokter nodig. Een, twee, drie Vier, vijf, zes Zeven, acht, negen, tien

SPORTS

Student services organizes several sport events during the year. For the campuses of Geel, Lier, Vorselaar, Turnhout, Mechelen and De Nayer you can buy a SportsCard for 15 euro and work out in different local sport centers. SOCIAL SERVICE The social service counsels and informs students about scholarships, social welfare etc. Students may also consult the social service in case of personal, social or practical problems. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY Student Services helps to find assisted living accommodation and gives guidance and advice in financial support and educational matters as well as psychosocial support. MOBILITY Student services raises awareness about environmental transport through activities such as car-pooling and bike- happenings. You can also rent a bike through student services for an affordable price! CATERING Each location of our campuses has their own restaurant and offers healthy and sustainable food for reduced student prices.

3 Buddy programme

An important aspect of your exchange is the communication with students of Thomas More. For this, student services will organize a buddy system. Through this buddy system we try to link incoming students with students of Thomas More.

1 International office

The international office provides services to all international exchange students at Thomas more. It cooperates together with the international coordinators of the study programs. It’s believing that each exchange student who comes to Thomas More for a semester or a full year, makes a valuable contribution to our university and our student community. The aim of the international office is to provide the information, help and support that will make your visit into a rewarding international experience.

2 Student services (former STIP)

Every student at Thomas More has the right to access the student service which is funded and regulated by the Flemish government. Feel free to contact student services via e-mail or stop by one of the offices which are based in every campus. Student services offers services in the following categories: CULTURE The aim of student services is to enthuse students for culture. Student service will provide discounts to different cultural activities and provides (financial) help for students who want to organise a cultural activity for other students. ACCOMMODATION Student services will try to help you find suitable accommodation. You can select a room based on rent price, surface of the room or location in a prices range in between 180 to 400€/month. Should you have any dispute with the landlord they can also provide assistance and mediation.

Facilities