“The freedom to go for a run at 23:00, go stargazing until 03:00, eat whenever you want to, or stay in bed on days you don’t have class is quite frankly amazing.” Emma Small enjoys the freedom and fun being a student offers. “However, on top of my newly gained freedom, I found that having to cook every night, keep your room clean, and do the laundry always takes more time than you think.”

Emma started her bachelor’s programme at the Maastricht Science Programme in 2022. She moved from her hometown, Den Bosch, to Maastricht. The Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach was one of the main reasons for choosing MSP. “Problem-Based Learning is a type of education where you learn by asking questions and sharing expertise with your fellow students. The student-to-student teaching aspect of PBL is especially important at MSP, where people from vastly different backgrounds share what they know. For me, this works better than just listening to a teacher explain and following it up with a couple of exercises. As someone who learns by speaking and listening rather than from books, PBL matches my learning style and helps me pick up knowledge quicker.”

At MSP, Emma focuses her studies on the quantum world by taking courses on quantum mechanics, quantum physics, and quantum chemistry. “Because at MSP, you choose your own curriculum, I’m able to follow courses on both physics and chemistry. After my bachelor's, I want to continue my studies by taking a master’s programme in quantum physics or quantum chemistry.”