Erasmus Experience in Maastricht, Netherlands by Abraham

Why did you choose to go to Maastricht, Netherlands?

It was a spontaneous choice, and I was lucky.

Source

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

The scholarship is one semester. From my school, I received approximately 1 200 Eur. Depending on your house rent its doable, but I would recomend to have some own money saved if you want to do other stuff.

What is the student lifestyle like in Maastricht?

Really cool! Lots of stuff to do. Many bars to visit if you like beer. Lots of beautiful places in nature. Carnevals and stuff, really awesome.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Maastricht to other students?

Definetly! I had no idea what to expect from Maastricht. The school is good and the city as well.

What is the food like?

The bad thing about Maastricht is the food. If you are in too sandwiches then its okey, if not then you have bad luck. But every wednesday and friday they have food markets in the town wich is recomended to visit.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Maastricht?

Since I lived in Belgium, wich I would recommend since its cheaper than Maastricht. The deposit is what you pay but other then that, maybe a taxi for the first time but when you get your bike its fine. 15 minutes to central of Maastricht.

How much does it cost to live in Maastricht?

Depends on how you want to live. It is possible to live cheap, but fun costs a little bit more. If I put it like this, I wouldnt do it without the extra money I saved before coming here.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

Language courses is available for those who want it. I didnt go since I'm staying 1 semester.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Maastricht from your city?

If from Stockholm, maybe Brussels is more cheaper. There is direct train to Maastricht.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Maastricht?

• Max place.
• Prevuirej.
• The Governor.
• Le Chine.
• Allah.
• St Pieters pub.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Maastricht?

Not really... No but there is some places that gives hope for Maastricht. Chinese restaurant in Markt was awesome. Foodtrucks on Wednesdays and Fridays is good. Some good places in Belgium as well. Pizza place in Markt that have student discount is pretty good. Some wok place close to the train station

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

• The Maastricht treaty.
• The Caves.
• The city itself.
• The Memorial place for american soldiers.
• Smermaas is nice as well in Belgium, nice nature

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Maastricht in the future?

Bycicles, you have specific hours of the day to buy them if you buy them to private owners on groups like facebook. Buy a cheap bike, and an expensive lock believe me. My first bike was stollen in 1 week even with the lock because it was a good one. So please buy a bad ugly one that rolls nice. You will see 99% of the students with such bikes.

Housing, please start looking for a house 4 or even 5, 6 months before your arrival date. The housing market in Maastricht is one of the worst I ever seen, after being here for almost one semester. These 2 topics are the only ones I regret. You should follow these advice or, just learn with your mistakes, which was my case.

Cheers