The Voice: Special Exam Edition (Dec/Jan)

International Student Magazine
VOICE
THE
DEC/JAN 2012/13 YEAR 16, ISSUE 1
2 THE VOICE December 2012 / January 2013
Editor-in-Chief
ToTran Nguyen, Layout
Editorial Team
Evelyne Van Hecke, Editorial Secretary
Corieke Bonvanie, News Editor
Nguyen Tanh Hai, Asst. News Editor
Kaitlin van Baarle, Culture Editor
Nele Apers, Asst. Culture Editor
Curtis Bozek, Features Editor
Limin Liang, Asst. Features Editor
Sara Rich, Copy Editor
Copy Editing Team
Andrew Horner
Sarah Jenkins
Other Contributors To Tis Issue
Alexandria Somirs
David de Vaal
Gijs Van den Broeck
Heleen Yu
Ilja Postel
Ivan Vander Biesen
Karel Joos
LOKO
Neil Simons
Valeri De Meester
Cover Art by Sara Rich
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VOICE
THE
We want to hear from you! If you have any
comments regarding what you see (or dont
see here), please email us and we will select
some messages to publish in the next issue
of our magazine.
VOICE Mail
4 Cultural Diferences: an interview
with Vice Rector Bart De Moor
7 Exam Regulations: navigating the
maze
9 Professor-Student Relationships
Te Ombudsman
10 Testing, Testing: exam types, tips,
and grading
15 Aim for 20/20 English: common
mistakes
16 Keeping A Cool Head: managing
stress
18 Study Spots Around Town
19 Time for A Beer Exam: get to know
beer
20 A Strange Balance: studying and
celebrating
Contents
Te links to all websites referred to in the
articles will be posted on THE VOICEs
Facebook Page, under the link name
listed in the article.
3 December 2012 / January 2013 THE VOICE
December 2012
Dear Readers,
With this special edition, we offer you a modest introduction to our international student magazine THE
VOICE, now in its 16th year of publication. If you have lived in Leuven long enough, you may have noticed
its evolution over the years, swinging between being a newspaper and a magazine, and publishing monthly at
times and bimonthly at other times. Subject to the transient body of international students and the ebb and fow
of volunteer commitment, THE VOICE faces the same motivational and practical challenges every year. Its
value to the student body was even questioned earlier this year, with the momentary consideration of dissolving
the publication.
At KU Leuven, many circles of students bonded by commonalities exist not just for companionship but also
for strength of voice and identity. With a circulation of 1,500 copies per issue, no other network here has the
reach of this publication when it comes to giving voice to international students. As such, our magazine team is
deeply committed to ensuring that it continues to serve this purpose and to capture even more of its potential.
With over 7,400 international students, representing 15% of KU Leuvens student body this year, THE VOICE
has a long way to go to engage this community.
Although this edition specifcally aims to demystify the exam experience at KU Leuven for students from
other countries, our editorial team is planning next semesters issues with the international community at large
in mind. By this, we refer to all students and to people outside of the university. The Features section of our next
issue in February will refect the theme of internationalization at KU Leuven, while our News and Culture
sections will tackle the subjects of globalization and multiculturalism, amongst other musings on student life in
Belgium. In March, we will investigate the local second-hand market and consider more broadly the environ-
ment and sustainability.
While our recently formed editorial team has been busy planning the next two issues, a few of us have
focused on quickly producing this exam edition in time for students to ease some anxieties and enjoy their
holidays. I would like to thank the Study Advice Service, Rectors offce, and International Offce for their guid-
ance, LOKO Internationals Neil Simons and Evelyne Van Hecke for helping to shape the content, Sara Rich
and her copy editing team for their critical eye and dedication, and our other student contributors for sharing
their insights.
For those of you who are students, I hope that these pages will help clarify what you should expect - and
what is expected of you - during the exam period, and that you may fnd some comforting words from fellow
students. For the rest, I hope that you will enjoy some moments of nostalgia and relief that your testing days are
over, although you may argue that professional life has its own challenges. Our editorial team looks forward to
informing, enlightening, and entertaining all of you the rest of this academic year. If you would like to contrib-
ute in some way, please contact us at thevoice@loko.be.
Happy holidays and veel succes!
Best,
ToTran
Letter from the Editor
more often. I think Leuven is somewhere in between
China and the West, lets say America.
TN: Ive noticed that professor-student relationships at
KU Leuven seem to be on the more formal end of the spec-
trum.
BDM: I think I can agree. Its not as formal as in
China, but I think it is more formal than in America.
Te same observation applies for evaluations. If you
look in China, you have real formal exams. For in-
stance, in order to access the university system, there
is a national entrance examination. At KU Leuven,
we also have formal exams although that can already
difer a bit, because if you are doing engineering, then
you have more homework assignments and projects.
Tere are about 13 Belgian students from KU Leuven
spending a quarter in Illinois. I asked them about the
I
recently caught up with Vice Rector of International Policy, Bart De Moor. He had just returned from his
trip to the US, where he negotiated an institutional agreement between KU Leuven and the University of
Illinois. Some students may know him better as a professor in the Faculty of Engineering. Given his efort in
constructing a network of international universities in diferent parts of the world, THE VOICE was curious to
know what cultural diferences in education he has observed in his work and travels.
Cultural Differences
Exam styles hint at the underlying approaches to education.
TN: Based on your experience in education across various
regions, what diferences in philosophies or attitudes to-
wards education have you observed? How is this refected
in the education infrastructure?
BDM: Maybe its too simplistic what Im going to
say, but nevertheless it might be a good frst observa-
tion. If you move from the East to the West, so from
China to Leuven to America, I think there are several
gradients (as we call it in the sciences), several difer-
ences that you can observe. For instance, in China, if
you look at the teaching method, it is quite normal
[to have] big groups. In Leuven we still have that but
we also have sometimes a mixture of large groups and
small groups. If you go over to England (Cambridge
and Oxford) and to America, I have the impression
that the teaching is more based on almost individual
tutoring, not always, but you do see smaller groups
By ToTran Nguyen
Photo courtesy of Bart De Moor
evaluation method. It was almost all based on assign-
ments, homework and projects, so there are almost no
formal exams. Tey dont have something like the oral
examinations.
TN: I can imagine that. I think for myself coming from the
US, the oral exams were quite a surprise.
BDM: Of course what Im saying is a general hypoth-
esis, that there is a kind of gradient if you go from the
East to Europe to America. Tere is a diference in the
culture of teaching and the culture of evaluation, and
I think KU Leuven is a kind of mixture of these two
cultures. In the past, not so long ago, we had a very
formal teaching system and a very formal examination
system. When I was a student 30 years ago, we had
very big classes of several hundred students in all the
courses, and all the exams were concentrated in June
and July. And these were formal oral exams. Tat was
one generation ago. Its already changed a lot. We have
more exam periods, more assignments, and maybe
more emphasis on creativity. However, I think our sys-
tem is still based a lot on reproduction. It is evolving
in the direction of the American system, but still, its a
mixture of the old system and the newer system.
TN: Are you implying that you fnd education in the US to
be more focused on critical, higher order thinking?
BDM: Indeed. Creativity, writing papers, guidance by
teaching assistants, and so on, is more oriented in the
US towards developing ones own assertiveness and
ideas.
TN: Coming to KU Leuven, I have observed more open-
ness to critical examination of dominant ideas.
BDM: Do you think that KU Leuven students are
more critical than in the US?
TN: Well, whether they are more critical or not, I think
that the environment here is more open to criticism of
ideas. In the US, although assertiveness is valued more, it
can be more difcult (than it is here) to be assertive about
ones alternative views that are, lets say, anti-capitalistic.
BDM: When I teach in America, I always appreci-
ate very much that students are very assertive and very
open. Tey ask a lot of questions. Tey interact a lot
with the teachers. You never end with the material that
you intended. While at KU Leuven, typically, students
are very quiet and they seem to take everything you say
without too much criticism, as least in the [classroom].
I think the level of interaction is less here than in the
US, in my experience.
TN: I would certainly agree with that. I was alluding
more to the case where a student with more Marxist ideas
submitted a paper... In my experience, I think the response
from the professor might be quite diferent in the US ver-
sus here.
BMD: So you mean going against the ruling paradigm.
In that sense, I think Europe is maybe a little bit more
consensus-based. I allude here to a very interesting
observation by the American Ambassador in Brussels.
Last year, he opened his talk here with a statement
that, in his opinion, Belgium is the most unifed coun-
try in the world. Of course, the whole audience was
very surprised, because we think of Belgium as a coun-
try where there are many diferent opinions, where
there are many problems between North and South,
and so forth. But he claimed the opposite in the sense
that the intolerance for diferences in opinion is much
larger in America than it is in Europe in general.
