Students' Experiences
“It is a fantastic experience for me to study at the University of Tampere. I feel excited to cooperate with international students in developing some excellent computer programs as part of my studies. The working experience in multicultural groups improves my communication skills while it broadens my horizons. The School of Information Sciences provides a well-structured study programme and extensive research opportunities. I’m quite satisfied with the experience of having academic discussions with professors at the University of Tampere.”
|
More experiences
Teacher's Greetings |
"The programme seems very complete and offers huge opportunities to learn from different areas. The University also offers different kinds of study methods that I have found very useful and which have helped me to improve my knowledge in different ways, such as online courses, book exams and project work courses where there is a direct link with companies." Read more |
|
"Working as a web developer for most of my professional life has made me accustomed to unorthodox working hours and an appreciation for autonomous learning environments. When I decided to return to academia and attend Master studies, I researched well-respected programs that offered freedom to work at my own pace and study subjects outside my program's curriculum. UTA's comprehensive CS courses coupled with the flexibility of the Finnish university system grants me freedom to explore a broad range of studies typically inaccessible at programs in my native country. The university's facilities are top notch and most of my program's courses have proven more challenging than I ever imagined. The career opportunities provided by my degree and the network of international friends I've developed make me extremely pleased with my decision to attend UTA."Georgina, SIS Graduate from Master’s Degree Programme in User Interface Software Development
I am Georgina from Mexico. In 2007 I was an exchange student in Tampere and I really enjoyed my time there. That's why after I graduated from my bachelor’s I decided to go back to Finland and apply for the M.Sc. in User Interface Software Development at the University of Tampere.
The programme seems very complete and offers huge opportunities to learn from different areas. The University also offers different kinds of study methods that I have found very useful and which have helped me to improve my knowledge in different ways, such as online courses, book exams and project work courses where there is a direct link with companies.
In most of the courses there were Finnish students, who are now good friends of mine. They might be a bit shy at the beginning but after a while they are the best friends you can rely on. Living outside the University is also great, living with other foreign students is a great opportunity to learn from other cultures and make new friends.
The University also offers high quality language courses. I have now taken 4 courses in Finnish and I can have a conversation with someone on the street or with friends.
Finland is a land of contrasts - white and cold in winter and full of colour during summer. The climate can be really cold sometimes, but that definitely never stops people from having fun; there are a lot of different activities that can be organized in winter, and student associations are always organizing parties and events so if you get too cold remember to try the sauna.
If you are considering coming to Finland for a Master’s programme don’t just think about it anymore - apply, this will be an experience that will totally change your life!
I am now starting my thesis, which means I will graduate soon. In the future I would like to work for a Finnish company and perhaps start a PhD in a Finnish university, but no matter where I go I will always have a part of Finland in my heart.
"You know you have been too long in Finland... when you accept that 80 °C in a sauna is chilly, but 20 °C outside is too hot."
Gabriel, student in Master's Degree Programme in Bioinformatics, M.Sc.
I decided to apply for the MSc. Program in Bioinformatics offered by the Institute of Medical Technology , University of Tampere in the spring of 2006. I was about to graduate from my last degree program. After being accepted for the bioinformatics program I had to decide how to take the courses (I had been in living in Helsinki for some time and didn't like the idea of moving to this small town of Tampere).
I was in a state of indecision until I arrived Tampere for the orientation week activities. First, the number of students (especially international students) was much more than I had thought. Second, the things students were supposed to do were so easily taken care of. The staff, the student tutors, the bank, the public transport company, the student union, etc were great in offering help and assistance for me to get things done and settle down. All these are a few of the many things that made me feel, studying at the University of Tampere and living in Tampere could be a very enjoyable and memorable opportunity.
As soon as I came to these realizations I immediately decided to move on to arrange to settle in Tampere and begin studying. Within a couple of weeks I was all settled and studying.
