My experience was amazing January 03, 2025
By Mayra A (Politics, Brandeis University) - abroad from 08/16/2024 to 12/21/2024 with
Maastricht University: Center for European Studies, Summer Programme in European Studies
I learned a lot about myself and what it means to be independent. I also learned the importance of being organized. Being abroad was great I would do it all over again just maybe in a different location
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Overall, Maastricht University is a very rigorous institution. The professors can be very tough and demanding. The school is located in the small town of Maastricht in the Limburg province of the Netherlands. It is absolutely beautiful and in an exceptional location. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The living arrangements for CES worked perfectly. I was guaranteed housing. The housing was not incredible, but it was not awful. |
| * Food: |
University food inside of the faculty buildings was great. However, for the most part one cooks for themselves. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Extremely safe city. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
Although the program was great, I was not prepared for the amount of work that would be required nor was I prepared for the kind of academic system the school had |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
It is easy to live off of a student budget. This answer is subjective and can very from person to person. However, for the average student attempting to manage travel expenses while adjusting to the living expenses it can become a bit more expensive. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 40 just for food |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Although the program was great, I was not prepared for the amount of work that would be required nor was I prepared for the kind of academic system the school had |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