I think maybe that is something that correlates with
what you said about how we are more open to dissent-
ing opinions. If you can argue for why you think some-
thing, then its acceptable. Its not necessary that the
professor agrees, but you have to defend yourself. And
maybe the professor is open to the dissenting opinion
provided you argue well.
TN: How might the diferent funding structure of univer-
sities in, lets say, the US versus some European countries
afect the education approach? In the US, the student is
often seen as the customer.
BDM: At frst thought, I would say I dont really
see any impact of the funding system on the level of
teaching. Maybe the quality control in American uni-
versities has an older tradition. When I was doing a
postdoc at Stanford about 20 years ago, the professors
there already had a regular evaluation of their teach-
ing performance, both by the university and by the
students. And it played a role in their promotion and
career. I think in Europe, we have only recently intro-
duced such a quality control system, but its not very
strict. Still lots of work to do there. Maybe the fund-
ing system in America has forced this quality control
because students pay a big tuition fee, and of course,
they tend to get quality in return. Tat has only started
recently at KU Leuven. It hasnt been for longer than
10 years that professors here have been evaluated reg-
ularly on an individual basis.
TN: And is there any infuence from potential employers?
BDM: On the one hand, here in Europe and especially
in Belgium, we insist on academic freedom, which ba-
sically means that the university and the professors de-
cide on the content of the courses. We are very much a
kind of supply-driven university, in the sense that the
professors determine the content of courses. At this
moment, I have the impression that other stakehold-
ers, such as the employers, dont have any input at all
in the content of courses. I personally would prefer
that there be a little bit more interaction between the
stakeholders in society and the people that defne the
content of the courses. Te ultimate decision of the
content should still lie with the university and faculty.
TN: Last question, do you have any tips or advice for in-
ternational students who are coming here from diferent
education systems? Any comforting words to help them
through the anxieties of the diferent education approach?
BDM: My main advice would be to try to talk to the
local students, because they know the culture. Tey
know the advantages and disadvantages. Tey know
the benefts and the risks. Its my impression that stu-
dents coming from abroad could gain quite a lot by
really talking to local students from the beginning. By
local, I mean the students from Flanders who have
been educated in the system here.
However, our students should also be more open to
foreign students, because as a vice rector, Im a lit-
tle bit concerned about the relatively large distance
between our local students and those coming from
abroad. Sometimes there is a sort of segregation, when
students only interact with their own kind. We need
to really invest in what we call interculturality. We
have taken some measures to stimulate that. Te ef-
fort should come both from the local students and the
students here from abroad, especially when it is about
the teaching system and the evaluation system. I think
they know very little about each other in that respect,
and they can learn quite a lot if they start interacting
on that, among other things, from the frst day on.
TN: Actually, the theme for our February issue will be the
internationalization efort at KU Leuven, so Im sure we
will be in touch. Tank you.
What Have You Found Surprising About Exams at KUL?
When I lived in America, school started earlier
in the day and as a result, it ended in the early
afternoon. In the States there are also a lot more
choices in electives! Here in Belgium, its more
academic with less creative courses. For example,
in the States you could be part of the band or
orchestra, or even part of the choir. I also noticed
that in the States, I barely had to study for my
classes and I would still pass them with fying
colors. Here in Belgium the education level is
quite high, they expect you to know a lot more.
~American student studying photography
Teres a lot of pressure from my parents, class-
mates, and teachers to get the highest scores on
tests and exams. We have to study a lot all the
time. When I came to Belgium I saw that stu-
dents dont worry as much about having the high-
est points in the class, but were more concerned
about just passing the exams. Belgian students are
more satisfed with just passing the exams than
back in Vietnam. Tey also like to go to parties
more and drink a lot of alcohol.
~Vietnamese student studying electronic engineering
First of all, there is a big culture shock when
arriving here in Belgium. Students here like to
party a lot and drink a lot. Tey spend less time
studying during the semester and as a result
they cram everything for the exams a few weeks
or even days before the exams. It is completely
diferent than in China. Chinese students are
constantly studying throughout the year. We dont
go out partying or drinking alcohol; after the
school day is fnished we continue studying in our
dorm rooms.
~Chinese student studying biochemical engineering
If youve studied in the Anglo-Saxon model,
Belgium is a shock. When I thought I would get
a failing grade, I got a high one, and when I ex-
pected a high one, I got a low one. One thing that
I dont like here is that not attending class doesnt
mean that youre going to miss anything. Where I
went to school, much of the learning happens in
the classroom. Te system in Iran is based on the
American model because it was designed in the
1960s.
~Iranian student studying anthroplogy
At my home university, you never do oral exams
for modules, and exams fnish earlier, so I dont
have to study during Christmas and New Years.
Here, most of my exams are oral exams, and I will
be studying during the Christmas holidays.
~Irish student studying social sciences
Safe travels!
~THE VOICE
Photo courtesy of Sara Rich
Exam Regulations
Navigating the maze that lies between you and your fnal grades.
By LOKO
T
he education and exam regulations (onder-
wijs- en examenreglement, or OER) of KU
Leuven is a set of important rules that students should
consider. Topics range from registration rights to
study progress, and to the successful completion of in-
dividual courses or an entire study programme.
Te OER consists of general articles and adden-
dums specifc to each faculty. Inter-university pro-
grammes have their own set of regulations, agreed
upon by the universities in question. Many faculties
also maintain special regulations regarding the mas-
ters thesis and Erasmus exchange.
Unfortunately, many students experience difcul-
ties when consulting the OER, which is available in
Dutch and English (link name: Regulations on Educa-
tion and Examinations 2012-2013)
It is a maze of articles flled with long sentences
and complex terminology that may leave you con-
fused, regardless of language. Furthermore, there are
special arrangements for international students (link
name: Special arrangements for international students).
Tis is why LOKO, the student body council of
KU Leuven, developed a summary of the OER in
Dutch (link name: LOKO Summary of OER in Dutch).
Its English translation is now available online (link
name: LOKO Summary of OER in English).
Tis article does not fully cover the OER or the
LOKO summary of it. Rather, it aims to highlight
some of the most important topics from a student
perspective, especially given upcoming exams. Stu-
dents who still have questions regarding the exams
after reading this article, the OER, and the LOKO
summary of it, should consult their ombudsman.
BEFORE AND DURING EXAMS
Last year, KU Leuven introduced the Individual
Exam Schedule (IES). In this new system, stu-
dents must register to participate in any given
exam. For some courses, multiple appointment
options are available. You can only choose one
per exam period. More information on how this
system works can be found online (link name:
English manual individual exam schedule).
Students always have the right to 20 minutes of
preparation for oral exams. In other words, oral
exams without a written preparation are not al-
lowed. If there are several lecturers in one course,
students have to be notifed in advance which
lecturer will be examining them.
Only students following a standard trajectory
are guaranteed an examination period with no
more than one examination per day for compul-
sory course units. International exchange stu-
dents are not considered to be students follow-
ing a standard trajectory.
No exam may last longer than four hours.
Dictionaries are not allowed. Either the exam is
given in an international language or the student
is supposed to understand Dutch well enough
to take the exam. In exceptional circumstances,
faculties grant the use of a dictionary, but stu-
dents should not assume this to be a right if not
specifcally mentioned.
In the case of irregularities (i.e., cheating), stu-
dents not only risk receiving a grade of zero for
the course, but also having their other results
for the academic year erased. Additionally, their
right to a resit may be withdrawn. If an exchange
or Erasmus student is caught cheating, KU Leu-
ven will notify their home university, who will
then decide on sanctions according to its own
system. Plagiarism in students tasks and assign-
ments is also punishable.
AFTER THE EXAMS
Grades
According to the scoring system, grades are
given on a scale of 20. A simple pass or fail is
very rare. Students have the right to succeed or
pass a course (i.e., obtain formal credit) if they
obtain a grade of 10 or higher. A students status
as an Erasmus student, however, does not af-
fect this scoring system. Erasmus students will
frst be graded as any other KU Leuven student
would be, but their home institutions may adapt
that KU Leuven grade to its own scoring system
(though students still retain the right to a formal
credit). Grades are rounded of as follows: from
0.1 to 0.4, grades are rounded down, and from
0.5 to 0.9, grades are rounded up.
Tere is a zero tolerance policy in masters pro-
grammes, meaning that a masters student cannot
receive a diploma if she fails any course. Tere is
some tolerance for bachelors programmes. More
information can be found online (link name:
Tolerance system).
Resits (Re-sits)
If you fail a course, you will have the possibility
to resit the exam during the third examination
period, which takes place in August/Septem-
ber. Exchange students may be allowed to resit
outside the ofcial exam period, while non-ex-
change international students are bound to the
ofcial period.
