Maastricht University, the Netherlands 2014 Spring Exchange Report The Meuse at Maastricht Cindy Lam Accounting and Management
Activity Log February I arrived at Maastricht on 28 th Jan with three other UST students. We have registered for pick-up service organized by a student association in Maastricht University (MU). It was great to have that because it was such a long way to go to the guesthouse (P-building) from the train station. It took me a few days to settle down, getting to know where the supermarkets and of course our school were. Despite the fact that I was mentally prepared for a whole new teaching method, problem-based learning, I still found it a bit hard to adapt to at the beginning. We had a lot of readings to do before going to tutorials. And we were expected to participate actively in group discussion and share our thoughts. However, it was still possible to travel a bit in the first month. During weekends, I went to Brussels and Cologne with my friends. Both places were quite close to Maastricht, they only took a few hours of train ride. We also went to Valkenburg, a small town near Maastricht. March Carnival was a big thing in Maastricht! There was a parade and parties were everywhere. People dressed up in all kinds of costumes and celebrated together. The best thing was that we had a whole week off because of the carnival. I went to Sweden during the break and it was an amazing trip! After coming back from Sweden, I had to work hard for my study and prepare for all those presentations and exams in early April.
April I went to Amsterdam with my roommate and other friends met in the guesthouse. It was so much fun and we got to see a whole different side of the Netherlands. We also went to Keukenhof to see the stunning flower sea. It was absolutely beautiful. After that trip, I went to Vienna and some other Central and Eastern Europe countries. During the long Easter break, I went to Barcelona. It was really a month of travelling, travelling and travelling. Although it was a bit tiring, all of those trips were wonderful. May It was again a month of studying and hard work. I had to work on projects as well as prepare for the final exams in early June. Still, I managed to travel a bit during weekends and also squeezed a few days before exams for London and Edinburgh. June I went to Italy right after exams and this was the last trip I had in Europe. It was so different from other European countries and I really enjoyed my time spent there. After I got back to Maastricht, I had only one day to pack and get ready to head home. It was a bit too rush and I wish I had more time to say goodbye to the lovely city.
Preparation Visa There will be instructions from Maastricht University, so you just have to follow them then it will be fine. For visa application, there is a requirement of financial support proof, there are several ways you can do it, I chose to transfer money to the University. Personally, I think this is the most convenient way. Accommodation There is a website called Maastricht housing providing various guesthouse options for exchange students. I chose P-building and some other students chose C-building and Heugemerweg. I think the location of both P and C building is quite convenient as there is a big shopping mall nearby with two big supermarkets. However, Heugemerweg is closer to the train station. Course Registration Course registration is simple and straightforward. All you have to do is to follow the instructions and register online those courses you want to take. I took four courses in total, two in each block. I did not take any courses in block six since they only offer skills courses in this block. Courses I have taken: Block 4: EBC 1017 Strategy EBC 2059 Management Accounting Block 5: EBC 2026 Human resource management and Entrepreneurship EBC 2056 International Financial Accounting, Orientation Activities There were some talks held in SBE before the start of the semester. They were about the school, some Dutch cultures as well as some facts and rules of the city. There was a tour around the city which allowed us to get to know more about Maastricht and some nice hangout spots. The next day, a problem-based learning practice session was held in SBE so that we could get a bit prepared before the first school day.
Cost/Expenses Items Food 10000 Accommodation 23000 Travelling 20000 Insurance 3000 Visa 3000 Air Tickets 8000 HK$ Checklist: Passport, ID card ATM card and Credit card Laptop and chargers Winter and Summer clothes (A waterproof jacket would be great) Adaptors Stationery It was an amazing and unforgettable exchange journey. I have met a lot of people, travelled to a lot of places, seen a lot and experienced a lot. It was not a smooth one, there were a lot of challenges, frustrations and everything in between. Still, going on exchange was one of the best decisions I have ever made.