Hi! My name is Carla, and I am an International Business student here at Lapland UAS. I am originally from the UK but have been living here in Lapland for almost 5 years now, where I have spent this time working as a Snowmobile Guide in Salla – in the middle of nowhere. I spent my childhood watching and being inspired by countless Arctic documentaries, so as an adult I took the opportunity to pursue an adventure of a lifetime!

During my time as a Guide, living in a small Lappish village, I have become more interested in tourism and sustainable regional development. During Covid, when my working hours were limited, I seized the opportunity to learn more about tourism and develop my career by taking a Diploma in Tourism and Business Management at the Open University. I learned so much during this diploma, it helped me to understand how tourism operates within the business environment. It also laid the foundation for my degree and showed me a clear pathway for my potential career development!

With a desire to continue with my education, clear career goals and a wish to stay in Lapland, the International Business degree at Lapland UAS, with their focus on the Arctic operating environment and sustainability made it the perfect degree for me.

I believe that Rovaniemi is a versatile town that can fit the needs of every student, for example as a tourist town, there is plenty to do, adventure and nightlife wise. However, if you want to escape the hustle and bustle, the vast quiet Lappish wilderness that surrounds Rovaniemi is easily accessible. This is a unique aspect of Rovaniemi that sets it apart from other European student towns – there are not many towns where you can watch a reindeer race competition or go northern light hunting as a fun weekend activity.

My studies so far have been brilliant! I cannot thank the teaching staff enough for their support throughout my first year of studies, they have provided guidance and helped me to develop my confidence. The studies have been a great mix of lectures and practical projects. I really like how the course not only teaches you the theory but also provides ample opportunities to put it into practice, both independently and as a team.

The best thing from the course so far has been the Arctic Valley Business Simulation Game. This was a semester long simulation where we, as a team created a business, learning everything needed to run a business in Finland with the support from our fantastic course leaders. We had the opportunity to develop skills in accounting, marketing, sales, teamwork, and many other skills in an environment where we could experiment and learn through problem solving. During this course, we also had the opportunity of visiting real life successful businesses within Lapland, helping to understand what it takes to succeed in the Arctic operating environment. This was such a fun and enriching experience for me, really helping me to learn how to apply my newly learned skills in the real world.

Regarding the future and after graduation, I am excited to see what the future brings for me. I hope to be able to take the skills and knowledge from this degree and apply it with my work experience to develop my career in Lapland, hopefully contributing to sustainable development within the Arctic. It is hard to say exactly what I want to do after my degree, a part of me feels that my story isn’t over yet, education wise. Nevertheless, whatever the future holds for me I know the skills, knowledge and support I have received from this degree will put me in the best possible position to grab any exciting opportunity that heads my way!

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, I hope that Lapland UAS will provide you with the same opportunities and sense of inspiration that it has done for me.

- International Business student Carla -

Hi everyone,

And nice that you ended up reading this! My name is Viivi, almost born and raised in Rovaniemi (I was born in Turku), and I’m 27 years old. I’m studying international business in Lapland UAS and I’m also a tutor. Like I wrote in the title of this, this is my second chance – I already have a bachelor’s degree in tourism. During my tourism studies, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and because of its symptoms, I couldn’t work anymore in that industry. Last year (2020) I was informed that I could re-educate myself and get another degree. That happened a bit too late, so I missed the joint application period in January, but then later I got accepted to study via direct application period.

For me, international business felt like a “natural path” after tourism studies, and to be honest, I didn’t feel like moving away from my hometown to study something new. That was the number one reason why I stayed here but also, I was really into our curriculum, in which almost all of our studies are somehow related to sustainability. Right now, for example, we are studying Sustainable Investing and Finance and Diversity Management.

