Sophie Dinh (Germany/Vietnam), University College Maastricht
I remember my first impression of UCM – I came into the building and was greeted by the staff. The common room was filled with students speaking several languages while someone played guitar in the background – it felt like a scene from a movie.

Semester abroad experience
I am planning on studying abroad and UCM fortunately offers a broad range of partner universities across the globe! I plan on going to South Korea or the US for my semester abroad because I am interested how the university systems differ from the ones I am used to. By studying in South Korea, I would be able to get to know an East Asian country with its completely different culture compared to the ones I grew up in.

Maastricht as a student city
Maastricht is such a beautiful and sweet city! I am always amazed whenever I walk the streets or come back and would cross the bridge over the Maas. I like the size of the city as well, especially having lived in Berlin beforehand, where getting around takes up so much time. I think studying in a smaller town for now fits well.

Learning to find a balance
My student life is exciting when I get to spend time with friends. We would go out for drinks or party, meet up for study sessions, for coffee or other activities like playing music, doing sports or getting creative. It depends on the workload how much I am able to do alongside the university work but nevertheless, I very much enjoy both even if it is difficult sometimes to find the right balance. Maastricht offers a lot of events and things to do while being a small town, and getting around is not too much of a hassle.

Other testimonials

  • Yago Hecht
    Yago Hecht (Spain/Germany), University College Maastricht
    I think the community is what makes UCM so special. You always feel like you are studying with a big family around you, ready to support you when you are in need, but also ready to share the most incredible experiences with you.
  • Kate Robinson
    Kate Robinson (South Africa), University College Maastricht
    I have always found the student community at UCM to be very welcoming. Whether it’s having a chat with a student while I wait for some tea or asking for help in a course, everyone is approachable and friendly.
  • Katja Hein
    Katja Hein (Germany/Ireland), University College Maastricht
    I never thought PBL could have such a positive impact on my motivation and willingness to invest more time into academia!
  • Ambre Derumier
    Ambre Derumier (France), University College Maastricht
    My first semester at UCM confirmed that I made the right choice.
  • Liza Diane Gordin
    Liza Diane Gordin (Belgium), University College Maastricht
    The most valuable thing I’ve learned during UCM is that 'it isn’t always that deep'. Sometimes you need to let go of your extreme concernedness about certain things...
  • Paulina Raniecka
    Paulina Raniecka (Poland), University College Maastricht
    Joining UCM felt like joining a big family – I have never felt alone or bored.
  • Testimonial Julia König Maastricht University College
    Julia König (Germany), University College Maastricht
    It's for people who want to do more than one thing and want to be able to combine courses however they want