Feedback
Every lecturer needs to organize a collective and/
or individual feedback session during the frst
fve calendar days after the publication of the
exam results. Tis applies to exams of the frst,
second, and third examination periods. It is im-
portant that the feedback session of the January
exams does not take place within the subsequent
one-week break, or at a time when the students
have lecture.
Apart from this, students always have the right
to access their exams. Te request to access an
exam can be made after the examination period
in question, up until a month after the start of
the next academic year. Te university reserves
the right to request reasonable compensation for
providing a copy of exam documents.
What if students are not satisfed with the process?
In general, it is possible for you to lodge an appeal
against any decisions concerning your study progress.
Tis entails the approval of the ISP, application for
special permissions or exceptions, and decisions con-
cerning exams, among others.
In this case, students need to lodge an internal ap-
peal within fve calendar days (weekends included)
after publication of the exam results. Here are some
steps students could take.
Te student should access her exam documents.
Te student should then make an appointment with
the lecturer in question. Consulting the exam can ex-
plain how a student obtained the given result. Te lec-
turer can explain how the correction key was used and/
or give the student pointers for a possible resit (article
157 OER).
If the lecturer states that there has been a mistake
in grading and that the wrong exam result has been
passed on (i.e., mistakes in adding up grades, entering
wrong numbers), she will usually inform the chairman
of the examination committee of the correct result. If
the lecturer confrms that the exam result is correct,
the student can still lodge an internal appeal (article
157 OER ). However, before deciding to lodge an
internal appeal, the student may want to attempt an
informal appeal.
Informal appeal: In the case of an informal appeal,
the student emails the chairman of the examination
committee with a well-argued case for appeal. Stu-
dents should bear in mind that the chairmans formal
possibilities are limited. If the student does not agree
with the outcome of the informal appeal (meaning that
the student still believes the exam result is incorrect),
the student must lodge an ofcial internal appeal with
the Coordinator of Student Afairs. Tis also needs to
be done within fve calendar days after publication of
the exam results (article 166 OER ).
Internal appeal: Te student lodges an internal ap-
peal (i.e., a formal complaint) by emailing the Vice
Rector of Student Afairs. In this email, the student
again explains his situation clearly and provides as
many arguments as possible for their case. Te internal
appeal must be lodged within fve calendar days after
the publication of the exam results. If the ffth day is
part of a weekend, then the frst following Monday is
also allowed (article 166 OER ).
External appeal: Te last thing a student can do
when the internal appeal has been declared unfounded
is to appeal to the Council for Student Progression
Disputes. Tis appeal needs to be lodged by means of
a registered letter within fve days after the publication
of the result of the internal appeal, or after the period
of 15 days has expired without a decision resulting
from an internal appeal.
Drawing by Sara Rich Drawing by Sara Rich
T
he exam ombudsman is the intermediary be-
tween students and the exam administrator.
Its important for students to know when and for
what reasons they can contact the ombudsman. Here
is a summary of possible reasons.
Oversleeping or train/bus delay/strike (cases of force
majeure). You can still join the exam before 1/3 of
the exam is over, no matter what your reason for run-
ning late is. For example, if your exam takes 3 hours
and starts at 9h, you can still join until 10h. Cases of
force majeure will be handled separately by the om-
budsman, but you have to report them immediately.
Unregistering for an exam. If you decide you dont
want to take an exam on the planned date, you must
report this to the ombudsman. You dont have to give
a reason as to why you want to unregister. If you do
unregister, please report it. When you unregister, an-
other student having a problem has the option to
reschedule for your time slot. If you unregister for an
exam, you get an incomplete, and you have to retake
it during the summer.
Rescheduling exams. Rescheduling is only allowed if
you can present a good reason for it. Te ombudsman
decides if your reason is good enough, and he will
decide the date for your exam resit. Good reasons are
a serious illness or a recent death in the family. You
must be able to back this up with evidence such as a
doctors note or obituary. Te doctors note should be
written by an independent doctor. You may still have
to take the exam during the summer.
Its also possible that you have an overlap in your
exams. If that is the case, you may also reschedule
your exam, but you must do this before the deadline
(which varies depending on the faculty).
Exam facilities/adapted exam method. Students who
cannot take the exam via the planned exam method
due to a physical or psychological condition, and
who need additional support, may request this sup-
port from the ombudsman. You will need a certif-
cate from Study Advice Service to request diferent
exam facilities. A copy should be delivered to the
ombudsman.
Spreading exams. Exam spreading may be ofered to
working students, top althletes, student artists, stu-
dents who combine two programmes, and students
with a medical condition or disability. Tose fall-
ing into the above categories may request that their
exam dates be moved if necessary.
Who is your ombudsman? Every faculty has a difer-
ent ombudsman, and there are diferent ways to con-
tact him. A list of the ombudsman for each faculty is
available online (link name: Ombudsman). Keep the
contact details of your faculty ombudsman safe. You
never know when you might need them.
The Ombudsman: Your Facilitator of Exam Logistics
By Evelyne Van Hecke
Professor-Student Relationships: Proceed with Care
By Neil Simons
I
n general and absolute terms, suggesting that
the relationship between professor and student
is formal, cold, and characterized by distance would be
a bit too far. But its certainly not impossible to have
this impression when you enter a packed auditorium.
Lets remember that some auditoria can be quite large,
which is why lots of students avoid speaking up during
lectures. But if they are graded for class participation,
many students will try to overcome that fear.
Of course, the situation will difer depending on
whether you are in a masters or bachelors programme.
Its not the goal of this article to describe the relation-
ship between professor and student in a scientifc way.
Instead it will address two questions: 1) how should
you approach your professor with questions about
course material? and 2) what should you expect at an
oral exam?
Te exams are quickly approaching, and you might
still have some questions about the course material.
Te students who havent started yet will develop their
questions in the coming weeks. If you cant solve a
problem yourself, you can always try to look for a solu-
tion with a fellow student. If this tactic also ofers no
solution, you can speak with the professor during the
break or after classes. Some professors will use the last
class to answer frequently asked questions. You do not
want to miss this class. Another possibility is emailing
the professor, but beware of question deadlines, espe-
cially if you email the professor after your fnal class. In
some cases, your point of contact is the teaching assis-
tant. Also, check out Toledo as there might be a forum.
During classes, you can always raise your hand and
ask for an explanation. Tis will indicate to the profes-
sor that she or he might have spoken too quickly, or
that his/her wording wasnt clear enough.
What should you expect from the professor dur-
ing an oral exam? Firstly, dont worry about being
confronted by an unfriendly professor. Sometimes you
might get the impression that the professor isnt inter-
ested in what youre saying, but you can be sure that
she or he is critically reviewing your answer. My advice
is to focus on your presentation, and dont worry (yet!)
about what the professor is thinking.
B
oth the Housing Service and Social Service
support international students when they
have practical and emotional issues related to living
in Leuven. Additionally, students also have access to
the Study Advice Service, which can help them with
practical and emotional issues related to their studies.
Every year, our ofce sees international students strug-
gling with their studies and exams. Often this is due to
cultural diferences in the approach here at KU Leuven
versus the approach in their home country.
Study Advice Service supports students by explain-
ing how the academic system of KU Leuven works,
coaching them on how to improve their academic
skills or deal with school anxiety and stress, and by giv-
ing students career guidance. Apart from the website,
we do this by meeting students in our ofce by ap-
pointment, or especially in the frst semester, by hold-
ing workshops and information sessions. Te following
captures much of what we explain in our annual ses-
sion on exam preparation.
One of the most important things to understand
about exams at KU Leuven is the universitys philoso-
phy and its focus on meta-knowledge (abilities), which
pushes students to think beyond provided knowledge
(facts). Knowledge entails knowing the right solution,
memorizing, and being familiar with repeated situa-
tions. Meta-knowledge and critical thinking skills,
however, are developed through problem-solving, re-
fection, research, and exposure to new situations that
make students question what they know. KU Leuven
values knowledge creation over repetition.
Accordingly, the universitys exam approach refects
this philosophy. Exams may be oral or written (in an
exam room) or a course paper (written at home). Tis
is generally indicated in the course description when
students select their courses. Given diferences in edu-
cation philosophy across cultures, specifc exam types,
and minimal information given about the exam con-
tent can lead international students to feel confused,
anxious, and stressed about how they will be tested.
For logistical issues and regulations, students pri-
mary contacts related to their studies, exams, and grad-
ing will be their ombudsman. Students should contact
Study Advice Services for difculties with the prepa-
ration of exams or exam format. Tere are other sup-
port services such as the Medical Centre, which has
an exam service with consultation hours and telephone
access for emergencies (016 32 44 20, available in Eng-
lish). Te Social Service is also there when students
just need a sympathetic ear. Tese contacts and more
can be found online (link name: Study Support).
