In terms of program structure and educational model, I liked the fact that it was a 2-year program, where the second year is entirely focused on practical experience, with one semester for an internship and a semester for the thesis. This allowed me to get plenty of work-related experience and create connections in the job industry. For a lot of us, internship and thesis are a springboard to getting a job post-graduation. I was also attracted by the Project Centered Learning approach for a similar reason to that of the internship and thesis: I learn a lot through practice, and the more hands-on experience, the better!
What do you think of Maastricht as a city?
I really like Maastricht. I find it beautiful and well-maintained. It is a wealthy city, as you can tell by the care taken in curating its aesthetics. At the same time, it has a large student population and, partly thanks to its geographical location, is very international, which gives it a young and lively vibe. I fell in love with the city: it is pretty, big enough for it to be socially and culturally active, has young vibes, and at the same time, it is small enough to feel cozy and familiar. Finally, I love biking, and I find the countryside and roads around the city the perfect bike and running land: good infrastructure, surrounded by fields and hills.
What are your plans after graduating?
I will stay around in Maastricht for a few months, and then I am hoping to move a bit north, somewhere in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-The Hague area, to work. Five years from now, I will probably still be in the Netherlands. I like the lifestyle in this country, and life quality is high. There are also a lot of interesting job opportunities for someone in the data science field. But who knows!