Guide to university admission and study in Finland

Ekaterina Bychkova, who recently received her bachelor's degree in management from Saimaa University of Applied Sciences in Lappeenranta, neighboring Finland, shares important information for those who want to apply to Finnish universities.

Do applicants need to know Finnish?

No, it is not mandatory at the time of admission: there are quite a few English-language programs. Until recently, foreign citizens could get higher education for free (I was lucky in this respect), but even now the cost of education is relatively low. But of course, living in Finland, you have to learn the local language to some extent. It is part of the curriculum.

Is it true that Finnish is very difficult?

Well, let's just say that mastering it is not easy for a Russian person. There are a lot of differences between the two languages. For example, in Finnish there are 15 cases, but there are no gender and no prepositions. However, when you immerse yourself in the language environment, you learn faster, and, in addition, the local population almost entirely speaks English, so you will not get lost anyway.

Why did you choose Finland?

First of all, I was considering free tuition. Secondly, it was close to home (I live in St. Petersburg). And thirdly, and most importantly, diplomas of Finnish universities are recognized in all EU countries.

What exactly do I need to get in?

My application consisted of several stages: entrance exams in mathematics and logic, a group interview, and a report on the economic performance of a Finnish company. I had been preparing for a whole year, I took International English Language Test "IELTS" and overall my language skills were good enough. In general, my language skills were good enough, but I found it difficult to compile a report because of the large number of economic terms. As for paperwork, there are certain rules regarding nostrification of high school diploma, obtaining a visa and other things. At first glance it seems complicated, but there are special agencies that can help you understand everything and prepare the necessary package of documents.

How did you evaluate your chances for admission?

The results of "IELTS" were 5.5, which ensured that my chances of admission were quite high. A big plus was that all the exams were done in advance. So when I received the admission letter on June 1, I skipped the core USE and saved myself a lot of energy and nerves.

Was it hard to study?

What's different about studying in Finland? It's hard for me to compare with Russia, but I think studying is hard everywhere. In Finnish universities, the bachelor's degree program lasts not 4 years, but 3 years and 6 months. We usually had classes 2-3 times a week, lasting 1.5 hours, but there were also 4 hours. There are disciplines for mandatory attendance, but most courses can be chosen based on your desires. Our study was evaluated in ECTS (credits), 1 credit = 27 hours attended, that is, let's say, the subject Business Mathematics will be 3 credits, to work on this subject is given 81 hours. The total training is 210 credits. And you can tell by that number how much time I've been studying.

Did your university provide internships for students?

Yes, my university's program provides two summer professional internships to gain work experience. So I've been to the United States (the «Work and travel» program) and Italy (the «Erasmus» program). If in America I only worked and traveled, then in the second internship I studied for 4 months at the university — a real student exchange. In the second internship I studied at the university.

What were your favorite subjects?

In Finland it was — «Working in projects» where you had to come up with your idea and put it on paper in the form of a project. And in Italy —«Cosmetic industry» we were shown in practice how cosmetics are made in big companies. In Italy, it was —«Cosmetic industry» where we were shown how cosmetics are made in big companies.

And how are things with employment after graduation?

Graduates are granted a special visa (job seeker) for a year in order to look for a job within the European Union.

Did the university provide a scholarship? Did it provide a dormitory?

No, there were no scholarships, but there was financial aid for summer internships. For example, after my stay in the U.S., I was reimbursed 600 euros for 3 months. I think it's a huge help. The situation with housing is not very good: you have to look for it on your own, and the price tags are quite high. So, of course, you have to share an apartment with someone. But it should be understood that people can come across all kinds of people.

And what are the disadvantages of studying in Finland?

Unfortunately, the city where I studied is small, and there's not much to do in my free time. And of course the climate doesn't do much good.

What advice do you have for applicants?

Don't stop believing in yourself. And remember that anything is possible if you work hard. One more thing: from January 1, 2020 my university will merge with Lahti University of Applied Sciences and will be called LAB University of Applied Sciences. More information about the rules of admission can be found here.