Testing, Testing
Study Advice Service sheds light on KU Leuvens exam style,
with students sharing tips and strategies for success.
By Karel Joos, Study Advisor, Study Advice Service
When a Flemish student leaves the exam room,
and he thinks it was a failure, he will say, dat is een
buis. It literally means that was a pipe.
Photo courtesy of Evelyne Van Hecke
Oral exams are given in a classroom or in the pro-
fessors ofce. Students should bring paper and a pen.
Normally there are no food or mobile phones allowed
during an oral exam. Some oral exams are open book,
while others are closed book. Generally, students are
given 2-3 questions on individual cards. Questions
may vary from knowledge tests to exercises that require
knowledge application. Sometimes only one question
is given for students to prepare with the understand-
ing that there will be 1-2 additional, smaller questions
given while they are being tested by the professor.
Preparation time can vary as well. In the human
sciences, 30 minutes is a typical period. In the exact
sciences, up to four hours may be allotted for prepara-
tion. Te oral exam with the professor may last about
15 minutes. Another variation of the oral exam is one
combined with a written paper. Students write a paper,
bring it to the exam, and present it to the professor.
In the oral exam discussion, frst the student ex-
plains what she or he has prepared, though some-
times a professor may just read the students written
preparation. Ten the professor may then ask one or a
few additional questions. Quite often, it is almost im-
possible to guess the reason why she or he asks these.
For example, perhaps the student was wrong, and the
professor wants to suggest the right answer. Or the
professor may be hinting that the students answer was
good, and she or he wants to check whether the stu-
dent has a deeper understanding in order to give a bet-
ter grade. Generally, the average KU Leuven professor
will not visibly reveal his appreciation and defnitely
not the grade she or he has in mind. Students should
expect that they will have hardly any clue as to the
grade for their oral exam. Even when a professor halts
the student and says this is okay, it does not necessar-
ily mean that the student has passed.
Some tips:
Students shouldnt dress too casually. A profes-
sor considers an oral exam as an ofcial situation,
though this is interpreted diferently in difer-
ent faculties. In law, engineering, and economics,
students can expect a more strict dress code than
in social sciences and philosophy.
If a question is not understood at frst, students
can buy some time by repeating the question or
paraphrasing the question. Tey could analyze
the question and even reformulate diferent parts
of the same question.
Its important to be as structured as possible. A
chaotic or incoherent answer leads to a lower
score.
In general, it is best to consider an oral exam as
a sort of meeting in which one tries to convince
the other party at the table of ones understand-
ing, perspective, or argument. Being persuasive
and using non-verbal communication skills can
show ones motivation.
Te answer itself should be not a mere repetition
of what was memorized, nor a vague or too-gen-
eral presentation of the students personal point
of view, but rather a critical application of the
content of the course to new cases or situations.
Oral Exams
Do you break out in a cold sweat when you think of the exams? Are you dreading your one-on-one
time with a professor at breathing distance? With these tips, handling an oral exam will be a breeze!
When you pack your bag for an oral exam, dont forget two pens (in case one runs out of ink),
some tissues (in case you burst into tears), some water (to stay hydrated), and a healthy snack (for
when the exam runs late). If youre not too nervous, its always good to eat a piece of fruit, preferably
an apple because its good for your throat. Of course, you want to impress your professor, so wear
something appropriate. You dont have to look like youre going to a gala, but youre not going to the
football pitch either.
Nothing is more annoying than trying to remember that little footnote on p. 574, while another
student is stumbling over his words or trying to avoid answering the exam question. Thats why its
always handy to bring earplugs. The theory will pop up in no time, helped by the soothing tranquil-
ity in your head. Just dont forget to take them out before going to the professor You will have lim-
ited time to prepare, so try to write down keywords for your answer. Also try to write out your answer
in a solid structure, so youll be able to answer the question correctly. Most professors will wait for
you to finish your explanation. And if the unimaginable happens, and you dont know the answer,
just listen to the extra questions s/he asks you, and they will put you back on the right track. Profes-
sors might ask extra questions because they want to see how far your knowledge about the subject
extends. So if this happens, dont panic that the answer you gave is wrong - this is just normal pro-
fessor behaviour! Above all, try to stay calm during an oral exam. Professors were once in your place,
so they know the drill!
With these tips, youll be prepared for your first exams in Leuven! But of course, dont forget to
prepare and study!
~Valeri De Meester
Tips from A Student: Oral Exams
Written exams in the classroom may be in the
form of one or more essay questions (with handwrit-
ten responses) or it may be multiple choice. In the case
of essay questions, students must read the question
carefully. What is being requested: a comparison, a hy-
pothesis, a critical and argumentative evaluation, or a
case study? Identify keywords to include in the answer
and then develop the answer. Te more structured the
approach, the better.
A suitable structure for an essay would be as fol-
lows. First, for the introductory paragraph, students
should situate the topic of the question in a broader
context. Te body of the answer should be structured
with diferent paragraphs. In the fnal conclusion, stu-
dents should refer back to the introduction and state
clearly (perhaps even repeat) the answer to the ques-
tion.
Quite often a multiple choice exam has a pattern.
Tere are basically two concepts (or formulas or prin-
ciples or texts). Take for instance, the concepts Leu-
ven and Heverlee. A typical multiple choice question
would be this one: To which part of Leuven does the
house on Tervuursevest 167 belong? Te answer choic-
es may be a) Leuven b) Heverlee c) Tervuren. One
choice such as Tervuren can probably be eliminated
easily on the basis of common sense, but theres a very
specifc type of preparation (while studying) required
to solve the dilemma between the other two choices.
Memorization is usually not sufcient preparation
to correctly solve such a dilemma. Look for concre-
tizations (examples) of concepts and counterexamples
(i.e., trying to fnd the critical borders of a concept),
and compare diferent concepts or formulas. Using
these techniques will help students to solve these sorts
of questions.
Written Exams
Two days before I left Amsterdam to settle in Leuven, a friend of mine introduced me to an interest-
ing girl. All I had been able to talk about for the last few weeks was my relocation to Leuven and the new
programme I was going to follow there. The girl I met also studied in Leuven, and she was in the middle of that
hellish month of re-examination that takes place every August.
Its terrible. You study for at least 12 hours a day! Wait, what? I was expecting a laid-back life at a nice
Belgian university, drinking a lot of Stella Artois and most of all, enjoying life. I wasnt the only one most
internationals not only see their exchange as an addition to their resume, but they think of it as opportunity
to make new friends and see the surroundings.
Now that weve all had our share of parties and exploring over the semester, its time to get serious and
start studying. Every course requires a different kind of preparation, and the same is true for different
exams. When youre preparing for exams theres a big difference between multiple choice and essay exams.
First of all, a multiple choice exam often contains up to 50 questions, while an essay exam with open questions
may only have a few. A multiple choice format uses your knowledge in a passive way (you only need to recognize
the right answer), whereas an exam with open questions tests how active your knowledge is you have to start
writing from scratch.
When studying for a multiple choice exam, there are certain tricks that will help you get the best results.
Its best to work in three rounds: 1) answer the questions that you are sure of. Try to look for keywords that
might help you towards the right answer; 2) move on to the questions that leave you in doubt, but to which you
can exclude some answers; 3) take a look at the questions you just dont know.
Dont be too eager to fll everything in KU Leuven has this really cool thing called giscorrectie: when
you enter a wrong answer on a multiple choice exam, the grader will subtract some points from your correct
answers. Often a good answer will earn you 1 point, and a wrong one will cost you 1/3 point. The right attitude
is to answer every question that youve narrowed down to two options. You have a 50% chance of getting it
right and gaining 1 point, and a 50% chance of losing 1/3 point. But this is no reason to recklessly gamble! If
you have no clue what the right answer is, just dont answer it. You wont gain points, but youre not losing any
either! If youre taking one of the few exams without giscorrectie, then by all means, go ahead and gamble
your life away.
At the other end of the spectrum is an exam with open essay questions. The questions are often less spe-
cifc, but will require a well-structured answer. Dont do anything impulsive; you might end up with an answer
that covers only a part of the question and youll lose points or worse fail! Start writing down the frst
words that come to mind when reading the questions. Continue by making a little schedule with the structure
of your answers do they cover everything? Do they have the right style of writing? Divide the allotted time
between each question. You dont want to be short of time and unable to answer the question to which you had
the perfect answer. After answering everything, reread your answers, and make sure your essential thoughts
and the relationship between facts are clearly stated.
The most important thing is to study. Not only in the period before and during the exams, but also through-
out the year. Attend class, take notes, and do your weekly readings. After all, being a student is supposed to
be a full-time job!
~Ilja Postel
Tips from A Student: Multiple Choice Exams & Essay Exams
For an open book exam, you are allowed to bring course materials. Some professors even allow materials that you fnd on your own,
but you should always consider whether those extra materials are relevant and helpful. The examination time is limited and you may have
numerous exam questions, so you will not be in a position to re-read everything or to look up every detail.
