Student and Instagram Ambassadors: here to help and inspire future students
How can I find a room in Maastricht? What is a day at the Maastricht Faculty of Law like? What makes Maastricht different from other cities where I can study law? Just a few examples of questions that the student ambassadors of our faculty get very often. Together with about fifty other students, Michela Spampinato and Meike Bakkeren help students (to be) in making the right decision for their studies and inspire them with personal experiences.
Michela Spampinato
European Law | Instagram ambassador
Sharing student life
“When I was browsing for study programmes in the Netherlands, I followed an Instagram ambassador of the Law Faculty. In my second year of the European Law School bachelor, a friend recommended me to apply for this position. Since I already shared a lot about my life on my personal Instagram account, I thought ‘why not do it for the faculty as well?’. The idea of being able to influence people in a positive way is part of the reason why I’m on Instagram. I’m sort of influencing their path for the future.”
No surprises
“With Stories and Reels on Instagram, I give people a glimpse of what student life in Maastricht can be like. Besides that, I have a lot of one on one contact via direct message, but also personal contact with future students during Open Days and the introduction week. People ask a lot about housing in Maastricht, but also on how the timetable looks like and what the pros and cons of the Problem-Based Learning system are. Sometimes, people are scared that there are not enough contact hours and therefore they will not learn enough. Another question I get a lot is ‘Can I become a lawyer after finishing the European Law programme?’, which is a critical one. Because with the European Law degree, you can’t sit bars in any country unless you do further training in that specific country. So when that question comes, I try to guide them and show them what the programme is like. This surprises future students sometimes, but I try to steer into their minds so they don’t get disappointed in the end.”
Unique approach
“I’m surprised that we’re one of the few universities that have this kind of ambassador thing. It makes getting in contact with your future studies more accessible. It’s quite unique and I’m proud to be part of this. I hope the students who contact me make the right decision. As an ambassador, you can indirectly change a life, that’s something I noticed.”
Meike Bakkeren
Dutch Law and Tax Law | Student ambassador
Attract new students
“It’s not the first time I’m an ambassador for my studies. During my time in high school and during my previous studies, I did the same thing. When I came to Maastricht for my studies in Dutch Law and Tax Law, I just emailed the person who’s in charge of the ambassadors and I got the job. Now, I spend about eight hours a month in helping to contribute to attract people from all over the Netherlands to study at our faculty.”
Rewarding work
“A lot of Dutch Law students come from this region, which is great. We’d also like to see more students from outside this region. I try to get people excited to come to study in Maastricht. To take this next step a bit further from home, just like I did. During Open Days I get lots of questions about the programme and how it differs from the other law programmes in the Netherlands. The Problem-Based Learning system is also a hot topic, since people want to know how that works for the Dutch Law programme specifically. Dutch Law fits a national legal framework, so all the programmes in the country need to be kind of the same for the same diploma. Beside the Open Day, I also help during Experience Days. These are held for high school students who are making their first steps in choosing a study. It’s very fun and rewarding to do. A class of 12 16-year old boys visited the faculty recently. They showed up looking a bit grumpy, but after the presentation and assignment, they were very enthusiastic. That’s what you want to achieve, to gain more future students and excite them, in my case for Dutch Law and Tax Law.”
Part of the community
“Being a student ambassador shows a kind of dedication to the faculty. You’re not only focussing on your studies, but you’re also part of a social community that provides important information about the study programmes. You have to be honest, and that sometimes means you will have to disappoint people. Either in Maastricht or somewhere else, you get to help people on their path to, well, eventually their career and life.”
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