STUDENT REPORT, MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY, SPRING 2012
Name of the University: Maastricht University
Exchange semester: 4th semester, spring, 2012
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
The school, at least the Faculty of Business and Economics, is of good standard and situated
close to the city center. It is also close to a nice park and there is only a 5 minute walk to the
library. The city center of Maastricht isn’t that big, and all the other faculties are easily
reached by either walking or biking.
Maastricht University has about 15 000 students, and is the most international university in
the Netherlands. Almost 45% of the students and more than 30% of the teaching staff come
from abroad. Most of these are German, but Maastricht University has many exchange
students.
The study structure is very different from BI. Maastricht University uses a problem based
learning system, which has a more practical and active approach to the problems. They have
tutorials, which are mandatory, containing 10-15 students. Lectures are mostly voluntary and
normally not as important as the tutorials. If applying at Maastricht University research what
the PBL system is really about, and be warned: it’s a lot harder and a lot more work than at
BI.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
I received all the information I needed from Maastricht University before I arrived. The
information was detailed and they are very helpful and answer quickly to emails. I arrived on
the 27th of January, which was earlier than most other exchange students. Arriving is very
easy, especially if you sign up for the pick-up service. I had no problems with my arrival.
Visa Procedure and travel experiences
No visa needed.
I flew to Brussels (Belgium) and then took the train to Maastricht. There are plenty of ways to
travel to Maastricht: Amsterdam, Brussels, or Düsseldorf. I don’t think it makes much
difference how you travel, you will end up on the train anyway and it is easy to get there.
Order your ticket early and you will probably get a cheap flight as well.
Academic Calendar
I arrived on the 27th of January. The Introduction week starts on the 1 st of February, but you
can find all this information on the university’s website under “academic calendar”.
Each semester is divided into 3 blocks, 2 which is mandatory, 1 is voluntary (but needed if
you want 30 credits). Each block lasts for about 6-7 weeks before there is an exam. Last day
for me was the 30th of June, since I took the last block as well.
Exchange during the spring semester is recommended as there are more holidays (Easter,
ascension, their national day etc.), and a little break between the blocks. In February they
celebrate carnival, which is great fun and the whole city (and surroundings) celebrate and
dress up in costumes.
Reception
I was taken well care of at the school, they were prepared for my arrival, gave me all the
information needed and I never had any problems arriving.
Housing
It might be hard to find housing on your own in Maastricht, especially since you’re only staying
for about 5 months. I recommend living at the guesthouse, which is arranged by the
university. All the exchange students are staying here so it is very social and convenient to
live here. Most people live in the C-building, where you share a kitchen and bathrooms with
12-14 others. I found it a bit difficult to share everyone, but it is very social and since it’s only
for a shorter period of time it is okay. The website for the guesthouse is easy to use, and you
will find a link to it on the university’s website. ORDER EARLY!
Costs
The rent is about what I pay in Norway, not especially cheap. Books are also quite expensive
but besides that it is cheap to live in the Netherlands. Particularly alcohol and food prices are
low compared to Norway.
The International Office
The International Office is very helpful but is only open for about 2 hours a day. This can be a
bit limiting, but they are very helpful answering emails.
Social Activities
The social life in Maastricht was the best part of the whole exchange. The exchange students
are extremely social, everyone is friendly and it’s easy to make friends. There are parties
almost every day, so you will never get bored.
The student organization, ESN, arranges a lot of parties, social activities and also trips. They
are very friendly and take good care of the exchange students. There is also an organization
called Way2Go, they arrange a lot of trips and I really recommend going on some. If you are a
social person, you will most definitely like Maastricht and the atmosphere. You will find all
these groups on facebook, so if you want to be up to date, just add them.
Culture and Language
All my classes were in English and the tutors, other students and the Dutch people speaks
English really well so I never had any problems with the language.
I think the Dutch culture is similar to the Norwegian culture. The infrastructure is really good,
and the biking-culture is convenient and fun. I definitely recommend getting a bike since it is
extremely useful, and everyone has one so you don’t want to be the only one walking. Get a
used (not a fancy) bike and a good lock because bikes get stolen all the time.
