A Day In The Life Of A Business School Student In The Netherlands

As a large investment in your future, where you choose to study at business school can shape both your study experience and future career prospects.  

A key business hub in Europe, the Netherlands attracts business school students from around the world each year. The country offers a highly international learning environment, complete with relatively affordable living costs and opportunities to travel throughout Europe.

Are you considering attending business school in the Netherlands?

BusinessBecause spoke with Master in Management students from Maastricht School of Management (MSM) to find out what a typical day in the life is like for a business school student in Maastricht, one of the country’s cultural and historical hubs.

Kicking things off with an early morning walk to class

For students on the Master in Management, the day begins with a series of early morning classes.

Being on campus in the morning means students can make the most out of the facilities on offer on Tapijnkazerne campus. The scenic campus is surrounded by nature and has plenty of workspaces for students to study, as well as a restaurant and café.  

It’s the perfect place to stop off for a morning coffee before a walk to class.

A day packed with learning

Classes begin from nine in the morning and last until five in the afternoon. They cover a range of modules including management science, supply chain management, entrepreneurship, accounting, HR, cultural diversity, and many more.

At Maastricht, students are encouraged to take their learning outside of the classroom and apply their newfound knowledge within a practical setting.

The one-year Master in Management offers various practice-based assignments, interactive lectures, and projects to keep students engaged in their learning. The program has 13 core courses, includes a group company project, a supply chain management project, a personal development portfolio of workshops and an integrative final project.

MSM Master in Management student, Reynold Sebastian, a former project coordinator for Tetra Pak, feels the unique curriculum has helped him expand his business acumen.

“The courses are aligned with thesis preparation and program milestones such as the Group Company Project. This means that every course is designed to build on the knowledge and skills gained in previous courses, providing a cohesive learning experience,” he says. 

Making time for extracurricular activities

A typical day at business school is not just about study. Whether you’re interested in debate clubs, sport competitions, or voluntary experience, there are a variety of extracurricular activities on offer to cater to everyone. 

This could also mean making the most out of the diverse sports complex, for example, which offers a variety of activities including football, squash, and badminton.  

For MSM Master in Management student, Farida Abdul, extracurricular activities are a great opportunity to strengthen her involvement with the university and wider community. 

Farida is a representative for MSM as part of the national Sustainable Development Goal-Challenge. An initiative set up in the Netherlands which aims to bring business students and companies together to devise solutions to combat climate change.

As part of her involvement in the challenge, Farida spends her free time working with other students to create sustainable solutions for companies, which will contribute to their own sustainable development goals.  

Take the time to develop your personal brand while at business school 

For many students at MSM, it is important to make the most out of the non-academic opportunities and programs on offer.

Programs such as the Career and Personal Development Track offers students a chance to better understand their own abilities, encouraging self awareness, and providing the tools to develop their own personal brand.

The Personal Development Portfolio coordinated by Professor Geert Heling is on offer to students throughout the year, focusing on teaching them how to develop their management and team skills.

In addition, MSM organizes a Corporate week. Throughout the week there are chances to join in on CV workshops, career development classes, presentation skills workshops, and job application support sessions.

“Making use of these services has been incredibly helpful and has guided me with tools that I need to succeed after graduation,” says Reynold.

Spending the evening exploring Maastricht 

Of course, after classes end there are many opportunities to get off campus and explore the surrounding area. Getting out into Maastricht in the evening is the perfect way to round off an intensive day. The heavily student-populated city is packed with history and filled with people from all over the world.

“There are so many great places to eat and sports to try out in Maastricht, I always make it a point to spend time exploring new parts of the city whenever I can. It is an international city, and this has allowed me to meet all kinds of people and learn about different cultures,” says Reynold.