Hello everyone, this is Phoenix and Ben, your favourite FP siblings! Ben was in the FP set of 2021/2022 and Phoenix has followed in his footsteps in 2022/2023.
We are originally from California, but relocated to Switzerland right before covid. While we are siblings, we went in two different directions for our bachelors. Ben chose International Business (SBE) because he likes management and strategy and would like to go into that field of work. Phoenix chose Digital Society (FASoS) because they are very interested in the impact that digitalization has had on society. Our main interest in UM was in the international experience and overall knowledge we would gain from studying at Maastricht University.
The reason we went to the FP before to our bachelors was due to our prior education not being equivalent with the university’s entrance level. It was an added bonus that we gained a course taught in our native language and got to keep the typical American 4-year university experience!
The FP has helped me understand all the necessary materials as well as make friends from all around with similar goals.
Out of my FP journey I expect to finish the year prepared to feel prepared for my upcoming years in university, and ultimately to finish my bachelors with proper skill. Before coming to Maastricht (and starting the FP), I expected to learn (in the FP) what I needed to fill in the gaps that my prior education missed. I also expected to know my way around the Netherlands, and I can confidently say that I have! I already feel well prepared for moving onto my bachelors and I can’t wait to fully complete my knowledge in the FP. The FP has helped me understand all the necessary materials as well as make friends from all around with similar goals.
It is so cool to meet all kinds of people who have had so many different experiences and it's fun to be able to make some new experiences with them as well! Most of us came from other countries, so it has been a smooth transition into finding my “maas-family”. While hanging out with my friends is fun and exciting, I also enjoy taking my classes, and especially my skills classes.
Skills is exactly what it sounds like, it's a course designed to cover all the skills you’ll need in your future bachelors. I like this course best because of its diversity. So far this year, we’ve covered time management, team communication, proper note taking, presenting and argumentation. Being able to apply these skills in my other courses has helped me so much!
In my time in the FP, I’ve also had time to explore the city. I’ve learned about all the good restaurants, clubs, cafes and study places. It was hard for me to adjust to living away from home, but having good places to frequent made it bearable! That, and my lovely friends of course!
I loved the learning atmosphere of the Foundation Programme, which helped me excel in the programme. This is what I wanted for my younger sister...
I chose the Foundation Programme because I wanted a four year university lifestyle instead of a three year one.
I chose the city Maastricht because there is a heavy international presence here, which was what I wanted to experience at university. The expectations I had were to meet people, and have a good education while being able to travel to different places.
I loved the learning atmosphere of the Foundation Programme, which helped me excel in the programme. This is what I wanted for my younger sister, so I thought I would introduce them to the idea of coming here. The transition (into the bachelor's programme) went very well for me. The learning style was the same, so there was no learning curve for that, however, I was surprised by how much more work there was in university. Yet, I got used to it pretty quickly, which made it feel like nothing had changed.
