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I have a lot of experience in moving countries: As a kid, I lived in Hungary, then we moved to Canada and now I am studying in the Bachelor's Programme in Energy Technology in Finland.
Once I’d decided to focus on sustainability and study in Europe, choosing Finland was easy. I'd heard about the amazing education here and knew that Finland is a well-designed place, both socially and physically.
When I found after some googling that LUT offers energy technology studies in English – the exact thing I was looking for – I immediately applied. There were only a few more days left on the application, but I managed to get through the process in time. The online application made the process pretty straightforward and quick. Thankfully, I got my acceptance letter shortly after and made my decision.
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"What if I can't make friends?" - Student community by design at orientation weeks
"What if I can't make friends?" This was my biggest worry moving to a completely new place alone this time.
When I arrived at the end of August and attended the orientation weeks—the first introductory weeks for new students—I realized that everyone else was also testing the waters, trying to start conversations and make friends. We were all in the same boat, which made me believe that I could build a community here.
There was a big picnic, campus tours and information sessions, traditional Finnish games, and a fun city-wide scavenger hunt. I found it easy to talk to people during these events. We were all trying to complete an activity, which gave us a good conversation starter. Everything was introduced and explained.
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LUT has been an extremely helpful learning experience. Not just for learning energy technology, but also how to be curious, how to be comfortable alone, how to study without strict guidelines and get more out of it, and how to enjoy exploring new ground.
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"How do I get involved?" - Living Finnish student culture as a guild member
I wanted to get involved, so I decided to start participating in the organization of events. Finland has a rich culture of student organizations called guilds. Guilds bring the students together with events, company visits and provide a room on campus to get coffee and connect.
I joined ESN (international and exchange student guild on campus) in my first year and later joined Fuusio (my degree programme's student guild) where I got to actively shape how students come together.
I got to know a lot more people this way. I went to events and planned them together with other board members. Thanks to my guilds, I took part in excursions around Finland, exploring the country where I now lived. While building a community wasn’t going to be effortless, it was definitely possible to keep meeting new people.
Our generation is becoming less excited about hobbies - a trend I also see on campus. Some people stay in their comfort zone and friend groups, and are not as open to exploring new situations.
Thankfully, there are those who keep student traditions and communal activities alive. Guild board members are working to organize new and exciting events, and more hobby clubs are starting up and bringing people together. It's heart-warming to see.
Finland’s incredibly rich student culture also helps foster community. The guilds provide students with overalls, that are worn to events and indicate the study field by a specific color. There are songs and traditions that connect generations of students.
Since education here isn't focused on keeping you on campus from 9 to 5, I have had the opportunity to enjoy living through my 20s, exploring new hobbies, and going to events with friends.
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"How does everything work?" - Studying Energy Technology
Studying energy technology in Lahti has been a wonderful experience – from the student culture to the exciting topics we cover in class. My degree answers the question "How does everything work?", since usually, the answer is energy.
It’s a rewarding process that lets me freely explore electrical engineering and nuclear engineering (and even more areas of engineering beyond that). In Finland, there’s a strong emphasis on independent study. I’ve learned to follow my curiosity, have improved my self-regulation, research, and learning abilities.
I’ve also learned that being alone is a very freeing experience, and getting used to enjoying my own company while studying has been a journey of self-reflection.
LUT has been an extremely helpful learning experience. Not just for learning energy technology, but also how to be curious, how to be comfortable alone, how to study without strict guidelines and get more out of it, and how to enjoy exploring new ground.
Sometimes I think about the other universities I could have chosen, but I always come to the conclusion LUT was the right choice.
I have learned so much here.
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In Finland, there’s a strong emphasis on independent study. I’ve learned to follow my curiosity, have improved my self-regulation, research, and learning abilities.
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