Moi! I
decided to launch series of (occasional) posts on studying in Finland - from
application process to study routine. Let me start by summing up three main
questions that I am usually asked.
1. What are application requirements? Is my English test score enough?
I do not answer such administrative-process related questions, as it
something that you should ask your dream school directly. Be prepared, that you
should pass language test, possibly GRE or GMAT (for business schools), prepare
a motivation letter (for majority of programmes) and also possibly portfolio.
Some schools also organise entrance exams.
When it comes to proving English language skills, I felt quite
confident when applying with IELTS 8.0 score. It was quite easy to get,
especially for listening and reading parts. Also the fact that it was a paper
version, and speaking part involved speaking to a real person, made the exam
experience much smoother. Be prepared to book exam date about 7-8 months in
advance before start of application period (if you want to retake exam after
first attempt).
When it comes to motivation letter, be precise, quiet brief (some
application forms have restrictions on the length of the letter), work on your
personal brand (including even LinkedIn profile and Twitter) and remember that
motivation letter is more than putting your CV into a form of connected
sentences.
2. Will I be provided housing by the university?
Student housing is not provided by universities. Student housing funds, such as HOAS in Helsinki or Joensuun Elli in Joensuu manage housing funds in forms of shared apartments (apartments for 2-4 people, one person per each room), family apartments, friend apartments and studio apartments (apartments for one person). Studios are extremely difficult to get, and students usually queue for studios for one year or even more. If you apply for shared apartment immediately after getting acceptance letter from the university and set up your budget quite high in application for housing, your chances are high. Average rent for room in a shared apartment in HOAS is 220-400 EUR per month, including laundry, sauna, water and internet. If electricity is not included, you have to conclude electricity supply agreement on your own (it is done online). It will add up 10-30 EUR to monthly rent costs. Renting a car space may cost 6-35 EUR per month, depending on the location of apartment. Some options include furnished apartments but for longer term getting cheap furniture on discount in IKEA or from a previous apartment may be much better deal than paying for already furnished apartment. Sometimes you may be provided with contact details of previous tenant (if he or she has given consent to it), who will act as a primary point of contact, may sell or leave some furniture to you, and even send you photos of your future apartment or show it to you before he or she moves out.
Student housing is not provided by universities. Student housing funds, such as HOAS in Helsinki or Joensuun Elli in Joensuu manage housing funds in forms of shared apartments (apartments for 2-4 people, one person per each room), family apartments, friend apartments and studio apartments (apartments for one person). Studios are extremely difficult to get, and students usually queue for studios for one year or even more. If you apply for shared apartment immediately after getting acceptance letter from the university and set up your budget quite high in application for housing, your chances are high. Average rent for room in a shared apartment in HOAS is 220-400 EUR per month, including laundry, sauna, water and internet. If electricity is not included, you have to conclude electricity supply agreement on your own (it is done online). It will add up 10-30 EUR to monthly rent costs. Renting a car space may cost 6-35 EUR per month, depending on the location of apartment. Some options include furnished apartments but for longer term getting cheap furniture on discount in IKEA or from a previous apartment may be much better deal than paying for already furnished apartment. Sometimes you may be provided with contact details of previous tenant (if he or she has given consent to it), who will act as a primary point of contact, may sell or leave some furniture to you, and even send you photos of your future apartment or show it to you before he or she moves out.
Another option is renting at a private market. There are quite many
offers when students subrent student housing fund apartments for limited period
of time. Make sure that they got the consent of the student fund to subrent the
apartment - then you are safe. Such offers are often for furnished apartments.
3. How do I know when studies start？/ How can I look up courses?
You will most likely get an e-mail about orientation week and
meeting with your tutour. Meanwhile, you can lookup upcoming timetables and
plan study schedules using online portals. For Finnish Universities, they are
called Oodi, e.g. oodi.aalto.fi. Usually, on 1 August all course descriptions and timetables for the whole upcoming academic year (from 1 August to 31 July) are provided. If they are not published, you can contact
professor in charge by e-mail and ask details, or seek advice from your study
coordinator. You will get replies quite quickly, except for July which is
really quiet month in Finland - everyone are gone for holidays.
More questions that you want me to address in upcoming posts? Drop me a message at #startyourFinnishFacebook page!