Which language is better to start with?

I really want to learn Russian and I am planning on doing it in college- I have to learn foreign languages as they are a part of the course.
But I want to learn Dutch at some point too, as I am going to college in Netherlands and the language fascinates me as well.
Is it fine if I don't do Dutch immediately? Is Maastricht international enough for me to survive without any Dutch-skills? (I am fluent in English, almost native, and my Spanish is pretty decent. I know two Indian languages as well. I have no idea why I added the last part, but yeah.)
Recommendations, anyone?

I'm afraid I don't know what it'll be like in Maastricht but from what I've heard from exchange students going to places like Leiden and Groningen, generally using English only is fine. Certainly any students educated in the Netherlands will have good English so you shouldn't have any problems on campus/around students etc.

In Amsterdam I kept getting mistaken for a local, and as soon as I replied in Dutch and they realised from my accent that I was foreign, they'd speak to me in English.

Well,
I definitely don't look like a local, so that's okay, and my accent will throw them off even more....
Thank you so much for your help! Was dutch extremely tough to learn (conversationally- not written)?

There should be no problem, if you don't speak dutch in Maastricht. I have often been there and I didn't have any communication difficulties with my, let's say, average English

Dutch isn't that difficult to learn, but it would be better if you ask someone else because for Germans Dutch is easier to understand / learn.

Well,
I definitely don't look like a local, so that's okay, and my accent will throw them off even more....
Thank you so much for your help! Was dutch extremely tough to learn (conversationally- not written)?

I'm a bit like the poster above - I learnt Dutch at uni as it was offered to students of German and if you speak German it's quite easy grammatically. Dutch is basically German grammar but without all the irregulars.

However I find Dutch pronunciation quite difficult. The spelling is nice and straightforward but the "g" sound is really hard. They have the same sound in German and even after 6 years of German I still can't do it! Unfortunately in Dutch the sound is a lot more common and therefore more important.

It also didn't help that I only did 2 hours a week of Dutch and so didn't progress very fast - I imagine you'll do a lot better learning it there!
But the main barrier really is that Dutch people's English is so good that it's going to take you a while before your conversational Dutch is good enough for them to not want to speak English to you.
As I said, even when Dutch people spoke to me in Dutch, and I replied in Dutch, they then immediately switched to English on hearing my accent.

One amazing thing about Indian languages is that they teach you to make any phonetic sound under the sun.. So the 'g' thing I am not very worried about...
Grammar, I have a feeling, is going to be a pain... even now, I still struggle with Spanish grammar...

I know for a fact that when they hear my accent in Dutch, they'll beg me to not ever speak again... hoping for the best but expecting the worst here....

Thank god for my english skills...

You have been so very helpful, I cannot thank you enough...
Hope your studies go well and that you have a blast in Amsterdam!

snip

Are you going to the UWC?

Nope, Maastricht University...
Why?

Oh just wondered, the way you phrased your question made me think you were doing the IB.