First year of our studies was kind of a disappointment at first because we were the “corona freshmen”. We started our studies when the Covid-19 situation was at its worst (or at least I hope that it won’t get any worse from that), so all studies were organized remotely. All of us would have wanted to go to campus and meet face to face all our classmates, of course. But for me, studying remotely wasn’t that bad – I studied half of my tourism degree online. Eventually studying remotely started feeling like the “new normal” for all of us, because what would be better than waking up 15 minutes before the class starts and participating in class in your sweatpants. Now when it’s our second year, we are studying with a hybrid model. Studying with a hybrid model means that we have some classes remotely and some of them on campus. For me, this arrangement is perfect because it gives a bit more content to my everyday life.

Therefore, I can tell, that being at the campus feels awesome! Seeing friends and meeting new people reminds me of the “old normal”, the time before the Covid-19. In my opinion, the best thing about studying at Lapland UAS is the people, both the students and the teachers. I have a situation where I may need some special arrangements and all the people in Lapland UAS have been really supportive. I have been open about my diagnosis and I want to share the awareness, that also disabled people, like me, can do whatever they desire.

Hence, I would like to make a change. I’m not yet sure how but still I would like to. Studying Lapland UAS gives me both tools and the starting point to do that since I can encourage people to get help or support to their problems with their studies. These problems may be related to some previously diagnosed disease or then problems with cognitive functions such as reading comprehension, concentration, or difficulty with writing. If you are currently studying in Lapland UAS and you are suffering from difficulties with studying, do not hesitate to contact your student counselor!

I am not quite sure yet, what I want to do when I grow up (hah), or when I graduate, but I think that I have found the right direction.

- Viivi Vesala, R31D20S

Hi, my name is Kseniia and I am a 1st year International Business student in Lapland UAS.

I have been living in Finland for the past 7 years, here and there. 3 years ago, I moved to Rovaniemi and fell in love with the city and its nature.

I saw Lapland UAS as a perfect opportunity to boost my already existing educational background and future career opportunity.

While working in tourism I realized that a lot of its aspects are intertwined with the business field. Lapland UAS has a good reputation and since my life is already established in Rovaniemi, it was a perfect combination of high-quality education and good location for me.

The International Business program is built in a way that you are not tied up in one specific specialization and that is what I like – after completing the degree you have a choice and during the studies you can choose a career path and specific skills you would like to develop more.

Being a first-year student, it is hard to evaluate all the studies offered by UAS but based on the curriculum and the courses description it provides you with a good start for your career. It offers numerous options of educational paths and an opportunity to tailor your skills.

The teachers I have met are nice and always ready to help you. They are involved in your development and you feel that you are being taken care of. 

Lapland itself is a magical place. I know a lot of people who came for exchange and later moved to Rovaniemi permanently.
Being familiar with the winter activities since my childhood, I find Lapland as a perfect place to continue the active lifestyle and even after these few years of living here, I keep discovering new places. The landscapes are breathtaking and nature is amazing.

I hope, that my opinion about Lapland UAS will only grow towards positive emotions and experiences.

Kseniia, International Business -student

Hello all and welcome! My name is Annika, I come from a city/town from Southern Finland called Tuusula and I’m here now as a first year IB student in Lapland UAS. I am very thrilled about telling my story on how I ended up far up North doing an international degree as a native Finn.

Before coming to study I was really struggling with getting into schools I wanted. Not having a plan, I ended up doing courses from open universities with no success and since the pandemic started, there wasn’t really possibilities to go abroad to study, either. So I was just doing work full time in jobs where I saw no future. With just a high school background, there wasn’t that much job opportunities interesting enough, either. This made me want to educate myself further, though for a while I wasn’t even planning on doing it.

So why I wanted to come to Lapland’s UAS was because I needed a break from the city, and though still staying in Finland, I had a feeling of being abroad. As mentioned before, I did have plans going overseas to study, but studying an international degree, it felt like I did. I heard great things from my boyfriend, who studied here few years ago and because of him I wanted to give it a try and I so far regret nothing!

As and IB student I wanted to give myself an overall education that can lead me anywhere, whether it was a country or career path I can work towards. Also, having a variety of different backgrounds and cultures in one class was part of my plan getting network from all over the world.

