Questions/Answers

+ I never been to Europe before!!! Is this for me?

Definitely!!! You will not only improve your French but just imagine the culture that you will discover not only as an intern but also during your personal time.

+ Will this count towards my degree?

Excellent question for your adviser :-) If you minor or major in French, it will count towards your degree. But before registering for this class, you will need to talk with Dr. Mclaughlin, French adviser and Dr. Guglielmi, program director.

+ So, how much does this cost?

You pay to register for the course (regular registration fees). Tuition is NOT included in the price.

You pay for the program cost (3,880 dollars) which covers lodging, your transportation from the airport to Ath (ONE way). You pay for your meals if not staying in a host family.

You also pay for all your personal expense during your stay.

If you stay in a host family, you will be required to pay a supplement since food and laundry service will be provided. That cost varies from family to family and year to year. That extra cost is to be paid in USD before you leave to Belgium directly to Dr. Guglielmi.

If you decide with Dr. Guglielmi to stay longer than 4 weeks, you will have to pay 550 USD extra per extra week you stay in Belgium.

+ Who decide if I stay in a host family or a youth hostile?

Nobody! A host family is always very hard to find at that time because it is final exam or vacation time. Some time it is better pending your interest to stay at the Youth Hostel since you will have more freedom. It will also depends where you will be working and your preference. The Youth Hostel (Les Amis de la Nature) is located in Ath, if you're working outside the Mons region, it may take you too long by public transport to get from point A to point B.

+ How much is a Euro?

There are several websites you can visit to convert Euros into Dollars and vice versa. It is usually safe to count 1.40 USD for 1 Euro

+ Ok but how much will cost my meals?

You will typically eat a sandwich for lunch. You can purchase a sandwich for 3 to 5 Euros. Your weekends meals will depend of what you want to eat. You can eat very cheap in Mons and other cities ... you can also eat for 1,000 Euros.

+ Should I bring cash? Travel Checks? Credit cards?

Again, really up to you. Credit cards are not accepted every where and they charge fees. Travel Checks are not accepted everywhere. Cash is great till you lose it. Debit card seems to be the best option but be sure to check with your financial institution to see how much they will charge you for taking Euros in Belgium.

+ Should I bring my laptop with me? Can I connect to the Internet?

The program fee (3,880 dollars) cover room and wireless internet at the Youth hostel. If you want to take advantage of that service, you will need to bring your laptop. It is NOT required by the program to have a laptop and you bring it at your own risk.

+ What if I run into problems? Is there somebody I can talk to?

Your host family will be your main point of contact. They will know how to reach me in case of an emergency.

+ So what do I do when I am not working?

Whatever you want! Take your weekends to wonder and discover Belgium and its surrounding countries. Visit museums, try different restaurants, meet students in Mons (university city), have fun!!! This is a one time experience.

+ I will not have a car in Belgium, how will I get around?

You have several solution to get around. You can use the train or the bus and in some cities subways. The public transport in Belgium are cheap, safe and on time. For more information on train, visit Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Belge.

For buses, please visit Transport en Commun (TEC)

+ During my weekends, I want to visit Paris? Is it far?

No at all!!! There is a daily train that leaves Mons and goes directly to Paris Nord. It only takes 90 minutes to get there. For more information, visit the SNCB website and click "voyages internationaux." From Ath, you will have to take a train to Brussels or Lille Flandres. Both cities have more than 18 train a day to Paris.

+ Once I arrive at the Brussels Airport ... what do I do?

You will go through immigration first. The immigration officer will ask you standard questions such as what is your purpose of your visit in Belgium, where will you be staying? How long will you be staying?

Once the officer stamped your passport, you are going to proceed to pick up your luggage. Screens will tell you on which carrousel your luggage can be found. Once you find your luggage, follow the exit sign and go through customs and then you arrive in the big arrival room where you need to find Dr. Guglielmi. He will pick you up at the airport and he will use the train with you to go back to Mons (direct train) or Ath (semi-direct). When arrived in Mons or Ath, he will introduce you to your host family or walk with you to the Youth Hostel.

