Maastricht University CES Semester Program June 14, 2022

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

This is a difficult rating to give because I felt that in some of my classes there was a respectable amount of rigor and in others there was not. For some the professors and other students helped to provide resources, but in no cases were the coordinators of the program helpful with this (despite claiming to be). The system of learning is very different from here in the US and therefore a lot of time at the beginning of the semester was dedicated to re-learning how to learn, and while this "Problem Based Learning" was effective in my social studies courses, I had many friends who struggled in their math, science, or psychology based courses.

On-site administration of your program

There was a lot that the coordinators didn't help fully prepare us for. I was especially disappointed that our five day trip was canceled. The coordinators were quick to respond to emails, but their responses often lacked substance. I think that they are trying very hard but often fell short.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing (minus the kitchen situation which I explain in the next bit) was nearly exactly what I expected. I appreciated that in the C building we were able to share the floor with students from other countries and not just Americans. The people that I met living on my floor were some of the kindest and most helpful people: they helped me figure out where to rent a bike and showed us around the town, like where the grocery store is. My friends who lived in P building felt isolated from the rest of the community.

We were told there would be a full kitchen, but it only had mini fridges and lacked in both a freezer and oven. Also our kitchen had a mouse and it took over two months for the building managers to set a trap. Despite these set backs, the food at the grocery store was affordable (more so than in the US) and it was easy to make a meal with the tools provided.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

As my time in Maastricht continued, I began to make friends with more local students and this drastically improved my experience. However, this program requires that every student take a class only offered by the program, and thus it is only with American students. While I did enjoy these classes, I felt that they also isolated me from the rest of the student body at UM.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no health issues during my time abroad.

I felt incredibly safe in Maastricht. The most efficient way to get around the Netherlands is by bike and I have never felt safer on a bicycle. The guest house also felt very safe.

This is a great program for people who are looking to put the "abroad" in study abroad. Many students choose to travel every weekend and party a lot. I wanted to go abroad to have an educational experience, and I felt that this was not a popular opinion. COVID also had a large impact on my choosing this program and my experience, and had that not been the case I would have chosen a different program.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

This really depends on how much you plan on traveling or going out. If I'm including a trip, the weeks budget would increase greatly.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Everyone in the Netherlands already speaks english, so learning Dutch was only a requirement for study abroad students, and it was not encouraged.

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• Dorm

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• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Professor John Parkinson

• They need to have professors go through some kind of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training--some of these professors' ignorance is unacceptable

The Academic or Linguist