Considered one of the most international universities in the Netherlands Maastricht University offers a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences, giving students the flexibility to study different disciplines in parallel. After completing her first year of a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations in France, Léa decided to call on Your Dream school to help her enter this Bachelor’s program at the University of Maastricht. University College of Maastricht.
Profile
FIRST NAME : Léa
NATIONALITY : French
NAME OF PROGRAM Bachelorof Liberal Arts and Sciences
UNIVERSITY NAME : University College of Maastricht (UCM)
BACCALAURÉAT TYPE AND RESULT Baccalauréat (A-levels), summa cum laude, scientific stream, Earth Sciences option
NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL Institut de Genech
Study abroad
Why did you decide to study abroad?
I entered the Catholic University of Lille to study political science and international relations after my baccalauréat.
After a year, I realized that the French educational approach didn’t necessarily suit me and that I wanted to discover different educational methods and evolve in an international environment.
I therefore decided to study abroad, in particular after attending a summer school in 2020 organized by King’s College in London.
Why did you choose UCM?
What factors were decisive in your choice?
I’d started out looking at Leiden University College, but finally realized that UCM was more suited to what I was looking for. Adam Girsault was very helpful and told me about universities in the Netherlands.
The Bachelor’s degree offered by UCM was also more multidisciplinary.
I wanted to combine science courses with international relations and political science.
What was the admissions and selection process like?
I applied during my Licence 1 year in France between November and December.
I had to write an answer to 3 motivational questions.
That was the hardest part.
I wasn’t very comfortable with this format, but Your Dream School was able to help me.
After sending in my application, I was declared eligible and then had to attend an interview.
How did you prepare for the new school year?
(Administrative and academic procedures…)
I had to search for an apartment in Maastricht.
1st year courses
What did you like about your Bachelor’s degree?
I’m doing a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences.
What really appealed to me and convinced me to leave my Bachelor’s degree in France was the possibility of studying whatever you wanted.
In this Bachelor’s degree, we can really explore all the different fields of study. >University science and social science disciplines.
En licence en France, j’ai étudié les sciences politiques et les relations internationales.
À UCM, j’ai l’opportunité de continuer à découvrir ces matières tout en étudiant aussi les sciences et les humanités.
Did you have to choose your courses in the first year?
We have a number of >mandatory coursesFor example, we have a Contemporary World History course, a Political Philosophy course, a Philosophy of Science course and a Science, Reason and Human Progress course.
However, we are also free to choose our courses in the first year and explore different disciplines.
I like all the courses I’ve chosen.
In the first semester (September to December), I chose a course on American foreign policy, a course on neuroanatomy and a course on human rights.
Did you find it difficult to adapt to the education system?
The teaching methods are different. We are small groups of students, i.e. around 12 people, in tutorials. This gives us more opportunities to express ourselves and to exchange with other students and the teacher. It’s a positive and enriching discovery. I had difficulty with spoken English at the beginning of the semester, but I’ve improved.
Does UCM support foreign students?
I don’t know if there’s any specific support.
However, there are a lot of us foreign students, and there’s a real sense of mutual support and understanding when one of us has more difficulties.
Do you have a lot of work to do?
We have quite a heavy workload.
It takes some getting used to at first.
We have courses in the first semester to help us get organized and adapt to the teaching methods.
These classes also become forums where students can talk freely about their difficulties and get advice.
How many hours of lessons do you have a week?
I have about fifteen hours of classes a week.
The number of hours in the Bachelor’s program at UCM is lower than in my Bachelor’s program in France, but we have a lot of personal work to do in this Bachelor’s program.
Into the future
What’s student life like at UCM?
I haven’t yet had the opportunity to get really involved in student life, as I was very focused on my courses during my first few months at UCM.
However, there’s a very good atmosphere on campus.
There are lots of student associations.
I live close to the campus and can get there easily.
How did you manage to fit in?
We are often between students–e–s in class, on campus or during extra-curricular activities.
The groups change regularly, making it easy to meet new people.
1st year courses
What are your plans for the future?
The advantage of UCM is that you don’t have to decide what you want to do straight away.
I don’t know yet whether I’m going to go into the sciences or the social sciences, politics or international relations.
What advice or recommendations would you give to a French student interested in joining UCM?
I’d say that to get into UCM you have to love learning, discovering, researching and reading.
These are fundamental aspects for success and fulfillment in this program!
If, like Léa, you would like to study at University College Maastricht or a university in the Netherlands, don’t hesitate to >contact us at to discuss your plans!
