Keystone logo

Global Ambassador Ade: The Beautiful City of Maastricht

Global Ambassador Ade shares her insights on how to succeed when applying for university and highlights what it's like to live in Maastricht.

Jan 18, 2019
  • Student Stories
  • Study Abroad in the Netherlands
  • Study Abroad in Europe

Maastricht School of Management and the Beautiful City in the South of the Netherlands

The Positive Effect of a Supportive Atmosphere and Environment on Your Studies

The Netherlands is well known as a great place for higher education. The country is home to countless innovations and many giant multinational companies that get their start here. However, have you ever been to Maastricht? Maastricht is a city in the southern region of the Netherlands, pretty close to the border of Germany and Belgium.

The Atmosphere

Maastricht is a small city that gives you the feeling of a balanced life. The people, so warm, smile and say “Hoi” to everyone, even to the stranger. This is a totally different atmosphere if you are accustomed to living in big cities such as Amsterdam or The Hague. It is commonly said that Dutch people speak bluntly and in a straightforward way while using a low context of communication, but the people of Maastricht are always very nice.

These insights will help you to adjust and get along with them, especially if you are coming from Asia and facing culture shock through a low context of communications vs. high context of communication like we are accustomed to experiencing. These insights will also help you a lot when facing the second phase of culture shock: “frustrations”.

Maastricht offers a good atmosphere for students to complete their studies. This small city provides all you need to succeed. You can enjoy the library with a great sunset view and a massive garden will calm your mind during a stressful exam time.

Moreover, as an Asian, you will not find any difficulty in buying something, as there is an Asian store nearby. Besides that, there are a lot of hang out places for students and cafés and restaurants are available for chilling time. However, the shopping center is not that complete as not all brands have opened a branch in Maastricht, but this is actually a good thing to keep the student pocket stable!

The city of Maastricht provides a romantic glow throughout the city and the greatest event, the Christmas Market, will warm your heart during winter. Finally, when the spring and summer seasons come, the city wakes up like a young soul. Maastricht also has a super fun carnival where everyone dresses up, grabs a drink and then the music hits the city. The carnival is a beloved tradition and the biggest one is held in February every year.

The Academics

I chose the Maastricht School of Management (MSM) in particular because it offers quality assurance, accreditation, and membership opportunities to NVAO (Netherland Flemish Accreditation Organizations), AMBA (Association of MBA), ACBSP (Accreditation Council of Business School Program), IACBE (International Accreditation Council for Business Educations) and ATHEA (Association of Transnational Higher Education Accreditation).

One of the unavoidable hurdles that must be faced as a student will be the challenge of finding good accommodation. It is very difficult to find housing for students, but MSM encourages students to search for housing early after admission and provides several housing options. One of the options is Aparthotel Randwyck which is comfortably located next to MSM and considered affordably priced for students.

A Student’s Journey to the Maastricht School of Management

Before we start the marathon of our journey to make our studying abroad dreams happen, let’s put our feet on the ground, take a deep breath and get prepared:

The Investment of an MBA Program at MSM

I will never say that the MBA program is inexpensive; we all know that one of the most expensive tuition price tags is associated with an MBA program. It is affordable for the crazy rich people all over the world, but obviously, I am not a part of that community. However, this program is expensive because it’s shaping each student’s mindset while operating as a professional degree.

The program may seem like it will cost you a fortune but I resist using the word “cost” because it means something you will burn through. Let’s change our perspectives and set our minds to realizing that this is an “investment” rather than a “cost.” The return on your investment in your studies will be immeasurable, so investing your money on your education is lucrative.

Do not worry if you are not one of those “Crazy Rich People” (me neither), you still can continue your studies in an MBA program because you will never be alone. There are so many countries, NGOs, companies & foundations offering grants and scholarships for higher education. All we have to do is just diligently seek out these opportunities.

Compared to other business schools (after 3 years), MSM is reasonably priced and they offer a selection of generous scholarships for foreign students. So even if you are not a part of the Crazy Rich People, you still can be a part of the MBA program and live the dream by continuing your higher education at Maastricht School of Management.

Studies Start Earlier and Your Preparation Should Too

An appropriate IELTS/TOEFL test score is a MUST. Preparation classes will greatly help you improve your skills and overall score. As your desired field of study is an MBA, the GMAT / GRE exam is another MUST. Proper studying techniques are essential in your preparation phase and it will continue to be important after classes have begun. Prepare for the proper mentality from the very beginning.

The Admission Process and Interview

The admission process is the first obstacle in being accepted at the university of your choice. You must prepare all of your documents, translated by a professional translator and fill out the entire application online. For further information, I suggest you contact the MSM admissions team, they will answer all of your questions and guide you through the application process.

After the first stage, you will have the second stage and also a final one in which you will be interviewed by a member of the admissions team. At this point in the process MSM will need you to answer why you chose MSM and why you should be selected as their newest MBA student. Convince them that you are a great candidate!

Make sure to take all of these points into consideration when thinking about applying for a program at Maastricht School of Management!