Studies was made much easier than I had thought; teachers and other staff of the department were very accessible, all of them being very helpful in giving guidance and advice on study related issues as well as living related issues. Students had their input in the courses offered and the quality of course delivery, through frequent feedback to teachers and the program organizers: that's the extent to which studies and life are made pleasant in the Institute of Medical Technology , IMT.
We were encouraged to take supplementary and minor courses from other departments of the University and the Tampere University of Technology (using the JOO agreement). The infrastructure at IMT is ultra-modern and lecture rooms are state-of-the-art. These made studies even more flexible and more interesting.
When I look back now, I believe without a doubt that the decision to move to Tampere for studies at the University of Tampere is one of the best I've ever made.
Ayodeji Emmanuel, student in the Master's Degree Programme in Bioinformatics, M.Sc
I have always wanted to further my studies, and contribute my own quota to the intellectual development of the human race; I finally made up my mind to come to Tampere for an MSc course in Bioinformatics. And to tell the truth, I am glad I made the University of Tampere my choice.
For me, the entire application process was basically smooth and hitch-free. The only problem arose because I applied late for the residence permit. On this issue, my department was very helpful. With the help of departmental officials, I was able to secure my residence permit and arrive here in Finland, few weeks after the commencement of the semester. The Tampere Student Housing Foundation TOAS was also quite helpful in that I did not have any problems concerning accommodation. Accommodation was ready for me by the time I landed in Finland .
For me, integrating into both the academic and social life of Tampere has been easy. The lecturers are skilful in teaching their respective subjects, caring, attentive and always ready to impart knowledge. The department where I study is well equipped, and the students, including people from different parts of the world, have access to needed facilities. The lectures are well organised and are not burdensome. Various seminars, organised on a regular basis, and delivered by intellects of known repute, enrich the minds, and give exposure to novel and emerging technologies in the field.
The people of Tampere are nice, loving, helpful and highly organised. But I would like to say that they are shy and reserved, too. The transportation is nice, comfortable and timely. I come from the tropics, and the weather is basically the inverse of what I am used to, but I find that with proper clothing, I do cope pretty well, though I don't stay outside much. The accommodation is well insulated and provides a warm environment, absolutely conducive to living.
The social atmosphere in Tampere is very nice, too. There are lots of parties here and there, and I must say that parties here are fun and peaceful. There are many other events, easily accessible to all students. So for the highly socially minded, you will surely find events matching your interests here.
For me, being in Tampere has been an experience. If I am given the chance to choose a place to study again, I will definitely choose the University of Tampere.
Fidaim, student in the Master’s Degree Programme in Health Sciences (International Health)
I am a Kosovar (from Kosovo) having the great opportunity to do my Master's degree program in International Health at the University of Tampere. I came to know about this Master's program through a Finnish friend of mine, and I applied without second thought as the content and aims of the course matched my career aspirations. In Kosovo, I worked with ICRC and Finnish Red Cross and also in a couple of projects that were conducted jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland and Ministry of Health of Kosovo. I am very sure that the knowledge and skills gained from this Master's program with my background experience will give me a cutting edge in competing with others in this field. I intend ultimately to serve my country in achieving the Millennium Development Goals set by UN.
It was quite a pleasant and smooth experience for me to get started with both academic and social life here. For instance, I got all the information beforehand regarding my accommodation here; in fact, my place of stay was ready when I arrived here as I was able to book my place of stay right from Kosovo itself. The orientation program was so well organized that it gave me enough confidence and adequate information to begin my program without any hitch. During the orientation week, I could start my bank account, take my season ticket for bus, and get to know about the university buildings and the location of various departments, including the various libraries. The orientation program also gave us various information what to look ahead regarding our program so that we could plan everything in advance. Of course, we were also warned about the inclement winter season that was looming ahead of us.
Most of our modules had Problem Based Learning (PBL) that was very new to me. I could say with conviction that PBL was altogether a different and interesting method of learning our subjects. The best feature of it is that everyone has to do self-study at home regarding the topic to be discussed and then we have to discuss the topic in the class from our own perspectives. It was wonderful to see that it was a potpourri of information contributed from each one of us, and eventually, we could get a holistic view of the topic, and everyone leaves the class more knowledgeable and confident in that topic.
