Psychology & Neuroscience in Europe

The Psychology and Neuroscience program stood out to me because I knew I wanted to study abroad in western Europe and Maastricht had a perfect central location and the tailored coursework fit seamlessly with my major at UC San Diego as a Cognitive Neuroscience student. I knew all the classes would transfer and be relevant for my career goals. I can't even a choose a favorite memory from study abroad! Was it biking with my friends across town, rain or shine? Hiking down to the scenic Howth cliffs or trying to blend in with the kids at the Miffy museum or celebrating Halloween at Thuis with Riya in our horrendously bad costume? My study abroad experience was definitely the highlight of my college career and I recommend everyone to step out of their comfort zone and immerse themselves in a new culture and lifestyle for a few months when anything is possible at our age!

Living in Maastricht for 6 months proved to be a unique cultural immersive experience. A cozy Dutch university city, the opportunities for unique and local experiences were endless. In the end, I felt as though I truly did live in another country, and have come to call Maastricht my home away from home.

Maastricht is a perfect place to call home while you explore Europe! A cozy and approachable Dutch city in the heart of Europe, you will feel comfortable calling it your home after even a short while. The juxtaposition of the beautiful rolling Limburg hills against the medieval fortresses scattered throughout the city, with a large international student population, makes it a wonderful place to study abroad.

The psychology classes I took were an amazing experience. The classes had there easy and hard days/tasks but overall I learned so much. The staff members are there for you and for your success through your time abroad. It’s was nice knowing they are always available no matter the issue. My overall abroad adventure felt like a dream come true. I always wanted to travel since I was little and this program gave me that opportunity! Definitely an unforgettable abroad experience!

Psychology and Neuroscience in Maastricht offers a wide variety of courses that are available to fit your degree needs or interests! I took a positive psychology class with CES here in Maastricht which actually ended up being one of my favorite classes I’ve ever taken — I learned so much and felt like I walked away with lots of applicable skills and knowledge. The CES staff is amazing; they are always available for any questions or issues you might have, related to your classes, travel, or any other issues you might be having while abroad. Also, they plan amazing trips and events for us to go on as a program with lots of included things to do which are always so fun. My study abroad experience has been amazing, with a bunch of wonderful new friends that I’ve met, beautiful travel destinations, and lots of experiences for me to grow as an individual and as a student. Balancing school, travel, and social activities at the same time can be difficult at times, but it is more than worth it in the end and will give you so many of the best memories of your life.

The Psych and Neuro program provides a wide range of classes, from learning about our development to regulating your emotions. The classes allow for engagement with students from various cultural and academic backgrounds, fostering long-term relationships. A large part of CES is the coordinators! Through their guidance and empathy they give a whole new meaning to the saying “a home away from home”. Study abroad has changed my life, from friendships, experiences, and networks. I cannot wait to be back again very soon!

I feel passionate about the class material. The topics discussed raise my curiosity about further research opportunities I could pursue. The staff members are so welcoming and filled with high spirits. I always feel seen, heard and cared for. I feel free to follow my heart desires and extend my focus towards the things I personally enjoy. Touring Europe has been an added plus and I feel I am on a path towards great success.

I had a great time studying abroad at Maastricht University through CES. I was able to take fun and informative field trips to Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris. CES faculty and courses were very supportive of our learning, and wanted to make sure that we were able to succeed in Maastricht. Maastricht itself was a very safe environment, with plenty of activities and fun shops to explore. Lastly, I was able to explore neuroscience research at Maastricht University, and expand my knowledge of neuroscience with neuroimaging techniques.

Traveling to the Netherlands was a wonderful experience. I made amazing friends with whom I still keep in touch and made more memories than I can count. I don't think that having fun studying abroad is a given, however. Being away from home can be hard. It can feel isolating as you're separated from everything and everyone you know and flourishing in that type of environment takes courage. I'm glad that I pushed myself to hang out with strangers and form bonds in the first couple of months so I felt grounded. After I made friends and socialized I began to travel to a different country every weekend for the last two months. I did most of my traveling solo because that's something I've always wanted to do, but I don't think traveling alone is for everyone. What I'm trying to say is that each person will thrive in a different environment and find out what they like and don't like through experience. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and take advantage of this opportunity and you'll find your own balance.