So why did I choose Rovaniemi, the furthest studying destination from all of the places in Finland? Because it was different. It had surprisingly different nature, not even getting started with the weather conditions. The housing prices are cheaper, there is so much work for students, there are so many activities you can do… Coming from near the capital city, I knew the second I moved here that the city was never the place for me to live. I would have to travel quite a bit to see nature, everything was so hectic, and winters were always dark. It’s quite the opposite in here and I love it.

Rovaniemi as a study destination, well, I cannot compare it to anything else other than Helsinki. All of the schools in Helsinki were rather hard to get into (at least for me), whereas Rovaniemi, being a rather small study city, was so much easier, although they have all of the same recourses that they have in Helsinki. So, in a way I think that Rovaniemi is quite underestimated, though it is so unique! There are so many bars and pubs, affordable restaurants where a lot of the students go to all the time. Everything is basically in a walking distance, even the Jokiväylä campus is only 2km away from the city center. I like all of those facts that I just mentioned. There’s something going on almost every day, and even if there wasn’t, the possibilities of doing different things are major and all within a walking distance. So, for all of those who value these things when choosing a study destination, Rovaniemi is the place for you.

At the start of the studies, all of our classes were in Adobe Connect or Teams, not in campus. Yes, you could wake up five minutes before your class stared but you didn’t get much out of it because of distractions you have at home. That I’d say so far being the only disadvantage when moving here. But other than that, I have loved the campus, the teachers, and most of all, my peers.
I can say that with three months of studies, I’ve already learned so much. There have been fun and less fun courses, but all of them have taught me a great deal about overall economic situation in the world and also teamworking and such.

School comes home with you, for sure, but what do you expect when you’re applying to a higher education? After our lectures which go from about 9 to 3, there’s always homework and assignments to do. As a university of applied sciences, a lot of work is team orientated, which I prefer to having a big work load for yourself. And although at first, I thought there was so much work coming in all the time, at the end of the day I find it good as I’ve learned so much more in a short time and I can already see connections between courses and to my dream careers, too.

Coming to school here I was really excited to learn about sustainability which Lapland’s UAS promotes a lot. We’re now going through a course called introduction to sustainable business, which is teaching us about how sustainable or unsustainable companies and individuals can be and what are some factors that can change that to better. So far, the teacher has been amazing, having interesting stories and topics of discussion. Our class has had the most interesting points of view in these topics. This course so far has taught me that whatever I do in the business world, I want to act sustainably and toward a better future. If you value this, you don’t want to miss out on this course nor degree.

I’ve liked everything about my studies so far, but aside from the course of Introduction to Sustainable Business, the favorite part of my studies has been the networking with my peers. Especially after going to the campus for lectures, I could finally connect voices I heard online to real faces. This way I started enjoying and understanding my classes even more.

I know I have a long time to enjoy being a student but since starting my studies I already have new dreams about what I want to do when I grow up and how my studies can help me with that.

I come from a long family history of entrepreneurs and although I don’t know what that will be yet, I know for sure I want to start a company of my own. It might be right after I graduate or 10 years from now, who knows. Maybe rather later than sooner, as I’ve found my passion in marketing, especially photography and videography kind of marketing. Maybe working for a company, who share my values in that area, could give me the right tools that can help me with a company of my own. I haven’t yet worked in the field but having photography as a hobby thrives me forward. So if you have a hobby or an interest, don’t hesitate to maybe make it work as a work field. I would love to take photography, videography and another hobby of mine, horses, and put them all together into maybe a bed-and-breakfast someday.

In conclusion, I advise everyone reading this who think about coming to study here to do so. International Business degree gives you tools for several different careers and possibilities and meanwhile studying, you can enjoy the rare and beautiful surroundings, people, and nature Rovaniemi has to offer.

Annika, International Business -student

Moi! I am Nhi Nguyen, a Vietnamese girl who studies International Business at Lapland UAS.