The personal study plans that we had to make at the beginning of the program and the periodic review subsequently by the head of the program enabled us to plan ahead very well, and we knew from the beginning what our goals are in the program and what is the time period to achieve them.
We were also asked to give feedback orally and also by filling the feedback form which I think is a great way for students to give their opinions to help improve the program further so that we as well as the successive batches would be benefitted.
I have to admit honestly that I had experienced some cultural shock in Finland as it is altogether a new country for me. As I come from a country with tropical weather, it was bit tough to cope with the harsh winter here, especially with short days and long nights during November and December months. Initially, I had to struggle a lot without knowing Finnish language, particularly during shopping, as all the labels and the descriptions of the items are only in Finnish and Swedish languages.
Thus far, I am happy with the progress of my studies, and I feel that my expectations have been met in terms of expanding previous knowledge and gaining new knowledge, especially about global health challenges and the methods to overcome them. Right now, I am doing my thesis on migration and health which is really my topic of interest.
Tampere is simply a beautiful, attractive, and friendly city to live and study. Very quickly one feels at home here in Tampere. So I would strongly recommend anybody to come and study Master's in International Health program if anyone plans to have a career in the arena of global health. Some of the advantages of doing this program are: it will increase one's ability to assess and describe population health, to strengthen managerial and leadership skills, to improve capacity to work in multidisciplinary and international teams to gain knowledge in global health research, and to improve capacity to critically appraise research results.
Bright Ibeabughichi, student in the Master’s Degree Programme in Health Sciences (Public Health)
Being a student at the University of Tampere has added some great experiences to my academic pursuit. Not only is the education evident for its high class quality, but also from my TOAS (Tampere Student Housing Foundation) apartment to TAMY (Student Union) and further to the class rooms, my stay here has been enveloped with endless social activities.
My studies have been absolutely down to earth, though not without the normal academic challenges. My lecturers not only proved their excellence, but added flavor to tutoring by inviting their fellow colleagues from within the country and around the world. At first I found the idea of book exams so weird. I wondered why I should independently read some set of books and write exams on them with no lectures. That is it, and you earn all the credits for a course. But since I could never change the system, I joined the train! Gradually I understood that it was not just a Finnish fashion but a process that makes each student a powerful analyst of other people’s ideas. Now I fancy book exams a lot! And I’m convinced that using them alongside normal lectures surely produce outstanding scholars.
Interestingly, I never had reasons to buy any text books for my courses. This is because every single text needed for each course is readily made available in the library. In addition, the flexibility of studies was too attractive to me. This means that no matter what your course of study you could participate in courses from any other department – from history to the computer sciences; or from the communications to the political sciences, or even anthropology. Besides, the taste to your studentship is in the fact that all study environments – from library to the computer rooms – are all superb. And although most Finns are persistently shy, you are happy to notice, if you just take the first initiative to ask, that even the non-academic workers are ready to go all extra miles to give you the needed assistance.
Finally, one of the important things I found so delightful at the University of Tampere is the equality of all students. So whether you are a Finn or not, every student possesses equal rights. TAMY never jokes with this and it readily shows in the way it tackles students’ issues – social and academic alike. For instance, on the Free Higher Education campaign day organized by TAMY in the university, I asked one of the students on why Finnish students take such issues seriously since charging tuition fees does not in any way affect them. She said: “Every student in Finland has equal rights, whether a Finn or not. So, if a foreign student is charged tuition fees, then this equal right is no longer there. That is why TAMY must defend every student.”
I am certain Tampere is a right place for every intellectual – you’ll just have no regrets! For me, there was none!
Valeriya, student in the ISSS Master’s Programme
The idea of studying in Tampere came to my mind during my first visit to Finland. I came here to see my good friend and from the first minute I was amazed by the atmosphere of this beautiful city. There was so much joy, so much youthful spirit and life in the air that I immediately wanted to be a part of it.
