CES Maastricht

Maastricht University’s Summer Program for European Studies was an absolutely amazing experience. Maastricht is a great location - at the southern tip of The Netherlands between Belgium and Germany - making it easy for travel around Europe. The city itself is gorgeous. The streets are full of character, there are cute little shops everywhere, and by the river is the perfect spot to enjoy all the city offers. I got to truly experience Dutch life there, from riding bikes around the city, eating traditional food, shopping at farmer’s and flea markets, and exploring all the beautiful streets to everything in between. The people there, especially the CES staff, are wonderful, as is the food and the beer. I felt right at home during the program and really didn’t want to leave when my time was over. I took two classes, a study tour and a media class, both of which were very interesting, fun, interactive, and very informational. My professors were awesome people and I learned a lot from them. The other students were just as excited about the whole program as I was which made it easy to make friends and have a lot of fun bar and club hopping (everyone in our program spent a lot of time at the Shamrock, St. Peter’s Irish Pub, Cliniq, and de Alla so check those out). There are also a whole bunch of cute cafes and smaller bars like Cafe Forum which has great live jazz nights. The Guesthouse was a nice place to live in during the program and offered a bunch of different living arrangements - though not much time was really spent inside while I was in such a great city. This program is well suited for all kinds of people, I definitely recommend it! I can’t wait to go back!

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!

Deciding to study abroad at Maastricht University as a part of their CES program was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The people in Maastricht are some of the nicest and most welcoming people that I ever had the pleasure of meeting.The CES staff, alongside the International Student Network at Maastricht (ISN), gave us all sorts of helpful advice, ranging from how to succeed in our classes, to tips for the best places to enjoy the night life at Maastricht.
 The following are a few key aspects of my experience in the program: Class sizes were smaller facilitating a better relationship with the instructors. The rhythm of life in Maastricht contrasts my life in California in the sense that things were very slowed down. I wasn’t in such a rush to do everything like I am living at home. While it was different at first, I grew to appreciate it very much and to appreciate giving everything its proper time. Maastricht being next to Belgium and Germany afforded us to be able to travel around and visit both those countries. 
 This amazing adventure taught me a lot more than I anticipated. Even though I learned about business in my classes, I learned about a lot more outside of my classes. I learned about dutch culture, and many other european cultures. This trip enriched me in ways I cannot put in words. It was definitely an experience of a lifetime!