At the very beginning, Lapland UAS wasn’t my first choice of studying a Bachelor’s degree. However, it was a destiny that I could have the opportunity to study here. At the university, teachers and staff are very nice and helpful. They always facilitate your studies and whole-hearted instruct their students. There is no distance between the teachers and us. Besides, all the courses and knowledge are well-managed and up-to-date. At Lapland UAS, students have the chance to study exchange in another country and also do the internship in the third year. I feel so lucky that I didn’t miss those opportunities.

The period of studying International Business at Lapland UAS did help me a lot in my career path. I’ve built a basic foundation and developed my soft skills. In this major, I was taught many different subjects such as marketing, human resources, finance, business law, and so on. Hence, when studying here, students can take part in different courses in order to decide which one is the most suitable for them. And for me, I choose marketing as the field that I want to pursue in my career path. If you take your career planning seriously and put effort into it, you will get the job that you want after graduation. Hard work pays off!

If you are a nature-lover, Lapland is definitely an ideal destination for you. It has plenty of magnificent forests, lakes, and mountains to explore. In the winter, you can hunt the amazing Northern Lights dancing above the skies and capture these splendid moments that you will never forget. Also, you can join interesting winter sports such as skiing, ice skating, ice swimming, etc and experience Finnish traditional sauna in your spare time. Fortunately, every building of student housing has a sauna for people and it’s free!

As you know, people said that living in Finland is really cold and depressed. In my opinion, it’s just partly true. The weather is super cold but I love winter. And trust me, -20 degrees in Rovaniemi is still better than 45 degrees in my home country… In the period of living here, I’ve met lots of awesome friends. That’s one of the reasons why I had a very good time in Finland. I also had a Finnish roommate and we are still close friends until now. For me, Finns are a little bit shy but they are warm, sincere, and kindhearted.

Studying at Lapland UAS is one of the best decisions in my lifetime for sure. Thus, I wish you guys would also have wonderful experiences in Rovaniemi like me. Kiitos!

- Nhi Nguyen, R31D16S

My name is Matti Hämäläinen and I am a third-year International Business student in Lapland UAS in Rovaniemi.

Before studying at Lapland UAS I was in the International Baccalaureate high school in Rovaniemi. During my high school years, I was always interested in economics, and I considered myself fairly proficient in different languages. I was looking for a field in which I could combine these two things, and to my good fortune, I discovered that there was an International Business degree program right here in my hometown. Almost all of our high school classes were also in English, which helped me to transition into the university of applied sciences.

The campus here in Rovaniemi has been really convenient for me. As a local, everything in this city is familiar and easy to reach for me, but also but I also feel that all the services here are very accessible to newcomers too. Rovaniemi is also a very international city, and our diverse student community means that it is easy to get many interesting and lifelong friends here during your studies. The arctic attractions like the northern lights, Santa Claus, and winter landscape have been part of my everyday routine for all my life, but it is very easy to see why newcomers to this area are so enchanted by them.

My favorite aspects of Lapland UAS have been our practical approach to learning, and excellent opportunities for internship and exchange. Working with real-life companies, our classes are primarily focused on practical issues. Usually, we work in groups in order to solve and discuss different issues that our business partners introduce to us. I find it very enjoying to actually help different people while also learning new things from it! The learning environment is also very enjoyable. The teachers have become very familiar to us students, and they are super easy to approach and understand.

One of the fondest memories I have of my studies was the opportunity to work for the Consulate General of Finland in New York for half a year. Thanks to the amazing internship opportunities that our school provides, our students have so many opportunities to have these kinds of international experiences. Besides my internship, I have also managed to work in other fields during my summer breaks. I have worked in the tourism field in the local camping ground, and as an accountant in the city’s hospital. While I don’t know what my plans are after graduation, I am certain that many potential employers will value the versatile International Business Administration degree.

I would recommend Lapland UAS for everyone who likes to challenge themselves in this international environment with practical learning experiences. If you find a degree program that is interesting to you and and are willing to challenge yourself in the cold climate, you are most welcome to join this school!

Matti, IB-student

Hello, I am Georgios Ioannou from Cyprus. After graduating from high school in Cyprus, I served my country’s military for two years. After my military service I moved to Australia where I worked and lived for another two years. Before leaving from Australia I decided that Finland especially Lapland was the next goal on my list, so while working as a Safari guide here in Rovaniemi I was also learning Finnish language to make myself feel comfortable around different culture and language.