If you have never experienced an open book exam, you might be tempted to set aside the course readings during the academic year
and holidays. Understandably, you might think, Why should I study if I have the material at my disposal during the exam? I made this
mistake once, and it was impossible to re-read everything. You will be under pressure. Its possible that the professor will ask you to look up
some details fom the course material, but dont expect easy questions if this happens. The quantity of questions will also demand a high
degree of familiarity with the material, so it will ofen be a race against time. Although it would not be difcult to look up certain details, it
can be very time consuming. In these cases, however, the professor wont ask you to apply your knowledge. There will be other more intellec-
tually challenging questions. The professor might give you essay questions where you have to apply and/or critically refect upon the course
material. And if you are under pressure, you will be glad that you thought through things when studying.
My advice is to study for an open book exam as if it were a closed book exam. Of course, you dont have to know every detail. But you
should have a frm basic knowledge, supported with some examples. Personally, I have had some open books exams that required more
work than I expected. Thats why I suggest that you prepare by reading and studying your material. It is also important to study with a
broad perspective, and afer awhile, you will be able to narrow down the main themes of your course material. At that point, you can take
the time to write down some critical remarks. Also, try to link diferent parts of the course material and synthesize it. To reach this level of
understanding, you have to invest some time in studying the material.
So in my opinion, never underestimate an open book exam. And never be afaid to stand up for your own opinion. But when you do,
always state your case with coherent and logical arguments.
~Neil Simons
Tips fom A Student: Exams That Are Open Book... A Piece of Cake?
Lab sessions, exercise sessions, and exams. In the scientifc felds, classes usually consist of lectures and lab sessions, or lectures and exer-
cise sessions. By the time you read this, you will hopefully already know some of the points in the next paragraph.
Lectures and labs usually consist of diferent lab sessions during the semester and a fnal exam at the end of the semester. The division of
grades depends on the professor. The fnal exam is usually more theoretical than practical, so in most cases, you wouldnt have to show the
skills that you learnt during lab sessions. The professor does expect you to understand the theory behind what you did in lab sessions. In
the case of lectures and exercise sessions, you will take a test during the year and a fnal exam at the end of the semester. Again, the divi-
sion in percentage is chosen by the professor. The test usually consists of exercises, and the exam is more theoretical. But you should still
prepare for exercises on the exam; in fact, exam exercises are usually more difcult than those on the test.
Oral exams. For some people, it might seem weird to have an oral exam for math and/or science courses because all you do is write down
formulas. During these oral exams, the professor wants to know if you understand what you are doing. You have to explain why you are
using that formula and not another one. Also, dont try to remember everything by heart. They will know if you dont understand what you
are saying. Its not the goal to remember as much as possible, but to understand the theory. How does it work?
Type 1: Everyone needs to arrive at the start of the exam. The professor gives a little explanation about the exam, and after thirty
minutes to one hour of preparation time, you can take your oral exam with the professor. The order will be something like frst
come, frst served, so the one who is ready frst can take the exam frst.
Type 2: The professor makes a schedule with all the students. He expects maybe 5 students per hour, then every student needs to
check what time she should arrive for the exam.
It is important to be there on time, so always check to fnd out when you are expected!
Open book exams. Personally, I fnd these exams to be the trickiest. Since you have your books with you, you may think that you dont
need to study for an open book exam. Wrong. The books are only used for reference. This means that you still need to understand the main
topic. Also, check what you can or cannot bring to the exam. It would be a pity if you were caught cheating because you brought something
illegal to the exam by accident - like a dictionary or programmable calculator.
Some tips and tricks
Stay hydrated (but not so much that youll need to go to the bathroom).
Do not eat a heavy meal before an exam. It will take too much energy to digest, and take away energy you can use for your exam.
Look up the exam room so you know how long it takes to get there.
Check if there are any last minute changes.
Dont forget your student card.
If you are running late, make sure you contact the exam ombudsman so you can still take the exam.
My experience is that exams usually last 3-4 hours long.
~Heleen Yu
Tips fom A Student: But I Study Math and Science...
Some courses require only a course paper that is
due on the standard date for all KU Leuven course
papers, or on a date determined by the professor. Te
professor often needs to frst approve the topic, then
students are free to write the paper throughout the se-
mester.
Writing a paper is a specifc study skill, but as with
essay questions, a good structure makes a huge difer-
ence. After the frst phase of library research, a student
ends up with a large number of articles and sources.
Students should consider organizing the research
into a working outline for the paper, preferably with a
number of keywords added to the lowest level of detail
in the outline. Tis is the start of a working document
that allows a student to rearrange, specify, adjust, and
change the structure and content of the paper without
loss of information. Once this outline is completed
with keywords, ideas, and article citation, the writing
process itself can start.
After grades are announced, it may be difcult for
students to understand how to interpret their per-
formance. For most international students, the frst
grades that they receive for KU Leuven exams may
not be what they expected based on their testing expe-
rience in other countries. Te grade chart in the fgure
shows an overview of diferent elements professors
profess to look for in an answer for a given grade. Tis
chart is based on grading essay questions, but it could
be applicable for other exam types.
If a student memorized the whole course without
a thorough understanding of it, or if a student has a
very superfcial knowledge of the course, the answer
will lead to a grade of 10, 11, or 12 out of 20. If there
is a gap in the knowledge, this could fall to a grade of
7, 8, or 9 out of 20. Te students frst goal should be to
know something of everything, which is much better
than knowing everything of only some chapters.
How can students achieve grades above 10-12? A
good structure in the answer can add a few points. Te
major diference is made by a deeper understanding
of the course. Tis means being able to illustrate con-
cepts, principles and formulas with ones own exam-
ples and counterexamples. It also means being able to
apply knowledge to concrete situations, to formulate a
hypothesis, and to gather arguments to support it. Tis
depth of understanding course content could lead to
13, 14, or 15 out of 20.
A very high result would be 17, 18, or 19 out of 20,
which is very rare. It is given only if the answer is really
surprising or remarkable compared to other students.
A 20 out of 20 is only given to 2 out of 1000 exams.
Te statistical average of exam results is a 12 out of 20.
Te grade chart also shows another type of grade
comparison, the European Credit Transfer and Ac-
cumulation System (ECTS), which is a framework
that was created to help students compare their scores
across grading scales in diferent European countries.
Te pass grades are ranked according to a curve, with
A refecting the top 10% and E refecting the bottom
10%. More background on this system can be found
online.
Grading System Chart. Explanation of KU Leuven grading scale.
How Was Your Exam Performance?
Here is how a professor in the Faculty of Social
Sciences explained the grading scale for course
papers to me. A grade of 14-15 is good. 16-17
is very good, so dont expect professors have
much feedback on it. 18 means professors wish
they had written it themselves. 20 is essentially
impossible because there is no such thing as a
perfect paper. And then I felt much better.
~American masters student
Course Papers
Chart courtesy of Study Advice Service
KU Leuven
Grade/Mark
Transcript
Equivalence
Usual US
Equivalent
ECTS (European
Credit Tarnsfer &
Accumulation System)
% of Students Your ExamAnswer
20 Outstanding A+ A 10% Exceptional, additional
analyses, additional
information
19
18
17 Very good A
16 B 25%
15 Good A- Own examples,
comparisons, critics,
applications
14 C 30%
13 Above average B
12 D 25% Structuring answer
11 Satisfactory B-C+ Memorizing literally,
basic understanding
10 C E 10%
8-9 Insufficient D Superficial knowledge
and comprehension
0-7 Very insufficient F Lack of knowledge and
comprehension
Success is a
lousy teacher.
It seduces smart
people into
thinking they
can t lose.
~Bill Gates
F
or many of us at KU Leuven, these upcoming
exams may be the frst we have ever taken in
English. Adverbs of time (when, since, eg.), vocabu-
lary words (Is it accept or except?) and the present con-
tinuous tense (I am reading these tips and dreaming of
beer...), start blurring together. I cant do this! you
may think. Im not ready to show my English to the
world!
First of all, relax. Heres a secret: your professors
most likely are not native English speakers either.
Tey may make the same mistakes you do in writ-
ing English. While proving how well you can write
is important, proving your original ideas and content
knowledge to your professors is even more important.
When youre writing a paper for your exams, re-
member these 7 common errors to make your Eng-
lish a 20/20. English grammar is far from simple, and
these are the mistakes that non-native English writ-
ers (and a few of us natives, too) tend to repeat most
often. So be aware of these 7 common mistakes, and
ruthlessly check your writing for them.
