touristic information
At the beginning of the academic year students and teachers receive a documentation pack containing relevant information about the city of Ghent: cultural life, public transport, hotels and restaurants, places of interest, etc. Information is also available at the secretariat.
WEB You can also find more information on the websites of Ghent at: www.gent.be, www.Ghent.be and http://www.use-it.be, www.use-it.be
a place to stay
We advise you to look for a student room on the private market – like most students in Ghent do. Ghent offers a lot of student rooms, but the quality varies a lot. When making arrangements trough the internet, don’t forget to ask whether your place will have a bathroom and/or kitchen of its own. When you can come to Gent to search for a place by yourself, ofcourse, there are more opportunities. At the end of the academic year (may/june/july) a lot of landlords are looking for new renters. Look for posters or announcements with the words kot ( = student-room) and te huur (for rent). Places with the label of kotatgent (see their website, mentioned below) are controlled by the city, so you can count on some quality. Places that are very close to city centres, like the Sint Pieters Station or the Kouter- or Korenmarkt-squares are naturally more expensive. The centre of Ghent (f.ex. the Kouter-square) is only ten minutes walking from the studio.
When making arrangements with landlords, keep in mind that you will be required to pay a deposit of one to three month’s rent when you start renting the room. You will get this money back after you leave the place, if you leave it in good shape. Be carefull when you sign a contract. Once you signed a 12 months- or 3 years- contract, you won’t be able to leave the flat earlier, unless you personally find someone to take over the place. When making specific arrangements with a landlord, make sure everything is written down.
This being said, it is always interesting to contact the Flanders Operastudio Vlaanderen students that were living in Ghent the academic year before yours. They might have some good advise, or they might accually be looking for new renters to take over their place.
WEB More information can be found on: www.kotatGhent.be, www.kotatGhent.be, www.immoweb.be, www.immoweb.be, www.easykot.be, www.easykot.be, ...
As it is not easy to find a good place without coming to Ghent, it is not a bad idea to stay the first few weeks or even months (depending on your budget) of the academic year in a bed and breakfast, while looking for a place of your own.
WEB More information can be found on: www.bedandbreakfast.be, www.bedandbreakfast.be, www.bedandbreakfast-gent.be, www.bedandbreakfast-gent.be, ...
BICYCLES
You will soon notice that in Ghent, a lot of people use bicycles to bring them in a fast and cheap way from one place to another. As a student, you can rent a bike from studentenmobiliteit, an organisation that provides bicycles and repair sheds troughout the city. Their prices are very democratic. Always lock your bicycle, even when you only leave it for a few minutes.
WEB More information can be found on: www.studentenmobiliteit.be, www.studentenmobiliteit.be