An adventure filled with lots of laughs and new experiences! Past Review
By Sisay Shannon-Tamrat (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/17/2019 to 08/08/2019 with
Maastricht University: Center for European Studies, Semester Programmes
I learned how to navigate trains, but most importantly I developed patience. I learned to go with the flow and to navigate situations in which things didn't always go right.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I thought the classes with the Study Abroad program were great! The law class that I took was rigorous, but I also felt like I learned a lot. I, unfortunately, found the University classes themselves to be not great. I didn't feel that they challenged me, nor did I feel like the academic grading system make sense. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I thought the program administration was fantastic! Everyone was so kind, supportive and always checked-up to see how things were going! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I didn't love the housing situation since there was such limited space for cooking. The communal restrooms and toilets were also not favorite, but if you do end up doing this program I highly recommend getting your own room and living in the space with the communal kitchen, since that gives you a chance to actually get to know people in the program. |
| * Food: |
I personally found Dutch food to be bland, but there are for sure restaurants available for whatever your heart desires! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I feel somewhat integrated. I feel like I adjusted to the local culture of biking everywhere. I do not feel like I got to meet that many locals though. It's a very international location, surprisingly not that many Dutch. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Healthcare was accessible. I didn't personally need to be seen by a physician there, but when I got injured in a biking accident, there was a clinic right by where I lived and was able to get supplies to help heal my wound. |
| * Safety: |
I thought the overall safety of Maastricht was great! For me personally, at no point did I feel unsafe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved the people in my program. I loved that the program had already built in a few weekends, where we could travel as a group, which gave us a chance to get to know each other people! I loved the location of where we were staying in the Netherlands as well because it is so central to all forms of transportation. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $250, this was because I traveled to a different country every weekend. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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? | I wish I had known more about how the school system worked. |
