My Erasmus Experience in Maastricht, the Netherlands by Sophie

Why did you choose to go to Maastricht, the Netherlands?

I wanted to go to the Netherlands to improve my Dutch and English. I thought that Maastricht seemed like the best city out of the three that were offered to me due to the university's Problem-Based Learning (PBL) education system and from the opinions of old Erasmus students who went there before.

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How long's your stay? What financial aid do you receive?

I left for the first semester from September 2013 to January 2014. I didn't fit the criteria for the grant so I didn't receive any financial help.

What's the student vibe like in Maastricht?

Really good! However it's a lot easier to become fiends with other Erasmus students than the normal students, who tended to stay amongst themselves and weren't too bothered about Erasmus students.

Would you recommend the city or university to other students?

The Maastricht University School of Business and Economics is really demanding and the PBL teaching style requires a lot of work. It's really confusing at the start but you get used to it really quickly. Maastricht isn't the best choice for you if you want to spend 4 months partying all the time because you really have to work hard at this university. However, with a little bit of organisation, you can reconcile your work and social life. All in all, I recommend Maastricht university because their teaching skills are the best and you learn a lot more than you would do in the majority of other universities. Also, there's a lot of exchange students so you're really immersed in an international universe at all times.

What's the Netherlands' food like?

Normal. As I'm from Belgium, I did't come across any food that was completely different to what I usually eat. Also, there's a lot of supermarkets when you can find everything you need like fruit, vegetables, meat etc...

Was it hard to find accommodation in Maastricht?

No I found my place using this site and was staying in a room I found with Guesthouse, which is where most of Erasmus was staying too!

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What are living costs like in Maastricht?

For what it was, I definitely paid too much for my accommodation and public transport is really expensive too. Food is rather cheap though.

What's it like learning the language there? Did you take part in a language course organised by the university?

I spoke English 100% of the time during my semester abroad. My English was already at a good level before I arrived, which was a good thing as it's essential to have a good enough level of English to be able to follow and participate in the PBL styled lessons.

What's the most economical way to get to Maastricht from your home town?

Car or train.

Where do you recommend to go out in Maastricht?

Café Cliniq or De Alla.

And to eat in Maastricht? What are your favourite places?

• Kiwi is good, close to the university, and make delicious burgers.
• Coffeelovers is another favourite place to go, just for their special coffees like their hazelnut cream.
• Delibelge serves really good sandwiches and paninis.

And what cultural places do you recommend going to see?

I didn't visit any.

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Any advice for future students going to Maastricht?

Enjoy!