A degree in International Business in English is a ticket for work at any business around the globe. Moreover, I have always wanted to become an entrepreneur, but I knew that a degree program in Business Administration would assist me to accomplish my dream.

I decided to come to study in Lapland UAS because while living and working in Rovaniemi, I had found out about International Business degree at Lapland UAS, so it felt like the right place to study.

The natural beauty, winter activities and opportunities in the Arctic were the main reasons why I decided to come to Lapland. I wanted to be close to nature, enjoy winter activities and Rovaniemi is a place where I can also develop myself and enhance my knowledge.

This place is affordable and easy for foreigners to find a job while studying and in my opinion, for studying, Rovaniemi is one of the best choices for students.

So far, the studying has been amazing to my opinion. The studies include for example Project Management, Marketing, Sales, Accounting, Law and Entrepreneurship. I have experienced a more practical way of studying which I enjoy. Studying in Lapland UAS consists everything like lectures, exercises, practical exercises, projects and work placements. The most enjoyable courses are when teachers let students alone to think and be creative. The learning environments are helpful for students.

I will never forget about Managing Business Project case that we had to create an actual seminar. I have learned a lot from that course especially how to be innovative.
Best in studies have been meeting new students especially from Erasmus program who studied with us in 2nd and 3rd year, so we have the possibility to make important contacts for the future concerning business.

Most likely I would like to work in sales, but I have also plans to become an entrepreneur in the near future.

For students I would say that be responsible, work in multicultural setting, take in account time management and be creative.

I would recommend Lapland because it is unique place especially for me as a Southern European citizen, if you want to take a different path than others and experience a more practical way of studying then Lapland UAS is your place.

I recommend Lapland UAS because you will study in an international environment and in a more practical way rather from books. Practice makes perfect! With International Business degree in English you can basically work anywhere around the globe.

Georgios Ioannou,  R31D17S

Dear reader,
This note is coming from a person that wanted to give up her studies, but at the end succeeded to end them, and to complete. This is a sign that you should never give up and continue to reach great heights in every field you strive in.

My story starts when I dreamed to become a businesswoman, that will build a solid company through entrepreneurship. I had always been fascinated by business, marketing, and leadership.
I remember graduating from high school in Rovaniemi. I knew what I wanted to do at that point, I wanted to learn business in a country ranked high on its education system. So I chose to not leave Finland and study in the country for my university studies. I heard about Lapland UAS, I heard they were teaching Business Administration in English, I thought this university is near where I live and I should apply to become part of the student body of that institution.

I applied and I had so much fun learning and making new friends. I was so happy to have made a good choice for my future. Plus, I found the learning approach to be simplified and easy to understand kind of thing. I was very astonished at how the teachers could explain difficult concepts into easy words that anybody would understand.

So in my studying journey, we learned accounting, economics, marketing, innovative concepts, finance, entrepreneurship, sustainable business concepts, leadership, administration: IT tools etc. We also learned how to financially manage a company by playing simulations.

I have noticed that since I entered this university, I learned how to be proactive, how to be active, how to be optimistic, how to think in a business way, and how to lead a group of people. My before and after attitudes have great differences, thanks to this university. As you will become a completely different person since you start studying in there.

With all of these skill set and strengths, I am leaning towards having my own company and becoming an actual entrepreneur if not I would just be working in the human resources department and work my way up to become an HR manager whose role I admire a lot.

At last, we have come far in this studying journey, and it is time to say goodbye to this beautiful institution that really helped me grow as a student, as a business-interested person, as a person.

Au revoir et merci beaucoup Lapland UAS 
Nassira Kante, International Business student ( now alumni )

I am a 26-year-old Finnish American returnee, originally from Turku, Finland. I grew up in New Jersey and California, and after completing High School in the States, I knew it was time to return to Finland to pursue a higher education.

