Undine Rubeze shares her experience of taking a liberal arts and sciences program as an international student in the Netherlands.
Studying abroad was a long-held ambition for Latvian student Undine Rubeze, who was also keen to study in English. However, studying in the country in which the language originated did not appeal: “Universities in the UK, which were very popular with my friends, did not attract me at all. I wanted to try something different.”
Online research threw up the possibility of studying in the Netherlands – where a sizeable proportion of courses are conducted in English. It was the University of Maastricht that most caught her eye, striking her as “innovative, future-orientated and international compared with other Dutch universities.” It was Maastricht’s ‘problem based learning’ (PBL) that most attracted her though: “[PBL] allows students to study in small groups and provides lots of space for discussions, debates, presentations, team-work and individual learning. Consequently, students acquire practical skills as well as academic knowledge.”
Applying to study in the Netherlands
Undine did not use an agency, believing that application to university is something that students are better off handling themselves. “Even though the application procedure often seems complicated, with patience and careful research it is possible to apply without the help of agency,” she reflects.
“Of course, I took advantage of the opportunity to contact the people at my faculty and ask them questions concerning the application procedure; however, in general I can say that it was rather simple and easy.”
She adds, for the benefit of anyone thinking of following in her footsteps, that “It really helped to apply relatively early since then you can receive replies quicker than others and have time to prepare everything without rushing.”
The freedom of a liberal arts program
Now she’s begun studying, how is Undine finding her course? “Exciting! After reading the program description which said that students have the possibility to combine their fields of interests in one study program I was absolutely amazed. It was always hard for me to define what exactly interests me the most and therefore I could not really decide between economics & business, international relations, and journalism. In the end I chose Liberal Arts and Sciences since it offered me the chance to combine them. I could not have done this in Latvia.”
The benefit of such a flexible course is that it has also given her some scope to discover new interests: “After starting my studies I moved away from my original plans and I discovered I have a passion and sometimes even a talent for law. That was a big surprise for me and now I tend to focus mostly on international/European law – especially trade and business law. Nevertheless, from time to time I also still take International relations classes.”
Inevitably, not everyone can get their head around what Undine’s course entails. “After two years of studies my friends and relatives still keep on asking what exactly I am studying, and I have trouble explaining to them that in the end I won’t be awarded a diploma that would let me enter a particular profession.” It is exactly this scope for further flexibility, however, that appeals to her: “To be honest, having a diploma of Liberal Arts and Sciences means freedom, since now I can apply for very different master’s programs.”
Despite her relaxed approach to specialization, she is slightly concerned that sometimes university education can seem out of kilter with real life. “I encounter interesting theories during my studies; however, often I realize they cannot always be applied to real life. Moreover, I wish that we could get credit points for doing internships.”
Studying within an international community
University isn’t all about credit points and academia though, so we wondered how she was getting on socially. “During my studies I’ve made a lot of friends from a lot of countries. People come and go and every year you meet new people and say goodbye to others. There is a constant flow of students, which is on the one hand very exciting, but on the other is also very sad. Many students go on exchange programs, which can lead to situations where you don’t see some of your friends for a year!”
Maastricht is renowned as a very international university – indeed, that is part of the reason Undine was drawn to it in the first place, Has she found this is borne out by reality? “Maastricht is very international – we have many students from all around Europe. Dutch and Germans dominate, but there are a lot of ‘truly international’ students at UCM. Studying in such an environment is very interesting and you can learn a lot about different cultures and perspectives people have. I still remember a discussion between American, Russian and German students about World War Two that occurred on one of my first days. It was exciting to see how their thoughts and arguments differed.”
It doesn’t come as much of surprise to hear that she hasn’t yet established a clear plan for her future, but hints that perhaps she has a better idea then she’s willing to let on. She is less reticent when it comes to advocating international study. “I would recommend studying abroad to each and every student! I think there is no better way how to fully open your eyes to the world. The people you meet, the stories you hear, the experiences you have will all make you realize that the world can be extremely exciting, and that despite of the differences that exist between us we also have a lot in common.
"Studying abroad is not necessarily easy at the beginning, however, after some time you realize that all the hard work is rewarded and what you get from your studies in a different country is much more than just an education.”