Maastricht University - law & future training contracts

[BeingFluffy]

Early days yet (just started Sixth Form) but DD is now considering law. She only got 3A*/6A, so Oxbridge and some others may be out of the question (not being snobby - she is at a selective school so not as good as some of her peer group). We live in London, but I would really like her to have the whole university experience by living away from home.

The English language European Law degree at Maastricht is quite tempting - fees a lot cheaper - rents possibly less than the UK and part time work available. I am half Dutch myself and have relatives in another part of the Netherlands and she likes it there. I also think the teaching style - problem based learning - would really suit her. The course does not give exemption so she would have to do the conversion course back in England to start professional training but that is ok.

My question is really whether she would be judged harshly for doing a degree at Maastricht rather than say UCL when applying for training contracts?

I have read the posts on Student Room from people at Maastricht already but if anyone has a child there at the moment it would also be interesting to hear their perspective. Most of all did they make a positive choice to go there or was it prompted by financial reasons or lack of offers in UK? Do they like it?

Hello, not sure if you did your degree in nl or not. I live close to maastricht and a friend said the style of learning was quite different to us colleges - she said (international politics) it was 8-10 group based problem solving rather than lectures - so no being an anonymous entity at the back of a lecture hall.

Can't help you with questions about ethical bias although I am led to believe that unimaas has one of the highest regarded law programs in all nl.

Cost of living not cheap for maastricht, horrendous actually - but swings and roundabouts to what you'll save in fees.

Educational bias, not ethical bias!

PS now that law degrees require EU law, wouldn't studying abroad actually demonstrate a better willingness to integrate?

I can't see it being a problem! I have a couple of friends who did English and then conversion course and still got training contracts. I think a lot of it comes down to the interview and who you know anyway.

Thank you all for your comments and observations!

DolomitesDonkey - a guy on Student Room who lives there thought you could get a room in a house share for 400 euro per month? That is less than my friend pays for her daughter's room in the UK.

I did my law degree in London - made the wrong choice of college and absolutely hated it! I have not experienced problem based learning in small groups but it sounds preferably to the rather sarcastic seminars led by tutors that I used to dread at my college!

Schmaltzing - that is quite worrying - there is a lot to think about - glad your SB now has a good job.

Thanks Schmaltzing. Come to think of it I was offered a training contract by a guy I knew through a common interest. I also met someone who knew my father (my surname is unusual) at boarding school and told me to ring him if I was interested in working for him. I hope the process is more on merit these days!

fluffy yes, I'm sure she could get a "cot" for 400, but they can be "manky" :(. If she'd go as far as heerlen, sittard or eijsden she'd get a flat for that. What about health insurance? Mine is 130 a month. I think she'd get free public transport though.

Hi. Unfortunately I do not know enough about the university itself or if it is a "qualifying" law degree for the purposes of the BPTC or solicitors equivalent. What I will say from the Bar's point of view is difference is good. We have so many people applying for pupillages with 1st or2:1s from excellent universities that you have to cut people out somehow. The people that stick in your mind (and therefore the ones you ultimately interview) are the ones with something truly different on their CV. From this point of view, as long as your DD "sells" her degree course etc and puts the right emphasis on its unique points in applications, I can see no reason why it would hold her back.

Sorry if it's not much help as i come from a different perspective, however I would imagine it holds true for solicitors as well as barristers.

Thank you Jammie, that is a very good point.

I'd be careful about degrees outside of the UK especially for subjects such as Law which is country specific. Dh works in the city and liaises quite a bit with
Law firms. they are very traditional preferring to recruit from the top 5 universities. They also view non UK unis,except the very famous ones, with some suspicion in that they feel the candidate hadn't quite made the grade and had to go abroad to do their degree. HTH