After already completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management in Porvoo, I came to the realization that I wanted to pursue a Degree in Business Administration because of my interest and passion for marketing. Through Lapland UAS, they have been able to cater toward my interest in marketing through the courses given along with courses on Campus Online, and ultimately during my exchange studies in Portugal.

The challenge, I faced during my studies had to do with the pandemic, and being able to properly focus remotely proved a challenge and took some transitioning into this way of learning. On the other hand, gaining the experience of studying remotely, has led me to become more and more interested in remote work, and this in due course led me to becoming fascinated with the idea of working completely remotely in the future.

I am content with the teachers support throughout my studies, and their availability, and overall super positive attitude toward all students. Our head teacher encourages students to visit her for any questions during her lunch break, and always made time for me and other students which created a friendly atmosphere. I can confidently Lapland UAS makes students feel welcome, and excited and motivated to attend the lectures.

About the courses offered in the IB Program, you have the opportunity to discover your interest because of the variety of courses offered. Through the IB Program, you will have the opportunity to take courses in Marketing, Finance, Logistics, Law, Management, Economics, Sustainability, and Linguistics. Through these courses, you can uncover your interests, and start to plan your future career.

Back to the topic of exchange studies, during your studies in the IB Program, you are given the opportunity to take part in an exchange equivalent to one year abroad. I heavily recommend every IB student to take full advantage of this opportunity and to take this leap of faith by going abroad. This will allow you to discover a new culture, make new friends abroad, grow as a person, discover a new learning system, and even learn a foreign language. I was able to capitalize on the exchange opportunity in Portugal, and through hard work and preparation before the exchange, I am now able to converse in Portuguese. After Portugal, I decided to continue my studies abroad once again, and it took me to Lithuania to complete my Practical Training, which was once again a giving experience.

Thank you, Lapland UAS, for setting up my foundation in International Business, and aiding me to continue my journey as an International Business Professional.

Julius Halme

Hello, everyone! I am Shi Shengjin (Allen) and I am very happy to share with you some of my study experiences in Lapland UAS regarding:

• Why I chose Finland as a study destination and why Lapland UAS?
• How does actual learning environment & experiences look like?
• Precious international internship experience & financial supports from Erasmus?
• Feelings & Challenges during the graduation process?

So, I chose Finland because of three important aspects:

1. It is the happiest, safest and stable country in the world.

2. Finland has world’s most well-known and cost-efficient education system. Importantly, Lapland UAS offers high-scholarships (almost free!!!) through every year for international students, which can largely reduce financial burden for their family. Furthermore, teaching style are quite flexible and humanized, individual study plan will be made based on the learning ability of the student which means he or she does not have to worry about getting lost in study progress as important lectures will be recorded on the study platform.

3. Lapland UAS is located in Kemi, Tornio and in Rovaniemi city which is a perfect masterpiece of nature and modernity as well as the hometown of Santa Claus, also just on Arctic Circle. Thus, many are able to see great Northern Lights as well as the opportunity to visit real Santa Claus. Excited?

As for learning experiences and environment as a whole, academic atmosphere in Lapland UAS is excellent and teachers are highly qualified as well. In addition, teachers will often give the feedback & improving advice after classes. More importantly, teaching methods in Lapland UAS are diverse, rich and professional (indoor and outdoor). For example, during the studies, the school will arrange many valuable activities for students regarding personal professional learning and growth such as company field visits, CEO entrepreneurial experience sharing & communication, different workshops and business projects, labs for testing business ideas, etc. This is something that business student needs.

Lapland UAS also provides compensated international internship opportunities for students. I achieved my first professional practical training in 2017 from May to November with a good financial support from Erasmus. I worked as a general manager assistant in a local hotel business in Spain. After half year in that position, I slowly realized what a real professional working life should be (strict work schedule & 100% execution, highly disciplined & emotional controlled, effective team cooperation and communication skills, excellent working competence, etc.). Thus, as a qualified entrepreneur, one not only requires number of professional theories from school but also the practices from actual work. Consequently, Lapland UAS can be an ideal study place which offers international students excellent business theories, the opportunity to do business projects with internationals and an internal platform for testing business ideas under the assistance from business tutors.

