Ever think of doing a year of your course in a foreign country? Unsure of what place would suit you best?
We spoke to Patrycja Postrzech, who graduated from IADT Dun Laoghaire with a degree in Psychology. She is currently studying for her masters in Maastricht University in the Netherlands. We asked her about how she has found the move, the city and the college.
1)How expensive do you find living in Maastricht?
Accommodation is relatively cheaper than Dublin, but the standard of it is significantly better in Holland. A lot of the flats are unfurnished, which could be a downside. However, there are lots of places where you can buy and sell furniture though, like Facebook groups. Food costs are very similar to Ireland. Transport is cheaper, although everyone cycles.
2)Did you have trouble finding accommodation?
Yes, because this year there was a student housing crisis in Maastricht. I also had to look for accommodation very last minute, though many of my classmates didn’t have such an issue. I was particularly looking to find a one bed apartment, whereas finding a single room is much easier.
3)What is the biggest difference living in Maastricht to living at home?
There seems to be so many more free events and festivals organised by the city council. There are different types of markets happening regularly, a few days a week. As well as small, free festivals every other weekend.
The architecture and general atmosphere are very different too, in a positive sense.
4)What do you miss most about living in Dublin?
My friends and family, of course.
5)What are the people like?
Really friendly so far, and I’ve made friends in my course very fast. They are helpful, everyone speaks English, but they’re slightly more serious than Irish people.
6)What is your college like? How does it differ from IADT Dun Laoghaire?
First of all, my university is very different from IADT, because it is far larger. It’s about the size of five IADTs. It is very modern and very well-equipped which IADT always lacked. There’s a big canteen and cafés, the library is pretty big and supplies all of the necessary literature. This is only the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. Other campuses are spread around the city.
Because I’m in a Research Masters class, I can only speak of my experience as a Master student. There are about 22 people in my class, and we’re also divided into two groups for the tutorials. It has definitely made it easier to make friends and get to know everyone. Whereas, I’ve heard that when it comes to Bachelor courses, the size of classes are just like in UCD.
Lastly, the university really made an effort to make sure my class gets to know each other before we began the school year. During the Induction week, they have put emphasis on the social side of things and we went for a free dinner and free drinks with our new lecturers. The campus also organized events such as Barbecue night with DJ and vouchers for food and drinks.
However, the course is very intense...
7)What would you say is the biggest attraction of doing an Erasmus year?
I have never done an Erasmus year, but I guess from my experience so far as a student studying abroad, it is just an amazing experience. It’s great to try out something else, see what international universities have to offer, and make friends with people from a different country. At the beginning you definitely feel like you’re outside your comfort zone, but with time you really appreciate it and have so much fun. I personally love to travel, so I would certainly recommend it.
8)What is the nightlife like in Maastricht?
I actually didn’t get a chance to experience the nightlife in Maastricht yet. However, there are three Irish pubs here, managed to go to two – which are pretty fun.
There are clubs here, I’ve heard a lot about them, they seem to be good but haven’t had a chance to go yet due to an overload of college work.
9)Do you have any advice for students who are thinking of studying in Holland
I totally recommend it. Holland is a good place to study because of the fact that everyone knows English, so it is easy to communicate on a daily basis. The teaching method is different than in Ireland, especially in Maastricht as they use problem-based learning, rather than traditional way of teaching. That means, besides attending lectures, we regularly work in small groups on different problems/tasks. Also, the cycling culture is pretty mad but once you get into it, you really blend into the Dutch culture.
People are very nice, there’s a big diversity – including a lot of Irish people – so you won’t feel far from home.
