Hello everyone ! I\u2019m going to share some useful tips to help you get the best Erasmus experience in Mons (Belgium).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First of all, start early! Take time to choose the subjects you want to study abroad and to set up your learning agreement. The coordinators in Avignon and Mons can be quite slow, so it\u2019s better not to wait until the last minute. In case you aren’t aware, as for Erasmus student, you only have to pay the registration of your home university, you absolutely don’t have to pay the 800 or 1200\u20ac for Belgian universities ! Also, almost all exams take place in January, so there\u2019s no continuous exams like in Avignon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once your application is accepted by UMons, register as soon as possible at the town hall for the mandatory \u201cforeign students\u2019 registration\u201d (1\u00e8re Inscription \u00e9tudiants \u00e9trangers). You can find all the details here: https:\/\/www.mons.be\/fr\/vivre-a-mons\/etat-civil-population\/demarches-1\/demarches-etrangers\/1ere-inscription-etudiants-etrangers<\/a> Also, to continue to have health insurance coverage, you must order your European Health Insurance Card (from Ameli in France), it’s quick and easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, check your mailbox regularly for administrative emails. Some things (like your student card) need to be done early, so don\u2019t miss any notifications !<\/p>\n\n\n\n For your information, I traveled with one medium suitcase, one large suitcase, and a 40L backpack. Take some time to think carefully about what everything you will need. Don\u2019t bother packing summer clothes, they\u2019re already useless in September. Make sure to bring enough warm clothes instead, because temperatures in December and January can drop to around 0\u00b0C or even \u201310\u00b0C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for transportation, my best advice is to travel to Mons by train with Ouigo. You get a higher Erasmus grant if you travel by train instead of by plane, and Ouigo is much cheaper than regular French trains. I also took advantage of my long trip to spend a few days in Paris, since I already had a stop there between the two trains. A nice way to start the Erasmus adventure !<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s start with housing. The most common way to find accommodation is through dedicated Facebook groups. Be careful to avoid scams, if someone asks for unusual documents, strange payment methods, or anything that feels suspicious, don\u2019t continue. Now, about the cost of living, Belgium is more expensive than France. As a comparison, the minimum wage is about 1800\u20ac here. Personally, I spent around 950\u20ac in September, then 750\u2013800\u20ac in the following months (compared to about 550\u20ac in Avignon). As an example, a meal at the university cafeteria costs 4\u20ac or 4.50\u20ac for a single dish, while a sandwich costs 3.60\u20ac . Also remember that Erasmus is also about enjoying life and traveling a bit, so expect to spend more than usual. When it comes to supermarkets, I recommend Delhaize and Carrefour, and don\u2019t miss the downtown market (yes I\u2019m a bit picky \ud83d\ude05). On the other hand, Colruyt traumatized me, the product quality was really disappointing in my opinion but belgians like it (help). However know that in Belgium some foods are terrible compared to France, like bread, meat, ready-to-eat vegetables in bags or plastic containers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, in Belgium, you have to sort your waste and buy official trash bags (unlike in France where you can buy any black trash bag). They\u2019re very expensive (around 10\u20ac per roll for household waste), you place your trash bag on the street next to your door, and if your bag doesn\u2019t follow the rules, it won\u2019t be collected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For your banking, you might not have any fees in Europe, but check with your bank advisor first. If you have some fees, you can open an account with Revolut for example. Keep in mind that card transactions can be slower and sometimes randomly refused. Belgium also uses Bancontact (similar to Visa or Mastercard), but it doesn\u2019t work with foreign cards. So you might need to tell the cashier you\u2019re paying with Visa, otherwise your payment could be declined. Finally for your mobile plan, I should keep your french plan because mobile data is much more expensive in Belgium (they haven\u2019t had the \u201cFree revolution\u201d yet ahah). It will probably be your only Erasmus experience (but don\u2019t worry, it won\u2019t be your only adventure abroad !). So don\u2019t focus excessively on studying ; get out, travel, and meet new people !<\/p>\n\n\n\n Belgians are generally very friendly and open-minded, much more than Frenchies, which makes things easier if you are a bit shy. That said, in my opinion, Belgians are sometimes be too relaxed or careless, they don\u2019t always do things properly, and they don\u2019t mind !<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n You should absolutely join the ESN (Erasmus Student Network) and take part in their events, it\u2019s a great way to meet people and experience student life. The Mons ESN is active, but if you\u2019re looking for something bigger and more dynamic, I recommend the ESNs in Brussels, especially the Saint-Louis one. As for restaurants, unfortunately Mons mainly have snack, pizza, and pok\u00e9 bowls. (I said I am picky !) And please don\u2019t go to Mons for the fries, it\u2019s not worth it ! Try the fast-food place nearest to where you’re coming from, or better yet visit one of Brussels\u2019 famous fry shops though be ready to wait in line ! I hope I\u2019ve made you interested in experiencing Erasmus in Mons, I think it’s a great choice to do your first international journey ! Hello everyone ! I\u2019m going to share some useful tips to help you get the best Erasmus experience in Mons (Belgium). 1. BEFORE LEAVING First of all, start early! Take time to choose the subjects you want to study abroad and to set up your learning agreement. The coordinators in Avignon and Mons can be quite slow, so it\u2019s better not to wait until the last minute.Here\u2019s the link to check the available courses for each degree: https:\/\/webcontent.umons.ac.be\/web\/fr\/pde\/2025-2026\/cursus_sitemap.htmlKeep in mind…<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the link to check the available courses for each degree: https:\/\/webcontent.umons.ac.be\/web\/fr\/pde\/2025-2026\/cursus_sitemap.html<\/a>
Keep in mind that you can\u2019t choose your subjects completely freely, your program must be roughly equivalent to what you would study at your home university. However, note that courses that are supposed to be equivalent can still be quite different from those at your home university.