Most excited part but also challenges

Facing graduation, most students including me, are thrilled and sad in a way because a lot of things are coming to you at once such as thesis writing, feedback & improvement, graduation application process....and diploma certificate eventually received. However, I acquired both professional theories and practical work experiences during my degree studies in Lapland UAS from past 4 years. Thanks to all teachers who taught and helped me during my business studies and I felt indeed a powerful education system as well as enthusiastic teaching atmosphere, I am truly grateful for such efforts and patience from all of you teachers and I am very proud of my school! LOVE YOU️!!!

Shi Shengjin (Allen)

Born and raised in Veszprem, Hungary – sister town of Rovaniemi, my elementary school had organised a student exchange programme, during which we stayed with local Lappish families and went on school & leisure activities with them. I will never forget the first time I saw the reflection of the pine forest on the river and how I suddenly found myself feeling home at such an extraordinary place I have never been to. All in all, I knew I wanted to experience this modern system and their peaceful nordic lifestyle, so I decided to start planning my higher education studies back then already. My feelings were right back then: Lapland is the place to study and grow into the best self of who you are.

Planning my studies & moving to Rovaniemi

So around my last year of high-school, I realised that this dream of studying in Finland is not necessarily a dream and I can easily turn it into a plan that can be then executed, right? I didn’t really know what to study exactly back then & didn’t get much guidance on which direction to go for. As I did not know anyone who went to Finland to do their Bachelors, I started digging and doing a research, after which I knew plenty about their system, school types and even got interested in one of Lapland University of Applied Science’s programme. Their courses were built upon Problem and Project based learning, where teachers were sort of guiding how to apply your knowledge into certain areas of the field. They also offered student talent mentoring by their individual study plan programme, which perfectly suited their practice-oriented approach. The programme sounded just exactly what I needed after being raised up by a heavily academic education.

Application & moving to Lapland

After applying in January and taking the entrance exam, which is a test and an interview in April in Budapest. Having prepared well & being really enthusiastic about my studies in Lapland, I know I will get accepted. As the Finnish entrance exam was the sole basis of student selection, I felt relieved and I was able to ignore the insane amount of stress, that our Hungarian baccalaureate brought upon us (which by the way, I have passed all with the best grade) Plus the numbers were on my side too, Helsinki and rather southern places are more popular within Finland, as people think that it’s less cold and dark there – well, they are wrong!

So I got the email of acceptance in June: this girl is moving to Lapland! What an exciting summer it was, with all the planning, packing and organising. It was quite easy to find the local student housingcompany and just like that, I had my new home waiting for me. I will never forget the feeling of packing your life into two luggages and flying alone the first time to a new country 3000km away, just to follow my dreams. This feeling of freedom felt intoxicating & scary at the same time I admit, but when I arrived to Lapland, I found myself surrounded by the kindest and most welcoming people I ever met.

Studying in Rovaniemi, Lapland UAS

Rovaniemi the capital of Lapland, a town of 60 000 people & 200 000 reindeers. Ideal place to focus on studies, develop yourself and have enough time for everything you have not had before. You can definitely finish that book, network, find friends for life, connect with nature, learn winter sports andpick up that guitar or start that business – no reason for procrastinating! Not to mention that there are around 10 000 students, from two universities – which definitely bring the town to life during Wednesdays (little Saturdays) and weekends. Several student events, social happenings and leisure opportunities are offered by the student unions & ESN. The student life was truly amazing, I had an international class of students from like 10 different countries like U.S., Vietnam, Nepal, Russia,Cyprus, Finland and we were welcomed by student mentors, senior students who guided us in the first months. We were also joined by exchange students in our second year, after which we had representatives of almost all the European countries, as Lapland really is the place to study!

