Spend, spend, spend
For groceries, there are a handful of chains, with Aldi and Lidl being rock-bottom cheap and, hence, popular with students. But don't overlook your neighbourhood store, which often sells inexpensive fruits and vegetables. If it is after 19.00, a night shop will have what you are missing, though for an inflated price.

If fashion is what you are after, the main shopping drag is the Veldstraat, which has all the big chain stores. For more local flair, Zoot Costumiers on Serpentstraat has women's clothes by Belgian designers, all with a kitschy or retro feel. Cream on Hoogpoort and Limits on Sint-Pietersneiuwstraat are punk powered with a nerdy 80s undercurrent.

Bar hopping
Belgium produces, if we even have to tell you, the best beer in the world. Order something different every time from the generally extensive menus. However, if you want to fit in with fellow students (and pay next to nothing), you will fast learn how to say pintje, which will get you the cheapest beer on tap.

Any student in Ghent quickly becomes well acquainted with Overpoortstraat, the number one student hang-out, with its wide range of bars of various scenes and crowds, from a drum and bass club night at Decadance to a casual beer at the Irish pub The Porter House. The best way to enjoy the atmosphere is on a Thursday night - the Flemish students' traditional party night - when the street is closed to cars, and wandering from one venue to the next is part of the adventure.

But make sure you expand your horizons. Sioux is a perennial favourite, hidden behind some buildings on Platteberg, not far from the Zuid shopping centre. Its cosy and dark interior pumps out some serious beats for low-down dancing into the early morning.

Around the corner, Make-Up Club might not have a sign, but the crowd lined up by the bouncer is a clear indicator of its location on Ketelvest. With its oh-so-trendy DJ line-ups, this is the one spot to wear your funkiest and finest.

On Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat, meanwhile, lies the Mecca of Ghent's culture life, the Vooruit. The monstrous building was constructed by the Socialist party in the early 20th century and has several theatre and concert halls, mixing gold-leaf décor with a young, riot vibe. Have a drink in its ever-popular bar between acts.

The website www.gratisingent.be lists free events happening in the city. It's a service of Use-It, "tourist info for young people". Be sure to grab a Use-It map of Ghent in the tourist office below the Belfort - easily the most informative and downright fun map of the city you will find.

Transport
First and foremost - you need a bike, pronto! All of Flanders is bicycle crazy, but nowhere as much as Ghent. There is a second-hand market for bikes every Sunday on Nederpolder in the earlier part of the morning. Another option is to rent one annually from StudentENmobiliteit.

Yes, there is public transport, but, as you might have noticed, huge parts of Ghent are currently under construction, and transport is a bit hectic at the moment. So take our word for it: be like a real Flemish student and bike.

Sweat it out
If the frietjes and pintjes have you packing on the pounds, hop on your bike and head to Blaarmeersen for a run. The five-km route around the canal is popular with joggers, while the nearby park has a lake for swimming, tennis courts, a skate park and plenty of group activities, from roller derby to Frisbee.

Gyms in town range from cheap-o €15 a month for a dank room with free weights, to €275 a year for students at the Stadium Gym, with its Zumba classes and rock climbing walls.

Caffeinated people watching
Many start their weekends on the Graslei, the epicentre of Ghent, with meticulously restored Gothic architecture flanking the canal. Perfect for nursing a hangover on
a Sunday morning or socialising with strangers on a crowded Saturday night. When the sun comes out, you find hordes of students sitting on the cobblestones, having a picnic and a laugh.

If the weather drives you indoors, nearby Simon Says will warm you right up. The coffees are strong and lovingly made, as indicated by the foam hearts in your cappuccino. Julie's House down the road on Kraanlei offers cupcakes, brownies and Sunday brunches, while Coffee Lounge on Belfortstraat is a cosy internet cafe. Some would say, though, that the best coffee in Ghent still comes from Mokabon, an old-style café in the endlessly-inspiring Donkersteeg. It just opened a take- away coffee window out front, Ghent's first.

Air your laundry
In Flanders, you'll quickly discover the tradition for most students to head home on the weekend to visit family and old friends. At least that is what is said, but, given the bags of dirty laundry lugged onto public transport every Friday, it's quickly apparent heading back to the folks has the added benefit of clean clothes.

For you, there's Wassalon right in the Overpoortstraat or Mister EcoWash on Brabantdam, conveniently close to both the Zuid transport station and Trappistenhuis. Choose from one of hundreds of beers on the menu; it makes waiting for your undies to dry far more enjoyable.

Not all cheap eats are equal
While you will undoubtedly discover countless pitas and frietjes (French fries), and the pizza delivery guy will be on a first-name basis, take note of a few healthier alternatives when the grease gets to be too much.

Soup Lounge, smack in the centre Overpoortstraat, offers a big bowl of soup, two rolls and a piece of fruit for €4. Make sure you ask for "alles" so you get everything on offer dumped in the soup: meatballs, fresh veggies, croutons, parsley and a handful of shredded cheese. Be aware, though, that the soups are made with chicken stock.

For real vegetarianism, head down to Kantienberg and Voetweg to Frietcultuur, where you'll find a surprisingly posh friet shop with some of the best veggie burgers in town. Arriving on nutty whole-grain bread and heaped with vegetables, the crispy spinazie (spinach) burger is good, but the sunflower burger is equally tasty. Fries are cooked in vegetable oil, too.

For those looking for a proper evening out, the well-priced Amadeus serves all-you-can-eat ribs in a colourful and lively setting. Afterwards, meander through the atmospheric cobbled maze of the Patershol district.

Ask and you shall receive
For books, banking and other crucial information, turn to the International Relations Office (IRO) of Ghent University on Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat. It's a one-stop-shop of details, with a front desk manned by those adept at dealing with the many hurdles and questions facing students new to both the university and to Ghent.

www.international.ugent.be