1. Verb tenses: Consistency is key. Make sure
you dont slip in and out of tenses choose
one and stick with it throughout the paper. In
academic English, we use the present tense
most often (In Document X, Author Y states
that increased alcohol consumption is positively
correlated with students ability to cope with
stress.) Using the present tense relays that the
cited authors argument is ongoing, that she
still believes this to be true, even if it was writ-
ten a hundred years ago.
2. Comparative and superlative adjectives: If
youre comparing diferent approaches or in-
terventions, remember the rules for compara-
tive and superlative adjectives. Words with
two or more syllables use more or most (e.g.,
more grandiose or most stupendous), while one-
syllable words (and a few two-syllable words)
add -er or -est sufxes to the word (e.g.,
spicier, where the adjectives y changes to an
i, or biggest, where the fnal consonant after a
short vowel is doubled).
3. Quotations: Unlike the example given in Tip
1, to quote an author in his/her own words,
put quotation marks - or inverted commas
( ) - around all direct quotes. Make sure your
punctuation goes inside the quotation marks
(She said, I love speculoos!). Whether excla-
mation point, comma, or period, the punctua-
tion always goes inside the quotation marks.
4. Count/non-count nouns: Nouns in Eng-
lish are either count or non-count. We can
count nouns like tree, answer, or correla-
tion. Tese nouns need the indefnite article
a(n) before them when they are singular (e.g.,
What a fascinating squirrel! or I need to xerox an
article.) Non-count, or mass, nouns like milk,
homework, and information dont need an
indefnite article (e.g., Is water a molecule? or
Information about building bombs can be found
on the Internet.) But when dividing non-count
nouns, indefnite articles are used (eg., a glass
of water or a piece of information).
5. Collective nouns: Tese are especially tricky
count nouns that fuster native English writ-
ers too. Words like team, government, or
family refer to a group of people or things.
Tey can be counted and pluralized, but in the
singular form, their corresponding verb can be
either plural or singular. In American English,
collective nouns are treated as singular (Our
team has won the tournament.), while in British
English (used more in the EU), they are usu-
ally treated as plural (Our team have won the
tournament.). As in Tip 1, the best tactic is to
choose one style and be consistent throughout
your paper.
6. Irregular plural nouns: I beg you, I beseech
you, read these words, and then forget them
for the rest of your life: persons, childs, foots,
womans, mans. When in doubt, just check the
dictionary.
And there you are! Read and write in English
with confdence, diligence, and intelligence!
Now wait just one minute! you may be think-
ing. You said 7 common mistakes in English!
True.
7. My English isnt good enough. Tink care-
fully about what you want to say, and then say
it, the best way you can. Nothing else matters
as much.
Aim for 20/20 English
7 common mistakes in English, native speaker or not.
By Sarah Jenkins
Everything bows to success, even grammar.
~Victor Hugo
A
month of examsits not easy to survive that.
Pages and pages are waiting to be marked,
read, summarized...and studied. Faced with a series of
exams, students often wonder, What questions will
they ask and will I be able to answer them? Did I
pass? or Tat went badly, oh my, oh my.
Yes, its a stressful period. So, we thought we would
give you some tips to keep you as relaxed as possible.
Relax, take it easy. But not too easy. Find a mo-
ment to relax every day. Te best way to relax during
exams is by exercising, preferably outside. You will see
that studying goes a lot better
after a little exercise.
If you feel like you are
wasting too much time go-
ing to a sports lesson or the
gym, then maybe this is a
golden tip: check out where
your exam rooms are and go
and search for them during a
break from studying. Tere,
you have had your exercise and
some fresh air too. When the
exam day fnally arrives, you
will not have to worry about
fnding the exam room. You
already know where it is and
how much time you need to
get there. You will only have to
stress over your exam.
Its not a good idea to lock
yourself up in your room to
study for a month. Humans
are social creatures, and we
need contact with others. Go
and study with some friends in
one of the public study places
(check out the article about
the study places in Leuven).
Take breaks together at times
you set beforehand. If you do
this with friends from your
faculty, you can also complain together about how
hard the subject matter is, and how low your motiva-
tion is. In that way, you can get the frustration out
of your system. You could also explain some things to
each other when you get really stuck, which will ease
your mind a little.
Furthermore, its estimated that your brain can
only concentrate for two hours. After that, you need
a 15-minute break. During that break, your brain also
has time to process what you have been studying.
Do something you enjoy. Tis is diferent for eve-
rybody, but make sure it doesnt ask too much of your
brain. Reading comics, watching TV, or playing Face-
book games may not be the best options. Take a walk,
a bath or shower, do yoga, dance in your underwear to
your favourite song, skip rope do whatever activity
that best vents your brain.
Leave your study space for that activity. In that
way, you are also in diferent surroundings, which you
dont associate with hours of sitting and memorizing.
But dont take too long a break, or you risk not being
able to get started again.
Avoid late night study sessions. Your brain needs
rest during this demanding
period, so go to bed on time.
When you have had enough
rest, you can handle the stress
a lot better. Try to keep your
sleeping pattern consistent.
Go to bed and wake up at the
same time. Tis will improve
your rest, your concentration,
and probably your answers
too. Enough rest goes hand
in hand with good planning.
Zen food
You are what you eat, and
when you eat stress-reducing
food, you can become more
relaxed during the exams.
Make sure you add these
three ingredients to your
diet.
Vitamin C: Found in
fresh vegetables (red pepper,
tomato, e.g.) and fruits (kiwi,
lemon, e.g.). Vitamin C pills
are also advisable during the
exams, which you can buy in
Kruidvat or Colruyt.
Vitamin B: Also found in
fruits and vegetables, along-
side wholegrain products and
nuts. Buy the student trail mix (dried fruit and nuts),
and eat from it every day. A vitamin B defciency can
often bring with it symptoms of stress, anxiety, and de-
pression. Vitamin B pills are advisable during exams,
and you can also buy them in Kruidvat or Colruyt.
Dark chocolate: It has tryptophan, magnesium,
favonoids, and antioxidants, which all help reduce
stress. So reward yourself with a square of the purest
Belgian chocolate after an exam or a hard study day. It
will do you good. But beware: if its not dark chocolate,
the lipids and sugar may do you more harm than good.
Keeping A Cool Head
Ways to manage your stress and relax during the exam period.
Photo courtesy of David de Vaal
Consume in moderation
Takeout or frozen food: Best to stay away from
them. We know its tempting to go for takeout or a
microwave meal, but these meals can have a disastrous
efect on your stress levels. So try to avoid it.
Cafeine: You can fnd cafeine in, for example,
cofee, soft drinks, and energy drinks. Cafeine might
keep you awake, but it can also amplify feelings of
anxiety and stress. Every year a number of students
have to go to the hospital because they have had too
many energy drinks while trying to survive the exams.
Too much cafeine can cause acute heart problems,
even when you are still young and healthy.
First aid when having a meltdown
Sometimes the pressure is too great, especially
when you are about to enter an oral exam with that
nutty professor, known for his hard questions. If you
feel a panic attack or blackout coming on, then this
exercise might help you keep it together and reduce
your stress level:
Breathe deeply in and out a couple of times, until
your breathing is calm and relaxed.
Breathe out and count to one at the same time.
Te next time you breathe out, count to two, then
to three... until fve. Ten repeat the cycle.
If your thoughts are becoming too negative and
you cant motivate yourself to study anymore, then we
advise that you talk to someone. If you dont want to
bother your friends during exams, you could visit Pan-
gaea. Tere are always people in the lounge you could
chat with. You could also try talking to someone from
LOKO International or the Pangaea ofce.

Getting up each morning
It might sound corny
I make myself coffee
The smell sets me free
Free from my sleepy ways
My mind walking out of this maze
Stepping into the daylight lumber
Saying goodbye to the nighttime slumber
Mindfulness, awareness, and thought
An army of tools to use
Within the mind you part
Social life and fuse
Notes and books with brain
Forcing information from the past
Into just a fraction of that frame
Peace and fuel at long last
Scores best on exams
By Alexandria Somirs
Coffee
Santuary for the Mind
Seen any notable kots or student apartments? THE VOICE wants to see how students have creatively made a
home away from home for themselves.
Please email us a photo of any student room/studio (in Belgium), along with a description. For this February
contest, only current students of KU Leuven and associated schools may submit a photo. You must personally
own the photo. If its not your room or there are other individuals in the photo, we need to directly receive
their permission to be published.
JANUARY 1 DEADLINE to email your photo to thevoice@loko.be. Hint: photos in the spirit of our February
magazine theme of internationalization at KU Leuven will have an advantage for the Editors Pick. Have
fun!
