Normal attendance at Master's Open Day despite coronavirus concerns

The six faculties of Maastricht University opened their doors to prospective master’s students on Saturday. “No record attendance this time, but still a high number considering the impact of the coronavirus,” says one of the organisers, Yvette Sliepen. “Nearly 2,000 students signed up for the day and we’re happy that many of them turned up to find out more about the programmes we offer.”

The visitors browsed the information markets and joined workshops, presentations and in-depth sessions on the individual programmes. Many took the opportunity to meet current master’s students and get to know more about their experience with studying and living in Maastricht.

UM staff were at hand to share information about applications and admissions and offer career advice. And, of course, there were drinks and snacks to wrap up the day in an informal setting.

Master Open Day presentations

More than half of the visitors were Dutch, most of the foreign students came from Germany and Belgium. The two most popular faculties were once again the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences and the School of Business and Economics.

Reactions

Visitor feedback to the Open Day was generally positive. 20-year-old Aimée from The Hague was impressed by the open, informal atmosphere and the friendliness of staff and students. "I'm used to studying in working groups, so the intimate, small-scale education at UM definitely appeals to me. And the ‘vlaai’ [local pie, ed] looks very tasty."

23-year-old Sura from Egypt also had a great time. She is currently studying in Venlo and considering moving to the Maastricht Sustainability Institute. "I’m very much interested in the subject and I’m impressed by the commitment of the people at the institute. I've already had in-depth discussions with them today. Very pleasant."

Julia from Maastricht, 22 years old, enjoyed a good session at FASoS. With her bachelor's nearly wrapped up, she has discovered that her strength lies in writing essays. And that PBL works very well for her. "So, yes, I think I’ve found my way here at the uni..."

Next Master's Open Day

If you missed the Master’s Open Day on Saturday, you may want to block your calendar for the next Master's Open Day, scheduled for 21 November 2020. And have a look at our event page on Facebook.

In the meantime, make sure to join our one-hour online interactive talk show about our master’s programmes on Thursday 12 March at 12.00.

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