Onder Uns - Psychology and Neuroscience

singing ’Angel’ by
Robbie Williams with
10,000 Germans is
my kind of party
Onder Uns | December 2006 | 05
Foreigner in Maastricht
Eric Lussier
Eric Lussier is een uitwisselingsstudent uit Canada die aan de Faculteit der Psychologie een
aantal keuzevakken volgt. Eind december 2006 zal hij weer terugkeren naar Canada.
My decision to study abroad began from the moment I left my friend after travelling. He was
in transit for an exchange in Australia and I was going home to Canada. One year had passed
of hearing all my friend’s great stories while I was stuck at University of Victoria with the
travel bug. In December he was coming home, which was good because I hadn’t seen him
for a long time and it signalled the end of his stories. He told me “Eric if you don’t do an
exchange you’re going to regret it.” This seemed like the perfect way to get back to travelling
and at the same time complete my degree. My friend was so serious about this he actually
helped me fill out my application.
Great! I decided to go on exchange, now comes the daunting task to choose where to go.
Europe was my first choice, since there are many countries that are all relatively close to each
other. I wanted to integrate into a culture which was different than my own and also try and
learn a language (I emphasize try because at the moment I have failed miserably in trying to
learn Dutch). I am also not keen on cold temperature (which doesn’t make sense for a
Canadian I know, I know). So I was left with several options. I ended up choosing Maastricht
because I was attracted to the differences in cultures between the Netherlands and the rest
of Western Europe, and because I thought that this would be a good starting point to provide
me with experience to pursue my dreams to work internationally.
Since arriving in Maastricht I have been amazed by the ancient architecture and the long
history of the city. Canada has many things to offer, but ancient history is definitely not one
of them. The city also has a lively international student atmosphere, which gives it a young
and exciting pace of life. My guesthouse at Majellastraat has been a great place to live, as
there are great people from all over the world, and they have become my family away from
home. I was especially pleased with the social events that were organized upon my arrival.
Namely the introduction camping trip to Belgium allowed me to meet many Dutch students.
These students have been open and have accepted me as one of their own. So much so, that
they encouraged me to join the A-cie, a party planning committee where all other students
are Dutch. This has allowed me to fully integrate into the Dutch culture. In addition, the PBL
has been a pleasant surprise and has allowed me to be much more proactive in my learning
process.
Another advantage of Maastricht is it proximity to other countries in Europe. Which is a major
difference compared to Canada, since the next big city from my home is a 12 hour drive. This
has allowed me to explore many different countries and at the same time settle my thirst for
travelling. Some travelling highlights include: watching France play Italy at the Stade de
France (my first live football match), the Oktoberfest in Munich (singing ’Angel’ by Robbie
Williams with 10,000 Germans is my kind of party), and surfing in the Basque Country of
France, which simply put, was beautiful.
My overall experience in Maastricht has been amazing. The friends I have made as well as
the experiences had will last a lifetime. My only complaint with the exchange is that I will only
be staying for four months and will have to leave behind a beautiful city and great friends too
soon. I believe that the exchange has allowed me to challenge myself and as a result, now
have gained confidence in my abilities to pursue my dreams for working internationally. Who
knows? That place might one day be Maastricht…