Here you can find some detailed information on how academics work at KU Leuven and how VTK can help you. This way you are fully prepared to start your student life at the KU Leuven!
Academics and practicalities: surviving your studies at KU Leuven
Stuvo
Stuvo (short for Studentenvoorzieningen) is KU Leuven’s dedicated Student Services department, designed to support you in both your studies and daily life at the university. They offer a wide range of sevices from social & financial support, psychological counseling, study coaching & advice, housing services and how to study with a disability or special needs.
If you have (or suspect you may have) a disability, chronic illness, or learning disorder, we strongly advise you to start the application process for disability status (statuut functiebeperking) as soon as possible. Obtaining this status grants you access to specific exam and study accommodations. How to apply: check out the step-by-step procedure.
Toledo and KU loket
Toledo is your online learning platform, it is the main portal for all your courses. Each subject has its own page containing lecture slides, announcements, and assignments. It has communities to stay up to date with faculty announcements.
Via Toledo, you also have acces to your student email. Official announcements and university communications will be sent here.
The timetable makes sure you don't forget classes and are a well structured way to see your classes schedule, but we recommend downloaden the application called Quivr, which gives a much more structured overview of your class schedule.
Besides that, we have KU loket, it is the administrative hub for course registration exam schedules and official documents.
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ISP (individual study programme): This is where you formally select and submit your courses for the academic year. You must finalize and submit your ISP before the third Wednesday of the semester.
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IER (Individual Exam Schedule): Your exam dates for January and June are displayed here. For some courses it is one fixed date, for other you can choose out of multiple so this can be a bit of a puzzle to see which combination of exam dates fits best. Don’t forget to submit this in time! (Note: If you need to retake an exam in August, you must manually register via your Study Progress File in KU Loket in early July).
Study spots
For some people it helps to study together with other people. Leuven also has some possibilities to do this. Depending on your vibe and location you can choose between following libraries.
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Campus Library Arenberg (CBA): Located right on our campus in Heverlee, this is the go-to spot for engineering and architecture students. For some of you, this spot might become your home during the exams ;)
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Learning centre Agora: Located in the city center, Agora is hugely popular among international students. It’s perfect if you need absolute silence to focus, and it features a huge lounge area downstairs to relax during your study breaks.
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Erasmushuis Library: Located in the city center (Arts faculty), this library offers a calm, classic study environment with plenty of desk space.
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Central Library (Ladeuzeplein): Breathtaking architecture and iconic atmosphere, but keep in mind that rules on food/water are strict and tourist tours regularly pass through. Definitely worth visiting for the experience, but maybe not the best choice for an intense day of deep focus!
How to reservate a spot: during busy periods (especially exam seasons), you must reserve a seat in advance. You can book your desk via the KU Leuven Access tool online. Bookings open 8 days in advance at 6 PM. During exam season, you’ll definitely need to book as early as possible, but during regular weeks, you can usually reserve a spot on the fly. Make sure to check in via the QR code on your desk when you arrive so you don't lose your spot!
Academic support by VTK
VTK Education Team
The VTK Education Team is dedicated to representing your academic interests and providing extra support throughout your studies.
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Rivers: VTK represents students at every level, but we can’t do it alone! That’s why we rely on our RiVers (Richtingsvertegenwoordigers or Programme Representatives). As a RiVer, you are the primary point of contact for any academic issues or feedback within your specific study program, bringing these concerns directly to the Education Team.
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VTK Bureau: The VTK Bureau is the core platform where student feedback is gathered to defend student interests at both the faculty and university levels. To make sure international students have a direct say, we host a dedicated English-language Bureau session once per semester. Your feedback would be really helpful so join us on November 26th 2026 (evening) and May 10th 2027 (evening) to share your thoughts, discuss course issues and help improve your education. (Bonus: free meal and drinks provided!)
More info about our Education team can be found here
VTK bookstore - Cudi
Printing lecture slides and buying course materials can get expensive, which is why VTK runs its own bookstore right on campus: the Cudi (Cursusdienst). Here, you can order printed courses, lab coats, calculators, notebooks, and pens at student-friendly prices.
You can use following guide how to order books:
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Ordering your books: Order Online: Head to this link to order your course materials. You can track online whether your books are ready for pick-up. When ordering your books, you can also opt to get a VTK membership. While it isn't mandatory, we highly recommend it! Membership is completely free and comes with great perks, such as a free member t-shirt when you pick up your books, discounts on events like cantusses, and much more.
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Reserving a pick-up time slot: To make sure you can pick up your materials without waiting in line forever, you must reserve a time slot here before heading to the store. Time slots usually go live the weekend before the upcoming week, so if you don't see any slots available for next week yet, don't panic!
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Opening hours: The Cudi is located right next to Theokot on campus. Standard pick-up hours are mostly during lunch breaks (12:30 PM – 2:00 PM) with occasional evening slots (6:00 PM – 7:00 PM). Always double-check the exact daily opening times before coming by!
Online study tools
To help you prepare for your courses and exams, VTK manages three core digital platforms powered by student collaboration.
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Burgieclan: A digital drive where senior students who have already passed the course upload their study materials. Here, you’ll find everything from detailed summaries and exercise session solutions to worked-out past exam papers.
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VTK wiki: Unlike Burgieclan, the Wiki doesn't contain study files, but rather valuable insights and course reviews written by students who took the class before you. Pro-tip: read the Wiki page of a course right before you start studying! It gives you a great heads-up on potential pitfalls, topics that need extra attention and types of exam questions to expect.
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Discord: Discord server features dedicated channels for every single course. Since students from all years have access, it’s the ideal spot to ask specific course questions, ask for missing notes, or get help directly from peers and senior students.
Hopefully this information was usefull, but the most important thing remains: try to find some recreation during the academic year and make your student life memorable!