Individual study plan and Learning experiece

The student-teacher relationship was something very different, that I have experienced before. Teachers became our friends and the teaching style was very much direct, we were learning together with them, sharing knowledge, information and having their guidance when needed. We could easily trust with asking for professional consultancy regarding our professional development building our career. Each class had their tutor teacher, who helped us planning our individual study plan (ISP) during the semesters. This meant that we could always change and tweak the direction a bit according to our interests, which meant an amazing level of flexibility & tailored learning. This is the main reason I could get my degree within 2 years: I have become the best self of myself, more motivated knowing that I can study what I am the most keen on & what will get me to where I want to be. Plus they offered online courses as well, which I could take during the summer and the one semester of practical training could be done while still studying as well. I personally like to keep busy, however this is an option too: as many decides to take it easy and slow while others rather take it quick and more challenging.

The studies started smooth, our courses were project based, making them feel more exciting and we had only a small amount of lectures. There was also a possibility to get previous knowledge accepted, if you have acquired the needed skills before, which is another proof of how flexible and development oriented the teaching is. Team work, group tasks & individual learning were core parts of our studies, teachers were more of tutors & mentors, who stepped in when needed. In my opinion, this is why we got ready for the ‘real life’ & work: we developed real products and services instead of only learning about the theoretical steps of implementing. Entrepreneurs and representatives of businesses were brought to the classroom, who gave us projects to be done via creating a tailored marketing, accounting or business model for them. Innovation and sustainable
business thinking were core parts of our classes, nurturing the minds of young business students – the next generation of decision makers.

Getting the job I wanted, even before I have officially graduated

We were advised to get a practical training at the field we felt the most interested about, as our skills will be developed in that area & valuable field-related experiences are acquired that are awesome for your CV. Having the opportunity to organise a student-business network event at the university, I got really interested in project & event management - I was offered a practical training in this area at my university by my lecturer during the spring semester of 2019. Later around April, when I was thinking to start writing my thesis during the summer, I was put in contact with a former Lapland UAS student, who now is a co-founder of a London-based company related to R&I project collaboration. I asked if they would like to take me & give me a case, based on which I can write my thesis. The answer was yes & yes – they even offered me to work with them as a trainee in their London office.

From Lapland to London, what a change! Realising that I only have 20 credits left apart from my thesis, I took online courses during the summer, such as Circular Economy & International Project Management & Funding Instruments. It was a busy summer: working, writing my thesis & doing online courses. Although, It was all worth it: by October I got into an amazing startup in London & I am living the life I have always wanted. Although I have to say: I miss Rovaniemi, surprisingly jealous of their early snow and miss my friends a lot too. My path may lead me back some day, but definitely going to visit as often as I can. I think choosing Lapland UAS was the best decision I could have, given
all the nurturing, opportunities & the welcoming people I met there. I am utterly grateful for my teachers, friends and colleagues from Rovaniemi & Lapland UAS  :)

Orsi Tuba, International Business graduate

My name is Heli Huhanantti and I was born and raised in Rovaniemi. I enjoy living in the North and at the moment, I work as a Sales Manager for Arktikum Service Co. I take care of the sales and marketing in Arktikum Museum & Science Centre and in Korundi House of Culture.

Before applying for the business degree at Lapland University of Applied Sciences, I had been studying and working for many years. I was looking for something new and was especially interested in studying in English. The Innovative Business Services study program sounded interesting for me, and, therefore, I decided to apply to Lapland UAS.

Project management, cross-border culture/business as well as the law courses interested me the most! I also liked marketing and entrepreneurship-related lessons, because they were useful for my career.

Among the lectures and basic group works I attended, mainly I enjoyed tackling real-life cases and projects, in which I had a chance to participate. I gained valuable experience and contacts while studying.

I appreciate the knowledge I got in the degree. I recommend the business degree in Lapland UAS for those who want to gain practical know-how and who want to study in an international environment. The programme gives you as much as you are willing to invest in it. Motivation and working hard pays off!

Even though I cannot predict the future and my career path may change, I am happy with what I am doing right now. The study programme and the contacts I gained during the studies helped me in my career progression for sure.

Picture is taken by Hayden Lloyd Photography

- Heli Huhanantti, IBS -