Maastricht is situated in the south of The Netherlands, central in Europe. It is really close to
Belgium and not far from Germany either. The trains and buses are nice and there are plenty
of cheap airline tickets to other places in Europe as well. Travelling is easy and definitely
recommended.
Cultural and Social Effects from the Exchange Experience
On exchange you meet people from all over the world; you encounter different cultures,
languages and situations you normally wouldn’t be in at BI. You also live far away from your
friends and family, which can be challenging at times but going on exchange, is really
rewarding and I now have friends all over the world. Studying in English is different from at BI,
but hopefully it will be a good preparation for taking a master’s degree, as all lectures are in
English. Also being more comfortable speaking English, as well as increasing your vocabulary
can only be a positive thing.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
The Teaching situation
Compared to BI, Maastricht is very demanding. The PBL system and what it takes to (just)
pass a class is harder than you probably expect.
The PBL system, problem based learning, is hard work because you have to contribute in
every tutorial or else you might fail your course. The tutorial consists of 10-15 students and
one tutor. It helps if the tutor is good at explaining and is contributing to the class and not just
sitting quiet in the corner, like the PBL system wants, as it’s actually a student teaching
student system. Make sure when you pick your classes that if you can avoid the “participation
grade”, do it, it will take away so much pressure. Also, I learned this a bit too late, but when
picking classes apparently there is a button marked “not available after 18” or something like
that. Click it, or else you might end up with tutorials from 18-20, or even later.
Remember that it’s mandatory to attend the tutorials, you can miss 2 at the most or else you
fail your class. I had one tutorial every day, which makes travelling hard. The lectures are
(mostly) voluntary and I didn’t like them very much. The workload is much higher compared to
BI. START EARLY.
The relationship between the students and the faculty is good; I never had any problems that
couldn’t easily be solved. When it comes to other students I had a good relationship with
them, though it is easier to relate to the exchange students than the regular students.
Required Literature
Everything is in English, and it’s not hard finding the books. I do however recommend trying to
buy used books or borrowing/copying them at the library since you only use them for 7 weeks.
The level of difficulty varies with each class, but it should not be a problem.
Exams
I had different types of exam: Multiple choice, true or false, a mix of open part and multiple
choice and a final paper. Multiple choice is an okay exam form, but the true or false is not
recommended. True or false sounds easy, but it is the most difficult exam form at the school.
Passing at BI is (quite) easy, but getting a good grade takes work. At Maastricht University
passing is hard, so do not underestimate the amount of work is given. Start working early; you
only have 7 weeks before an exam, not 5 months like we are used to at BI.
Other
The library is quite nice and is located close to the university. Endless printer cues in the
beginning of each block and very occupied during the exam periods but besides from that
very okay. The computers are old but work, bring your own, the wireless internet is very nice
at the guesthouse, school and library.
Description of Courses
Course name
EBC1030
International
Economic Relations
Prereg.
None (but is in a way
an introduction
course to
international
economics)
EBC2014
International
Economics
Microeconomics
EBC1029
Fundamentals of
Supply Chain
Management
None
EBC2070
International
Financial
Management
Basic courses in
finance, economics
and statistics
EBS2019
Communication and
Leadership skills
None
Exam
Multiple choice
exam. Also
participation grade
and group
assignment with
presentation.
True/false exam
Comments
Easy- Medium
Hard.
Multiple choice
exam. Also
participation grade
and group
assignment with
presentations.
Multiple choice +
open part
Not very difficult.
Final paper
I really recommend
this course. It is
interesting and easy
Medium - hard
All my classes were okay, except international economics. The exam form is difficult and not
recommended. The skills class, communication and leadership skills, is a really good class.
It’s easy and doesn’t take that much effort, which is good since it’s the last block of the
semester and most people just want to start their summer holiday.
Any other experiences:
- Get a bike
- Live in the C-building (or P-building)
- Be conscious about your choices regarding classes, it will be harder than you’re used
to. Don’t be overambitious, the PBL system is demanding especially as an exchange
student where you are not used to it and being social takes up a lot of your time.
- Cantus is the best party (it’s a beer-fest in a way), so get tickets quickly, they always
sell out
Please don’t hesitate to ask the International Office for my contact information if there is
anything you want to ask