When I moved to Maastricht, I genuinely thought I had it all figured out. I had watched the vlogs, read the blogs, and even joined the Facebook groups (you know the ones). Yet somehow, no one told me about the mouse traps, emotional damage, or the fact that hosting house parties is a fast track to burnout.

So, whether you’re about to start your first year or are just Maastricht-curious, here are 10 things I wish someone had told me before I got here. This has been written with love, the value of hindsight, and only a little bit of trauma.

Get the Sticky Mouse Traps

Let’s start with something you probably didn’t expect: the mice. Yes, Maastricht has them. No, the little venom traps don’t work. Yes, I learned this the hard way. Just go straight for the sticky ones and save yourself the 3 a.m. panic attack.

Don’t Get a Job in Your First Semester

If you’re in the fortunate position to do so (unless you really need to!), we recommend not working in your first semester of your first year in Maastricht. You’ve just moved to a new country, started uni, and possibly already discovered that Albert Heijn is now your main personality trait. Give yourself a minute. You’ll have plenty of time to find a part-time job later – and you’ll be much better at balancing it once you actually know where your lecture halls are. Of course, if you are receiving student finance from the Dutch government, you will need to work a certain amount of hours every month, in which case, we believe in you!

Study Groups = Survival

Find yourself a good study group — not just for learning, but for moral support during exam season when everyone’s sanity is slowly slipping away. Of course, you should actually study in the study group (you’ll know it’s gone wrong when you’ve spent 3 hours talking about your flatmate’s situationship).

A student job with the University is a Life Hack

This one changed my life. It’s flexible, manageable with your studies, and allows you to apply for Dutch student finance. It’s what made me financially independent here, and I’ll forever be grateful for that one friend who told me about it. You can look for one here!

Get Involved, But Know When to Say No

Join student associations, go to events, sign up for way too many committees – they’ll make your university life so much richer and fun. You can check our website to find the list of all student associations and clubs. You can also follow us on Instagram. We post our events calendar on our stories twice a month.  But also: make sure to have boundaries. Saying no is powerful. Don’t feel guilty for skipping a borrel (drink in Dutch) to rest, recharge, or watch Netflix in bed like a proper adult. 

Use Maastricht As Your Weekend Launchpad

Maastricht is lowkey the best city for spontaneous European getaways. Brussels, Paris, Cologne, London – all just a Flixbus or budget flight away. Travel whenever you can. Trust me, “I’m going to Prague this weekend” becomes surprisingly normal after year one. You can find our travel reels here!

Love Your Home (and Don’t Be Afraid to Leave It)

Where you live matters. If your roommates are walking red flags or your room makes you feel like a basement-dwelling gremlin our advice is to move. You deserve to feel good in your space. Even if it means temporarily living out of a suitcase while you wait for a new place. It is olay to move every year.

So take your time, laugh at your mistakes, say yes to the fun things (and no when you need to). 

Enjoy Maastricht!