Arriving here is a big step. You suddenly have a lot more freedom, but also a lot more to work out for yourself, and you are doing that in a new country, in an academic system you do not know yet and often in a language that is not your own. We were all finding our way around this faculty not so long ago, so we know that the first weeks take some figuring out.

That is exactly where we as VTK would like to help.

VTK, the Vlaamse Technische Kring, is the student association of the faculty, and our work rests on three pillars: representation, support and recreation. With a team of 79 committed students we represent your interests towards the faculty and the university, we help you with everything to do with your studies, and we make sure there is more to your student years than studying alone. Because student life is about more than lecture halls, labs and exams, and it is often outside them that you meet the people you keep running into for the rest of your time here.

VTK organises all kind of different activities, from parties to barbecues to reading, cantusses and events with companies. Some events are for different groups, for example activities only for first-year students other only for international students or local students. However we provide a lot of activities for all the students.

Within that team there is one group, 'International', that works entirely for you: for the lighter side of student life as much as for the more serious questions.

Academics and practicalities: surviving your studies at KU Leuven

Before we jump into the fun side of student life, let’s cover a few practical essentials that will definitely come in handy throughout your time in 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 at https://kuleuven.be/stuvo/disability.

You can explore their full offer at https://kuleuven.be/stuvo.

Toledo

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. But here, 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. Besides that, we have KU loket, it is the administrative hub for course registration exam schedules and official documents. 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. 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.

*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 ;)

*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.

*Erasmushuis Library: Located in the city center (Arts faculty), this library offers a calm, classic study environment with plenty of desk space.

*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!

Quivr

Quivr is an app you can download on your phone and link your KU Leuven account with. With this app you can see your schedule of your classes (like in Toledo). Quivr is a good app when you have friends from different faculties or master programmes as it overlaps your classes schedules with theirs so you can see when youre both free. You can also select your Alma restaurant to see their opening times as well as what they serve that day/week. If you're not sure where to go to on a night out, and you want to go to a fakbar. You can make use of the fakbar crowdness function, this shows whether a fakbar is open or closed and how crowded it is.

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.

*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.

*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!)

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:

1. Ordering your books: Order Online: Head to https://www.vtk.be/cudi/booking/book/ 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.

2. 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 on the VTK website before heading to the store. Time slots usually go live the weekend before the upcoming week. If you don't see any slots available for next week yet, don't panic!

3. 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 online 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.

*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. https://burgieclan.vtk.be/

*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. https://wiki.vtk.be/

*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. https://discord.com/invite/6U36CJ7eAV

#Outside of academics: more about VTK

Theokot - Affordable lunch on campus

Next to the bookstore, VTK has its very own sandwich shop called ‘Theokot’ with student-friendly prices (check it on the map). It’s open every weekday from 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM (starting from the second week of the semester). Ordering food can be done in 3 steps.

1. Fresh sandwiches & Pasta pesto: Must be pre-ordered online via the VTK website (https://vtk.be/shop). Reservations open 2 days in advance at 12:00 PM. Quantities are limited, so order early! You can pay for and pick up your order between 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM at the "Broodjes hier" sign.

2. Hot snacks: Want a croque monsieur, sausage roll or pancake? Head directly to the "Croques hier" counter to order and pay. When your snack is ready, your name will be called out!

3. Drinks & sweets: Soft drinks, coffee, and cookies can be ordered straight from the main bar anytime.

Good to know: while Theokot is our own dedicated spot, it’s not the only place to grab food on campus. You can also head to Alma 3, Alma Quadrivium or De Moete for hot student meals or for snacks and drinks. All of these, along with 't ElixIr and Theokot, are marked on the map belo

't ElixIr - Faculty bar

In Leuven, every faculty has its own Fakbar (faculty bar) where drinks are served at student-friendly prices. VTK’s very own bar is 't ElixIr (check it on the map). It’s the ultimate going-out spot for engineering students, offering regular beers and soft drinks for just €1.20, and a shot of our signature Elixir d'Anvers for a mere €0.80. On top of that, every Tuesday, our bar team organizes weekly theme parties: the basement gets fully decorated according to a special theme, complete with matching drink promos. Be sure to write down Wednesday, September 30th in your calendar! That night, we are hosting a dedicated International Night at 't Elixir so you can get to know the bar, mingle with fellow students, and feel completely at home.

** Shift volunteering - get involved**

VTK organizes a huge variety of events throughout the year so that every student can find something they enjoy. But behind every great party, cantus (a traditional Belgian student event with singing and drinks), or sandwich bar, there’s a team of students making it all happen! To keep everything running smoothly, we use a volunteer system where you can take up shifts. Shifts are short time slots where you help out with minor tasks, like setting up for an event, cleaning up afterward or even helping on an event itself. It’s completely voluntary and you can sign up for as many or as few shifts as you like via the VTK website. Each shift listed online includes a short description and we specifically tag tasks where speaking Dutch is not required, making them perfect for international students! We recommend trying it out at least once. It’s a fantastic way to meet local Belgian students and get a behind-the-scenes look at campus life. As a big thank-you for your help, you earn vouchers for every shift you complete. You can use these vouchers later for a free drink at 't Elixir or a delicious sandwich at Theokot!

VTK sports - Stay active

At VTK, we also have a dedicated Sports Team that organizes active events all year long for seasoned athletes and enthusiastic beginners alike. Everyone is welcome to join! The absolute highlight of the semester is the legendary 24-hour Run (24 urenloop) taking place on Tuesday, October 20th and Wednesday, October 21st. This is Leuven’s biggest student event of the year, and VTK always gives everything to chase that coveted first place. To get everyone race-ready, we organize daily running sessions leading up to the event where we build stamina together, followed by weekly social runs throughout the rest of the year. Besides running, VTK Sport gives you the chance to try out less conventional activities like free-running, ice hockey or bouncing through a giant obstacle course during the Big Jump Run and much more (make certain to check our kalender on the website, if you are interested in sports you can select this category to see directly all the sport events in the future). If you want to play sports casually with friends outside of VTK events, KU Leuven offers great facilities as well. Through the university's online sports portal, you can easily reserve court spaces or sign up for guided weekly sports classes.

Upcoming events and highlights - Mark your calendar

You can easily track all our events on the VTK website calendar (https://dev.vtk.be/kalender) or specifically for internation events (https://dev/vtk.be/p/upcominginternationalevents). The site features handy category filters so you can quickly zero in on what you're looking for.

While the website is great for checking the full calendar, the absolute best way to stay in the loop is by joining our International WhatsApp group (https://chat.whatsapp.com/LlGG95Qo8BJCAbkIMYcbjj). All international-friendly updates, reminders, and last-minute details get dropped directly into the chat!

End word

Although Belgium has 3 official languages, everything in Leuven is in Dutch. The Glossary will help you blend in on campus and in Leuven. For now, enjoy your first days here. Meet people, discover the campus and the city, and make this student time your own. We hope your stay with us will be an unforgettable learning and living experience! For more information, please visit https://eng.kuleuven.be/en/study/student-portal.