THE VOICE will be holding monthly photo contests (primarily to amuse ourselves as we write articles for
you)! We will post submissions in our Facebook Photo Album. To track/beat the competition, be sure to Like
our Page and invite your friends to do so too. The Fan Favorite winner will be selected based on the photos
fans (i.e., # of Likes), and the Editors Pick will be selected by our editorial team. Both will be published in
colour. Only students, alumni, and staff of KU Leuven and associated schools are permitted to vote.
February Edition Photo Contest
Home Away From Home
Te university libraries
Te university has a lot of libraries. You can fnd them
online (link name: Libraries). However, Leuven has a
lot of students too, so during exams the libraries are
always packed. If you cannot to fnd a place in your
favourite library, you could always try these alterna-
tive places to study, where hopefully you can blok for
courses with ample table space.
Te best way to get a spot in the library is to go early in
the morning, or ask friends go early and kindly reserve
a spot for you. Te bribes you would have to ofer your
friends are up to you to fnd out.
Pangaea
Pangaea has a study room. Te beneft of studying
here is that you can get free cofee and tea while you
study, if you have a membership card and mug. Te
downside is that while you are studying, you might be
tempted to hang out in the bar with people who have
their break or dont have exams, instead of going back
to your books. So you need to be disciplined when you
study here.
Location: Vesaliusstraat 34
LOKO International/ESN & THE VOICE
Tey dont have a lot of space, but if they can help
someone out, they will. Its in Pangaea, so when the
study room is full you can always ask at LOKO In-
ternational if they have a spot left for you. Te ofce
will be used a lot less during exams, as everyone will be
in exams, so feel free ask for a spot here during ofce
hours. Also, you can always pass by the ofce to get
some motherly care and support from the staf.
Location: Vesaliusstraat 34
LOKO
LOKO, the student body council, opens its doors
to students to come and study. All the student rep-
resentatives are in exams too, so the ofce can feel a
bit empty. So you are welcome to study at the LOKO
Central Ofce.
Like the International ofce, you can always pass by
to get some motherly care and support from the staf.
Location: s Meiersstraat 5
University Parish (UP)
Te University Parish also has a study room. During
the exams, they increase their capacity for some lost
souls who cant fnd a library.
Location: Tiensestraat 124
Public Library Tweebronnen
Te public library is a piece of protected architecture
of the Belgian modernist style. You can study and read
quietly throughout the year here, but during exams
they increase their capacity. Tere is also a nice little
tavern in the library where you can go to relax with a
drink from time to time.
Location: Rijschoolstraat 4
University Hall
If you want to breathe in some history while you
study, then the University Hall could be your alter-
native study spot. In the halls, some study places are
installed to accommodate more students beginning
mid-December.
Location: Naamsestraat 22
Alma
During Christmas break, all libraries will be closed. At
that point, the Alma cafeterias can be your alternative
study spot.
Locations: Alma 1 (Tiensestraat 115), Alma 2 (Van
Evenstraat 2C), Alma 3 (Steengroevenlaan 3, 3001
Heverlee)
Tis isnt a complete list, so if you fnd another alter-
native to the library, you can let us know by sending an
email to thevoice@loko.be. Well post it on our web-
site to make sure that the rest of Leuven can discover
it too. Or if you prefer, you can keep it a secret.
Study Spots Around Town
In Flemish the verb for studying
hard is blokken. Te period of study
at the uni is called the blokperiode.
Photo courtesy of Sara Rich
Time for A Beer Exam
Get to know beer and maybe it will replace your coffee.
By Gijs Van den Broeck
A
n article about beer in an exam issue? Crazy
Belgians and their crazy beer habits, you
must think! Not only do they have more beer varie-
ties than they have friends on Facebook, but their
most famous beers are brewed by monks. Not to
mention the strange drunken singing party they call
a cantus, which holds more rituals and rules than the
average sect meeting. And they even dare to start
talking about beer in an exam issue!
Let me explain. Beer is, or at least can be, a se-
rious business. Besides the business of capital gain,
beer brewing has been brought to such heights in
this little country that it can be called one of the fne
arts. So it can also be the object, not only of late night
debaucheries, but also of serious studies and articles
as well. In fact, our own KU Leuven ofers a course
on beer brewing in the Masters programme of bio-
engineering. Te university even holds the most im-
portant collection of yeast varieties used by Belgian
brewers.
So that is what we will do in this article, and in
the following articles of this series in THE VOICE.
I will try to introduce you to some of Belgiums fnest
beers. I cant say all because there are just too many.
In learning about this aspect of Belgian culture, you
can return home and tell your parents that, although
you got drunk almost every night, you still learned
some very valuable stuf and that you became a real
beerologist. I myself, for example, indulged in many
late night debaucheries, but it was only when I did
my frst real beer tasting and started to learn more
about Belgian beers, that I really started to appreciate
beer. I found out that beer can be more than just a
quick way towards ephemeral satisfaction.
Belgian beers, so I found out, come in all forms
and sorts (and glasses!). In a way, they are like wom-
en. Tere are the regular girl next door type of lager
beers, or pils like Stella Artois or Jupiler. Tere are
also sweet as candy kriek beers and other fruit beers.
Some of them, like the white beer Hoegaarden, have
the fairest and lightest tan youve ever seen.
But there are also beers with just that little extra
body and depth. Some of them may seem unappetiz-
ing at frst, but once you get to know them, you will
really start to like them. Some of them are blonde
(e.g., most of the tripel beers) and are often a bit bit-
ter (try Hopus or Duvel Triple Hop). Some of them
are brunettes (e.g., most of the dobbel beers) who
sometimes have an unexpected hint of sweetness (try
Rochefort, which I love the most, or Broeder Jacob).
Some of them are redheads (amber beers, like Palm
or Zonnegemse Zot) and can be surprisingly sour
(be sure to try Rodenbach, or all the geuze beers).
You even have some black beauties as well (try out
Wolf 8 or Tumulus Nera).
Be sure to fool around with all of them. Te best
places to pick them up in Leuven are the beer bars
Fiere Margriet, De Metafoor, and the M-Museums
caf, or beer store ABC Drinks. And if you get turned
down (or of) by one, do not worry. Tere are plenty
of fsh in the sea. In the coming issues, we will give
you some more tips and tell you all about beers that
are easily seduced or just hard-to-get. Tat way, you
will know which ones to take home with you! Oh,
and one last thing: it is scientifcally proven that one
(but not more than one) glass of beer has the same
reactivating efect as a cup of cofee. So do not let the
exams make you too chaste.
Photo copyrighted by Ivan Vander Biesen
A Strange Balance
Studying and celebrating in the dead of winter.
By Sara Rich
F
or those of us who previously operated on a dif-
ferent schedule, studying for exams over winter
break may seem anti-climactic at best, or frustrating at
worst. On one hand, two weeks without classes might
open up a generous window of time to catch up on
research, organize notes, and write those term papers.
On the other hand, some of the western worlds most
important holidays occur in or around that same win-
dow of opportunity.
To celebrate these winter holidays, many students
go home. Of course for us internationals, that could
mean a long trip through busy airports, followed by
trains, buses, or taxis, just so we can join our family
and friends in the festivities. Clearly, we have to pri-
oritize, and to take full advantage of those time slots
on the plane or train to prepare for the exams waiting
around the corner of the New Year. But at the same
time, celebrating these holidays is something steeped
in our cultures, maybe even in our individual psyches,
so a careful balance has to be maintained.
Why are these winter holidays so important? Why
has tradition indicated them as critical markers in
time? For one, each of these holidays has been cel-
ebrated for centuries, and in a few cases, millennia. So
the fact that our ancestors kept these traditions inher-
ently makes them important to us as individuals, as a
family, and as a community.
For those of us who might be a little more es-
tranged from the traditions of our ancestors, winter
holidays still ofer something valuable for our psyches.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the months of Decem-
ber and January are marked by cloudy skies, rain, snow,
and bitterly cold temperatures pushed around by a re-
lentless North Wind. In Belgium, the gray skies seem
to last for months, and this dogged haze coupled with
short daylight hours (dusk at 4:30 pm) often result
in what the locals call de winterdepressie - the winter
blues.
International students might even be more sus-
ceptible to winterdepressie than locals because we dont
have the same social network or comfort zone estab-
lished here that we do in our fatherland, where we can
speak freely in our mother tongue. Adding the pressure
to study and write just adds insult to injurious feelings
of isolation. So it becomes doubly important to make
time for festivities - and if youre not going home for
the holidays, there are plenty of celebrations here in
Belgium (ancient and modern) to lift your spirits and
ofer a safe, warm diversion from that grey sky and
moments to re-collect before returning to the books.
Te holiday season here began with Sinterklaas on
6 December. Sinterklaas celebrates the reported birth-
day of Saint Nicholas, the 3rd c. AD bishop of Myra
in Turkey. Tis Catholic saint arrives on the rooftop
with his magical fying horse, slides down the chim-
ney, and drops presents into the childrens shoes that
were left drying by the freplace overnight. Sinterk-
laas is accompanied by several Moorish Zwarte Pi-
eten, whose origins are as curious as their character.