Deciding to go abroad was the best decision I have made in my life. Exploring different countries and cultures has been such an eye-opening experience; it really makes you feel how big the world truly is. The program's schedule has been very accommodating to my thirst for travel, yet the classes are still academically fulfilling. Maastricht itself is a very clean, diverse, and friendly city; it's also close to Belgium and Germany making travel easy. I like that I can also feel safe enough to walk alone at night even if leaving a bar past 2am. If you're someone whose looking to travel and study around Europe, I would definitely recommend CES Maastricht.

With times of struggles, this was the first semester reopened for study abroad and the team of leaders/ organizers for Maastricht abroad program out did themselves. They gave us step by step instructions for everything we would need to do throughout the semester to ensure a safe stay. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to study abroad in Maastricht. I also appreciated the scheduled events and trips included within the abroad program. Having group dinners with new friends, and heading to different countries along the way will be some of my best memories.

The number of exchange students in Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience is a small and intimate group, which makes it feel like all your academic concerns are addressed. The courses are very different from traditional lectures because they require self-initiative and are completely discussion based. The CES staff have been incredibly helpful from finding me a local chiropractor, to giving travel suggestions, academic guidance, and tips on stress relief. You realize how lucky CES students are to have the resources, cultural trips, guidance, and community they provide— especially when you compare yourself to other exchange students. Studying abroad has made me more globally mindful, open to uncertainty, and conscious of how fortunate I am to have experienced like these. I’ve gained a huge boost in independence and have learned to make the most of every moment and adventure!

I am so fortunate I found myself at CES Maastricht for a full semester in their Psychology and Neuroscience Program. As a neuroscience major, I found the classes challenging and the teaching style completely different than that of my small liberal arts school, Trinity College. I loved the change! I learned more about myself as a student than I thought possible, as I was much more independent in making sure I had studied enough and did the work to the best of my ability. I found the way classes were taught, using problem based learning (PBL) was quite different than I was used to, but allowed me to really explore what specific subtopics I was interested in. Outside of class, I found myself the unique opportunity to travel to several different places around Europe. Through CES, I was able to explore Berlin, Germany, Brussels and Ghent, Belgium, and of course, Amsterdam. Not only were the trips well organized and thoughtful, but each trip had one activity that was focused to each students specific study track. For example, as I am studying neuroscience, I was able to visit a psychiatry museum in Ghent and in Berlin, I had the unique and prominent opportunity to attend a talk given by a Professor at Maastricht University for other Maastricht Alumni. His talk was about his groundbreaking research and after the talk I was able to meet with him and through that connection I am currently working to pursue some research with him next. year. CES not only provided some travel opportunities but also great events for students to get to know each other and Maastricht. By the end of my time at Maastricht I felt I had met so many new people from all corners of the world. If I were able to go abroad again, I would make the same decision to go to Maastricht in a heart-beat.

I enjoyed every moment of my semester abroad in Maastricht, Netherlands. The psychology and neuroscience program made me think about the world perspective in this scientific research. The courses are challenging enough to keep you engage in the readings and discussions. The professors are emerged so well into their research that it becomes extremely inspiring. We also got to take a field trip with our program, and got to hear closely about neuroscience research and get a little bit of history on psychology through our visit to a museum in Gent. The program is flexible so you can also take other courses outside of neuroscience and through that I was able to take courses in Public Health. My experience there was more than just academics though. I met people from around the world, and it really provided me with a more worldly perspective. Plus, I lived with people from all around the world who were also studying abroad. One of my favorite memories of my time there is that every Tuesday, the people I lived with would have family dinners, where we could cook traditional food from our country or just cook any type of food overall. It was a nice way to bond and get to know more about the people I lived with!