Pros and cons of starting my bachelor's studies in Finland

Hey, I’m Tonya, a second-year bachelor’s student in Computational Engineering at Aalto University. Back in the summer of 2023, before my final year in high-school, I was browsing through the internet trying to find English bachelor programs in Europe. I had already picked out three universities in the Netherlands with majors in Computer Science or (Applied) Mathematics, but was struggling to find more, as other countries either didn’t offer programs in English or the tuition fees were too high for my liking. Then, by complete accident, I found the program in Computational Engineering at LUT University in Lappeenranta, somewhere in the middle of nowhere in a country that has never really crossed my mind before. What was Computational Engineering? What is Finland like? How crazy would it be for me to move to a small Finnish town for my studies? For some reason, I had decided moving to Lappeenranta for my Bachelor’s was the best idea in the world, but when I went to tell my parents about it, they were not very enthusiastic to say the least. In terms of future education and career possibilities, living and studying in a more central and international area would have provided me with more opportunities. So, as sad as I was to abandon my Lappeenranta dream, I had instead decided to apply to the very same Computational Engineering program but at Aalto University, and what a journey it has been…

Why was I interested in studying at Aalto? What fears did I have?

At the time of my application, I was living in the United States with my family. Having only moved there two years prior, I hadn’t really developed a connection to the country, which is why I knew I wanted to study in Europe. I was primarily considering a couple of programs in the Netherlands, where I had previously lived for a number of years, and the Computational Engineering program at Aalto. I was really weighing all the pros and cons of both options, and here are some points that mattered to me:

Pros - Finland

1) New, exciting environment

One of the major things that attracted me to the possibility of studying in Finland was the unknown. I had never been in Finland before, yet alone considered living there, but I saw my university years, and particularly my Bachelors, as an opportunity to explore the world. I always thought that once I find a job and settle down, moving countries wasn’t going to be something I could do just like that, so why not do it while I can? Of course, I was scared, but the thrill of a new adventure beat it all.

2) The student life

Of course, I had heard about the vibrant student life in Finland. While I am not particularly the going out type, knowing that the student culture was so big here, made me feel reassured that student well-being is really considered important. In the end, I discovered some parts of myself I didn’t know existed, and I am really grateful for what the student culture here has offered me.

3) The campus

It was important for me to live and study in a place that made me feel safe and at peace, and Aalto’s campus offered me just that. I was lucky enough to get a chance to visit the campus in person and get a tour of the facilities and the surroundings. At the time, I was happy with what I had seen: the cosy library, the stores in A bloc, the metro line connecting it to Helsinki city center, the student restaurants and the internal design of the buildings. All of that left a good impression on me, and, even now, I still discover new places on campus to enjoy.

4) The program and studies

Besides all the excitement and nervousness around moving to a completely foreign country, I was also thinking about the study opportunities. The advantage Aalto had over other universities I applied to was its interdisciplinary academic environment. I really liked the fact that I could take elective courses from different schools and fields, ranging anywhere from arts and design to Japanese and quantum physics. What if I got tired of studying physics and maths all the time? No problem, I could take French as an elective. This freedom to customise my studies was very appealing to me

5) Housing

Housing was a BIG point in my university application process. While in the Netherlands, it is practically impossible to find (reasonably priced) housing if you haven’t been registered on a housing website for 4 years, in Finland the situation seemed much, much better. Student housing offered on campus (for the students specifically) is a rarity in the Netherlands, while in Aalto there were a lot of options at a relatively cheap price. This actually ended up being one of the deciding factors in my final decision.

Cons - Finland

1) Far away, all alone

For me, studying in Europe meant being 7,000km away from my family. While in the Netherlands I had friends, knew the language, knew the country, Finland was a completely foreign place for me with no one I could comfortably rely on. Of course that is the experience of studying abroad and moving away from your family, but having one option that is familiar and feels like home, while the other is completely unknown was especially difficult for me. The uncertainty of living in Finland by myself was the biggest factor stopping me from accepting my admission right away. I was torn between the comfort of the Netherlands and the terrifying newness of Finland. In the end, however, I felt I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I didn’t take this opportunity. So, here I am :)

2) The darkness

Perhaps something Finland is known for is its cold, dark winters. While the cold and snow didn’t worry me as much (in fact, I like snow and prefer it over grey, rainy weather in the Netherlands), the short winter days concerned me quite a bit. What do you mean the sun rises at 9 and sets at 15? 

Why Computational Engineering specifically?

So why did I choose Computational Engineering specifically? At the time of my application, the only universities that offered computational engineering as a Bachelor’s were LUT University, Aalto University, and UT Austin in Texas, which made it seem like a very peculiar degree. What attracted me to computational engineering was that it was a perfect mix of the subjects I enjoyed: mathematics, physics, and computer science. It provided me with the opportunity to study all three, while also learning how to model, without having to do a challenging double-bachelor like I was planning to do in the Netherlands. I was not sure what I wanted to specialise in for my Masters (and I am not sure now either), and computational engineering offered me a broad foundation that I could build from in the future. Over the course of my studies, I realised that I don’t like computer science as much as I thought, and that physics is actually more fun than I realised. It’s these little discoveries along the way that make my decision to study Computational Engineering at Aalto worth it for me.

-Tonya

You can chat with Tonya and other Aalto Squad student ambassadors on Unibuddy!