What I’ve learned in 2 years in and about Aalto

This year, I got to observe the school from the staff side. There's a lot to unpack, and as I will be going on an Erasmus exchange in my third year, I would like to summarize what I've learned.

1. First thing I noticed was how everything is very efficient, I think this is also applicable to Finland in general. From public transport to accessibility, everything is planned out. Safety is also a big (and existing!) thing both in public spaces as well as on parties and social events. Another thing I noticed is how nature is all around even in the city, and people value spending time there. I feel like everything is so breathable, it doesn’t give the big city overwhelmed vibe.
2. There are a lot of opportunities at Aalto, however, they won’t push you to take them. You decide how much you get out of it. For me, this was an issue as there were so many things I wanted to get involved in; it got too much. (Note to my future self that it is important to not take on too much and prioritize a few things as well as your wellbeing.)
3. You can get involved easily if you would like to be active in something outside of class; the student culture is huge. There are subject associations like TOKYO and NuDe as well as hobby associations for sports, entrepreneurship and activities like beer pong. From event planning through visual communication to teaching pole dancing classes or performing on stage (shoutout to Otanko, the pole dancing association), there’s a ton to do.
4. Student feedback counts. At the end of every course, there is a feedback survey that they actually take into consideration to alter the course to meet the students’ needs. I remember during my first course at Aalto, they wanted us to write down (anonymously) what we thought and how they could help us more. To my surprise, they actually acted upon it the following lecture and switched a few classes to CAD tutoring as that seemed to be something our class was more uncertain about.
5. Lastly, your degree is fairly flexible. I decided to apply for Design as I didn’t exactly know which specific field in Design I wanted to pursue. I wanted to figure that out, and I did! In other degrees, you also have a lot of freedom with what courses and minor you choose based on your personal interests. Aalto actually requires one course to be from another school of Aalto.  

Overall, I am very happy and thankful for these two years, both academically as well as socially. I am excited to get back to Finland after my exchange and continue my little adventures. (I still didn’t manage to visit Lapland, so I really need to schedule that in.)