If your luggage do not show up. Do NOT panic. It arrives to the best of us. All airlines have an office where you can declare your lost luggage. They will be able to find it using the tracking number printed on the back of your boarding pass. You will need to give them an address where they will deliver your luggage. That is why it is important to have the address of where you will be staying in Belgium (host family or youth hostel). In all cases, you will place the following address:

18, Rue du Chemin de Fer

7800 ATH (Belgium)

+ How do I get from the Youth Hostile to my internship site?

You may just need to walk for five or ten minutes. You may need to take a bus or a train. We will make every effort to try to make this as easy as possible on you but we cannot guarantee that your internship site will be just walking distance from where you will be staying. Taking a bus or a train is also part of the internship experience.

+ And what about lunch and breakfast?

For breakfast, you have several bakeries within 5 minutes walking distance serving fresh bread and croissants.

For lunch, you will be on the internship site and they will all offer a bakery within walking distance where you will be able to purchase sandwiches.

If you stay in a host family, you will be served breakfast and ONE hot meal a day during the week. Since we want you to travel, NO meals are covered on the WE. You also have access to the host family laundry facility.

+ If I stay with a host family, how does that work?

Pending availability and your finance (it is more expensive to stay with a host family), you can stay with a host family. The host family is required to give you a room just for yourself, clean sheets once a week, breakfast and dinner during the week, access to their laundry facility (you are responsible to clean and iron your own clothes). Some host families will offer you access to the internet. NOT ALL families have internet access.

To respect your privacy, the host family doesn't clean your room during your stay. It is your responsibility to do it. Also, you are a guest and should behave as such. Please follow the dinner schedule, help with the daily activities in the house and of course, NO outside guest during your stay.

+ Do I have to stay where Dr. Guglielmi place me?

Yes. Lodging and internship sites have been carefully selected for their safety. Switching during the internship is not permitted. If you do, KSU declines all responsibilities in case of problems. Your money is also not refunded.

+ Do I need a passport to get in Belgium?

YES!!! Apply early, it takes up to 3 months to get it in some cases. No passport means no internship and there is nothing KSU can do about it.

+ Do I need a visa to get in Belgium?

You do NOT need a visa if you are a US citizen. If it is not the case, you will need one and it is easily obtained at the Belgium Consulate in Atlanta.

+ What should I wear while in Belgium?

On the internship site, you should wear professional attire unless asked by the onsite supervisor to wear something else. While not working at your internship site, you can wear anything you want. Keep in mind that weather in Belgium is very unpredictable. You can have a sunny and hot day in June (heat waves) or a rainy and cold day. Visit this site to get the latest weather news in Belgium: Institut Royal de Météorologie.

+ At the end of my internship, what do I do?

Whatever you want, you may want to go back to the US immediately or you may want to visit surrounding countries. Please keep in mind that

* Dr. Guglielmi will not bring you back to the airport.

* Your host family/youth hostel is not obligated to keep you longer. If they agree for you stay longer than the 4 weeks, you will have to pay them accordingly.

* Airfare in July and August are usually more expensive and you may be ask to pay for the price difference for staying longer.

* The program will pay for your flight for your internship. If staying longer raised the fare, you will required to pay the price difference.

+ If I want to travel during my week-end, is the train my only option?

No. You may chose to travel by air. Brussels airport as a connection with every single European capital. And it is very easy to get from Mons or Ath to the Airport. There is a direct train leaving every hour to the airport from Mons and you only to change once in Brussels from Ath. The ride is only an hour and the train arrives within the airport. Brussels airlines is the main company but there are many others. For a complete lists, check this site.

There is also another airport (Charleroi South) which offer very cheap flights to many European cities. Ryan Air is the major airline flying from Charleroi South.

+ I want to bring my significant other during my stay in Belgium, can I do it?

In a host family situation, absolutely not. We will need to select the youth hostile solution. That significant other will have to pay for their lodging and the "taxe de séjour" that you do not pay as an intern. All fees has to be paid to me. However, we do not recommend you have visitors. This is a very intensive program and you will need all your time and energy to work and be successful.