It was okay May 27, 2026
By A student (Development, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/16/2026 to 06/13/2026 with
Maastricht University: Center for European Studies, Semester Programmes
I learned more about the EU, and the policies surrounding it. Personally, it is a very easy town to live in as an American, and it isn't challenging personally. I enjoyed living with other international students, and hearing persepctives from around Europe was interesting.
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. |
Classes were good when they were taken at the actual university, but CES classes tend to be boring, and are a second job for professors. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Not a lot of help or programming from the staff. A trip to Berlin was advertised, which never happened, and now isn't on the website. Alongside this, very unclear communication about program end dates, which led to multiple students having to pay around 300 dollars. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Dorm style, clean and easy to access. |
| * Food: |
Cooking for yourself, but the cost of food in the Netherlands is very expensive compared to Spain or France. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
No cultural integration outside of language class. Very international city, which makes it difficult to feel integrated into Dutch culture. The program provides little help in doing so. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Very few resources provided, and I knew many students who struggled significantly to get into a GP. |
| * Safety: |
Very safe and quaint town. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
There was nothing wrong with the program. It was classes in the Netherlands. However, many other of my friends studied in cheaper places, with better weather, and better programming. There are more interesting places. |
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? | 100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | There are shops meant for students for lunch, which can help save money, like Comida, by SBE. |
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? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 0 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
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? | No Berlin trip, and not significant support from CES |
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. |
