By Saanvi B, Kaayna & Saanvi S., students DP1
This was our final school trip as ISU students, and it definitely made me and others pretty emotional even before the trip. We travelled by coach, which is always one of the best parts of the trip for me because we get to spend so much time bonding. Something about being stuck in a bus for 3 hours creates the funniest moments ever!
Ice skating
We went straight to ice skating after reaching Leuven. There were people like me who could barely get off the rails and kept tripping on themselves but, others flawlessly skating and putting the rest of us to shame. What made it an experience to remember is the fun dynamic between those helping the first timers and all of laughing and joking together as a grade about some of the awful skating.
We then had snacks followed by some free time in the city and then went to a buffet dinner at a restaurant nearby. We walked home together as a year group. We walked home together as a year group. The late night walks in the stunning city was a memory to remember, and the conversations with people you might not usually talk to at school, truly a day I still reminisce about. - Saanvi B.
Leuven University
On our second day, we visited Leuven University, where we were separated into groups for an hour-and-a-half guided tour. We were explained the history of the university, from ‘The Great Tree of Sorrow’ to the broken statue of Pope Martin V. It was very informative and helpful for our future decisions about university!
We were
then taken to escape rooms. It was such a fun and memorable
experience, and honestly, my favourite day. We ended the day with some fries and
drinks with our grade, alongside playing pool and snooker games! - Kaayna
On our last day, we did a guided tour of the European Union headquarters, in which the council chamber was quite fascinating in itself because it was so different to what we are exposed to every day. Sitting on the sidelines may have sounded boring, but was such an inviting experience and I, as well as my classmates, were truly inspired by their vision, one that we were not previously familiar with.
European History Museum
After lunch, we were brought to the famous European History Museum. As a history student myself, I was especially intrigued with the extent of their archives; which not only contained visual displays but consisted of a number of sound scapes, which allowed us to truly immerse into the context. This was a day full of learning and laughter, and exploring these incredible places together made it one of the most memorable experiences of the trip. - Saanvi S.