Almost every day here, there are students that make me go ‘WOW’
I have worked with many different kinds of students- economics students, law students, American exchange students- and I think the MSP students are quite special. I have a feeling that the students we have at the MSP are the type of people who are not interested in making it big in the world, but want to change the world.
I’m French, and I moved to the Netherlands a long time ago. I studied English, and I have worked at different departments within Maastricht University. I have been working at the MSP for five years as a planner, helping students with making their schedules.
A different kind of student
What I like most about the MSP is the small scale of the department, the job (obviously), and the type of students we have here. I have worked with many different kinds of students- economics students, law students, American exchange students- and I think the MSP students are quite special. I have a feeling that the students we have at the MSP are the type of people who are not interested in making it big in the world, but want to change the world. I really like that.
Wow moments
Almost every day here, there are students that make me go ‘wow’. Recently, I was impressed with the mass clean-up project ‘Precious plastic' because one of the things that I do in my spare time on Sunday mornings is clean up the streets in our little city with a group of volunteers. And the fact that they are first-year students makes it even more impressive. There are many ‘wow’ moments throughout the day. For instance, when a student gets a 10 for maths, I go ‘wow’. And when a student comes in on the 5th of February saying ‘I don’t have a schedule’, I go also, ‘wow’ in a different way. I do everything I can to make sure that when a student gets their schedule, they can be 100% sure that it is final and that there will be no changes.
Happy to share
I have always been interested in the natural sciences-biology, chemistry, even physics interests me a lot- but I don’t understand everything because I am quite poor at maths. So coming to the Science Programme for me also meant being in an environment that I really like to be in. I enjoy talking to the students, but also to the teachers. Not only are they friendly, but I really learn a lot from them. They all seem to love what they do and are happy to share their knowledge.
Out in nature
Outside of work, I am a nature freak. I love to be outside, especially with animals. I have horses and I take care of them myself. They live in the fields so I like to do horseback riding and I ride a carriage. I feed them, clean them, clean the fields and those kinds of things. For me, being outside of work really means being out there in nature. And the nature around Maastricht is beautiful. There are so many things you can do in nature here- hiking, cycling through the hills, rowing on the water- so many things.
Also read
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I teach the introduction to biology course, which is probably one of the first courses that you will take at the MSP. I also coordinate the practical courses, so the first time that you go to the lab, you will encounter me as well.
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For me, Problem-Based Learning is about democratising the classroom. It is about realising that everyone has something of value to add (not only the teacher) and that everyone in the room can bring something to the discussion. It is a very productive way to solve problems and to move forward.
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What really makes the MSP special is the small-scale teaching and the close contact with students. Us as teachers get to know you as students very well and vice versa. Because of this, I can teach you a lot more than what you need to know to just pass my exams.