Studying in Finland have through their series ‘Meet the students’ spoken to Vietnamese Thao who studies Science and chemistry through the Centria UAS program in Finland.
Thao was studying international business in Vietnam and only her thesis left to complete but felt tired and uninterested in her studies so she looked for other options. Finland offered the complete opposite environment and education system than Vietnam which made her interested.
So far Thao is happy with her decision as the UAS program is more practical and focuses on training students to be able to work in the industry. “In University, it is more academic. It gives you a solid foundation to be able to conduct research. They challenge you to develop new methods rather than to learn how to use or operate an available system. Overall, all the lecturers I have met are very nice and professional. They are always there by my side to support me every time I need,” Thao says.
Thao also appreciates all the academic events students can attend for free including the student union and Booster Turku which are two big organizers in Turku that create many events for students to get contacts or job opportunities from companies.
Thao’s favorite part of studying in Finland is the freedom of learning and studying. “From my experiences, professors always give you enough space that you can self-study, develop your knowledge and skills in your own way. They don’t give you a very straightforward method and you are not pushed or asked to do something in a certain way that they want. They do provide some suggestions and keywords to start with when you are stuck. Finnish working life and culture are chilled and relaxed. It is not very stressful so that you can efficiently do your work at ease.”
Thao wants to continue to live in Finland for the next couple of years as she enjoys working there. She has worked in both basic and professional types of work and so far, the working cultures fit her style well, she says. “Finland is emerging to be one of the leaders in scientific fields. I think it’s an advantage to develop my career here. I want to get involved in many different projects, work with experts in my field, and learn from experiences.”
Thao’s advice to potential international students is to be “prepared to get out of your comfort zone and be open-minded to new things.” Thao recommends international students to take part in as many activities as possible as that is a great way to get to understand the Finnish culture, make new friends, broaden their social networks, and gain a lot of valuable experiences.
Find more information about studying in Finland as an international student here