Next spring I applied for the international degree program and after several weeks I got an envelope with the letter of acceptance and all the necessary documents. Here I would like to stress how helpful and patient the programme coordinators were! None of my questions remained unanswered and all the answers were very prompt, thus making the process of applying easy and non-stressful. Moreover, the same attitude remained when I was already a student. Any time I had any questions or doubts, the programme coordinators of the ISSS were there to help me in clearing up all the issues.
If you ask me about the one thing which amazed me most while I was studying in the University of Tampere, I will tell you that it was the overwhelmingly friendly atmosphere in this little world. All the people here - professors, students, librarians, secretaries - are very friendly to everybody, they always show the desire to help you if you need any help.
Another thing which I liked a lot was the chance to build up my study schedule myself, thus being able to study the subjects I was especially interested in. Of course, it requires a certain degree of responsibility, as there is often a temptation to choose the easy subjects instead of the necessary ones, but after all the thoughtful approach to this pays off. Being a person fond of studying languages, I had a wonderful opportunity to do this in the Language Centre of the University, where a variety of language courses ranging from Finnish to Chinese and Japanese are taught.
The student life in the University is very diverse. Many trips, excursions, tournaments, carnivals and parties are organized by the Student Union. However, the student life is presented not only in an entertaining aspect. Several times during my studying career days were organized, which gave me a chance to get a better insight into the Finnish labour market, to get to know Finnish companies interested in employing international students and even a chance to get a job.
My studies at the University of Tampere are almost on their final lap, and I would like to say these were a wonderful two years. I got to know a huge number of people from different countries, got acquainted with a number of different cultures, and learned new languages. I got completely enchanted by the beautiful city of Tampere and I am definitely staying here for longer. And if you have any doubts about choosing the place for your studying abroad, please, do not have! Tampere will be your best choice.
Information for applicants:
Bachelor of Social Sciences, B.Soc.Sc.
Joint Master's Programme in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare, M.Soc.Sc.
Master's Programme in Global Governance and World Culture, M.Soc.Sc.
Master's Programme in European Studies: Europeanization of Politics and Governance, M.Soc.Sc.
Ms. Zheying Zhang, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Sciences
I am working as an assistant professor in Computer Sciences at the University of Tampere. As we have several MSc programs taught in English, it is possible for me to teach computer science courses in English, and advise foreign students. I enjoy my work very much, as I can meet not only Finnish students, but also students from many other countries. It is pleasant to share my knowledge with my students, learn new things from them, and respect their cultures. I encourage my Finnish students to do the group work assignments with foreign students, which not only helps foreign students to get used to the new study environment, but also provides Finnish students with a good opportunity to learn how to communicate and work in a multi-cultural environment.
In addition to lectures, we also organize seminars regularly. In the seminar, we invite speakers from both industry and academia to share their work and research experience, to give talks on the new technology advances, industrial applications, and research work. The seminars enable our students to learn about topics which do not otherwise appear in the courses available, and expose them to different perspectives on their subject. In addition to subject studies, we also give our students freedom to choose other courses of interest to them. Honestly, I find the studying and working environment very friendly and encouraging.
In daily life, although a foreigner can get by with English, we still try to learn Finnish language. With basic Finnish language skills, it is much easier to make friends with local people, learn their cultures, and become one of them. We have good Finnish friends to share our happiness and sadness, and seek for help from each other.
Finland is a peaceful country with a fabulous natural environment. Out of work, we enjoy nature very much. In spring, the land turns green, flowers grow, and birds sing; in summer, swimming, fishing, barbecue, and sun-bathing forms the most popular activities; in autumn, hiking becomes so joyful, as there are loads of berries and mushrooms in the forest; in winter, white snow brings a chance to ski.
Seasons come and go. We enjoy being in Finland.
Kalevantie 4, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Finland
tel. +358 (0)3 355 111