Personally, I\u2019m studying \u201cBachelier en sciences informatiques (MONS) (Horaire jour)\u201d, but some students were able to register in a master’s degree some years ago.
Here\u2019s the subjects I\u2019m following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
At UMons, there are far fewer exercices sessions (= TD) than in Avignon, so you might have fewer opportunities to practice in classes. On the bright side, the schedule is often quite light ! By the way here is the public link to the timetables : https:\/\/hplanning2025.umons.ac.be\/invite<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Honestly, this step is quite useless and annoying, but it\u2019s required by law. Remember that the administration in Belgium is very slow and frustrating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. THE ROUTE TO GET THERE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For example, I went from Avignon \u2192 Paris Gare de Lyon, then Paris Nord \u2192 Mons with Ouigo for about 51\u20ac + 19\u20ac with some options, way better compared to over 100\u20ac with standard trains !<\/p>\n\n\n\n3. SURVIVE IN MONS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As a reference, rent prices are around 400\u20ac per month.
In Belgium, there\u2019s something called \u201cdomiciliation\u201d, which can be confusing for foreigners. Honestly, in many cases you don\u2019t actually need it.
For home insurance, I strongly recommend InforJeunes, an association that helps students and poor people. Their home insurance costs only 30\u20ac per year, and honestly you won\u2019t find anything cheaper anywhere !<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortunately, I received 1617\u20ac in total from the Erasmus grant, which really saved me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And don\u2019t forget that cash is sometimes prefered in Belgium, especially in some restaurants and little shops, so always carry some with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Personally, I suggest the Free unlimited plan with 35GB in Europe for 20\u20ac\/month, or another French plan that includes enough roaming data (like Bouygues Telecom, Sosh, or other summer promotions).
For the anectode, your phone will become Belgian after one month lol ! News in notifications will be Belgian, your Google and ChatGPT results will be Belgium-oriented rather than France-oriented, algorithms and recommended content in Facebook and Tiktok too, comments on social media will also be from Belgian people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n4. ENJOY YOUR ERASMUS !!!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
However in my opinion, there is nationality grouping, Spanishs with Spanishs, Chinese with Chinese, etc. Plus there are not a lot of French students either, and since most Erasmus students study languages, as a computer science student I rarely met them on campus.
I advice you to socialize with Belgian students too, in classes (work groups !) or through associations (look at the ORE association !), join the students’ Discord server is also useful, so please don\u2019t focus only on Erasmus groups.
At the university, there\u2019s a system called TandeMons, where a local student is assigned to help you if you need help. Believe me, you\u2019ll need them, especially to find your classrooms and buildings (for example, try to find without help the classroom NiBSM.008.Kwolek<\/em> on your first day, that\u2019s a real classroom name from my timetable!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also, be aware that everything closes quite early imo, around 18h for shops, 22h for restaurants, and midnight for students parties ! And almost everything is closed on Sundays !
Last but not least, the city of Mons regularly organizes great local events like les f\u00eates de Wallonie, la Nuit des Mus\u00e9es, Mons en Lumi\u00e8res, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n5. IN CONCLUSION<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you need any other information or advice, feel free to contact me, I\u2019ll be glad to help: alexandre.boyer2@alumni.univ-avignon.fr<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"