University College Maastricht

Katja was born in a small town in Cavan, Ireland, but graduated from a bilingual high school in Berlin, Germany. She grew up in 4 different countries: Albania, USA, Poland and Germany and has a German-Irish nationality. Before coming to UCM, Katja started studying at the Technical University in Berlin, “but the huge lecture halls and impersonal interactions between students and lecturers were not what I had envisioned my studies to look like. Here at UCM, people actually care if you show up to class, and the unique learning method really encourages the thought exchange among the students. I never thought PBL could have such a positive impact on my motivation and willingness to invest more time into academia.”  

Now, as a 2nd year student at UCM, Katja focusses on courses in the Social Sciences, including psychology, sociology and international relations. “Outside of UCM, I take tennis courses at UM Sports and go to the gym. Last year I was a delegate at the United Nations Student Association Maastricht, but I am currently looking for other ways to get involved in our community since the opportunities are endless! Additionally, I am very excited to be going to the University of California on my semester abroad next year. Many of my friends are also going abroad to one of UCM’s partner universities, which are spread all across the globe. Other destinations include Singapore, South Korea, England, Turkey or Spain. This is an incredible opportunity to experience student life outside of UCM and Maastricht, and 85% of UCM students actually go on a semester abroad!”