By some accounts Black Pete was a chimney sweep
coloured dark by ash, but according to other sources,
the assistants - who collect naughty children in a sack
and take them to Spain - may refer to slavery in the
Suriname and Antilles. Tey also share some qualities
of the nighttime horror boogeymen of other Ger-
manic traditions, who likewise collected naughty chil-
dren in cloth bags and disposed of them. Although the
tradition of Zwarte Piet would be seen as a tasteless
joke in North America, children across the Lowlands
embrace the black-faced assistants for their generous
giving of candy. Te costumes and parades make this
holiday a visual feast for grown-ups, too.
Hannukah (begins 25 Kislev, 8 Dec. this year) cele-
brates the eight days of rededication of Jerusalems 2nd
Holy Temple after the Revolt of the Maccabees re-
corded in the 2nd c. BC. Seleucid King Antiochus IV
looted the temple and outlawed Judaism, and it took
10 years of revolts before Jews in Jerusalem were able
to cleanse and liberate their temple of Seleucid forces
and rededicate it. Instead of one bottle per night, the
single bottle of unspoiled lamp oil left in the temple
lit the sacred menorah continuously for eight days and
nights. Te miracle allowed just enough time to have
new olive oil pressed and purifed for temple use. Te
name Hannaukah means the dedication, but it is also
called the Festival of Lights. Te menorahs central
candle is called the shamash (meaning sun), referring
to the light that never stops shining, and this candle
is used to light the others. One of the eight candles of
the menorah is lit at each nightfall beginning on the
frst day of Hannukah. Te giving of money and gifts
during Hannukah reminds children of Jewish free-
dom coinciding with the temples rededication over
2,000 years ago, when Jews were allowed to coin their
own money. It also serves as a reminder of the value
of charity.
Winter solstice (ca. 21 Dec.) has been the most
widely celebrated winter holiday since the earliest of
times. Scientifcally speaking, the winter solstice here
is when the earths Northern Hemisphere is most dis-
tant from the sun, resulting in the shortest day of the
year. Te next day after the solstice, daytime becomes
increasingly longer, so its no wonder this event has
been so widely celebrated. In the Germanic countries,
Yule was the winter solstice celebration, which lingers
in the form of the Yule Log in modern Christmas fes-
tivals (see below). Yule honored Oden (Woden), with
whom St. Nicholas was assimilated in the Middle
Ages. St. Nick and Oden both had fying horses and
long beards, so their legends were easily conjoined.
Variously, the Anglo-Saxons celebrated Modraniht
(Mothers Night) and honored women collectively.
Yule and Modraniht both featured animal sacrifce,
but only the blood was for the gods the meat was
eaten by the villagers, who washed it down with plenty
of ale. To name a few, the solstice also marks Yalda,
the birthday of Persian Mithra, god of truth, light,
and friendship the dawn of a new beginning; Pan-
cha Ganapeti is the 5-day Hindi festival to celebrate
Ganesha, god of arts and culture; and Zuni and Hopi
Native Americans celebrate Soyal, a 16-day festival of
purifcation before the sun begins its return journey
from winter slumber.
Christmas (25 Dec.) is certainly the most well-
known of the Christian holidays. It celebrates what
is traditionally accepted as the birth of Jesus Christ,
the Christian messiah and son of God. But at the core
of Christmas, there is a lot of fusion with other tradi-
tions. Examples include St. Nicholas Day, to include
gift-giving via the chimney, and Oden-worship, to
include the Christmas Tree. Because Early Christians
in the Roman Empire understood Jesus to be akin to
a solar deity, the celebration honoring his birth was
assimilated with the existing birthday celebrations of
the Roman sun god, Sol Invictus, the unconquerable
Sun, who was also born on 25 December. As for the
mistletoe, the plant was seen as a symbol of love and
fertility from Scandinavia to Babylon, and in English-
speaking countries, it is still common to sneak a kiss
underneath the mistletoe, as a promise of love in the
following year. In general, evergreen plants like fr or
spruce Christmas trees, mistletoe, and holly used in
Christmas decorations hearken back to the days of
Yule, when the holiday was focused on the promise of
the rebirth of life in the coming spring.
Te New Year (31 Dec. 1 Jan.) cycles in at this
time according to the Roman Julian and the modern
Gregorian calendars. In Rome, this was the day dedi-
cated to the two-faced god Janus, god of doors, gates,
time, and new beginnings he is also the months
namesake. And so the tradition of shedding the old
bad habits and beginning with a revised self (read:
New Years Resolution) is over 2,000 years old. Pre-
christians in 7th c. AD Flanders celebrated New Year
by gift-giving and making dolls out of corn husks to
honor the Corn Mother (or Old Woman) and the
last phase of the corn harvest. Although freworks
and champagne are one of the most popular ways of
ringing in the New Year at midnight on 31 December,
many western cultures also embrace the New Years
kiss to ensure a year of love.
Here in Flanders, its called driekoningen or Tree
Kings, but Epiphany (ca. 6 Jan.; Greek for manifes-
tation) is the Western Christian celebration of the
manifestation of the Christ child as the son of God.
According to Roman Catholicism and other Chris-
tian groups, this was when the Tree Wise Men, or
Magi, followed the Star of Bethlehem westward to-
ward the newborn Jesus. As tokens of their homage,
they gave gold as a symbol for royalty, frankincense
for divinity, and myrrh for death and resurrection.
Eastern Orthodox traditions prefer to acknowledge
Teophany (ca. 19 January; Greek for vision of God),
or the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, as the mo-
ment when Gentiles realized that Jesus was Gods son.
Dates, names, and signifcance is not always agreed
upon between facets of Christianity, but whether cel-
ebrated separately or together, Epiphany and/or Te-
ophany can involve feasting, processions, liturgical
music (Vespers), and blessings of water (baptism) and
house (earthly life and family). Here in Belgium on
driekoningen, people open up doors and windows for
good luck, and you might receive visitors in the form
of three singing, costumed children at your door, in
which case you should ofer some candy or coins.
On 18 January, Muslims around the world will
celebrate Mawlid, the birthday of the prophet Mu-
hammad in Mecca during the late 6th c. AD. Te frst
observances of his birthday are from the 8th c., when
the house where the prophet was born was turned into
a prayer room, and the oldest Mawlid texts date back
to the 12th c. Te early celebrations included torchlit
processions, sermons, animal sacrifce, and a feast. In
all these centuries, the Islamic tradition has not greatly
changed. Modern celebrants still tell stories of the life
of Muhammad, decorate mosques and homes, make
charitable donations, and organize fantastic street
processions. Unique among the worlds major reli-
gions, Muslim holidays rely on a purely lunar calendar
(called Hijri Qamari), so the annual holiday falls on
either the 12th (Sunni) or 17th (Shia) of the month
of Rabi al-Awwal.
Coinciding with the lunisolar Chinese New Year,
the Carnival or Mardi Gras (8 Feb. this next year)
celebrations mark the end of winter. For Christians,
especially in the Catholic tradition, this is the day be-
fore the start of Lent, which honours the forty-day
fasting period that Jesus endured before delivering
the Sermon on the Mount, and during which time
Satan took the opportunity to tempt him with some
worldly delights. Christians give up a luxury (alcohol,
meat, chocolate, ...) for forty days to show gratitude
for the sacrifces Jesus made. But before the period of
fasting, comes one day of feasting. Fat Tuesday is the
last chance for debauchery for the next forty days, so
celebrations involve food, drink, dancing, costumes,
parades, and in general, a much-needed release of hu-
man desire and emotion after a long, cold winter, and
before a long period of deprivation. Stay tuned next
month, when THE VOICE will celebrate Carnival,
international-style.
Trough this same holiday period, we can also
warm ourselves with Glhwein, knickknack shopping
and colorful tableaux at the Kerstmarkten located
around Belgium. Many of these last through the New
Year, with Christmas Markets in Antwerp, Brussels,
and Oostende ending after the frst week of January.
We at THE VOICE wish you a vrolijk kerst-
feest, happy Hannukah, merry Mawlid, wonder-
ful winter solstice, and all the best for the New
Year. And at the same time, we wish you much
success in exam preparation, and maintaining
that tricky balance between studying and cel-
ebrating in the dead of winter.
Need a paper, CV, or grant application edited? Native
English speaker with 9 years copyediting experience
& student rates. Sara Rich: pushpull555@gmail.com
English translater/copywriter/proofreader. From
Dutch to English translations.
Alexandria Somirs: ausiebelgedok@hotmail.com
Fashion line Ethnography was created to celebrate
diversity and fght fashion elitism. Fabrics are fair
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