FINNIPS entrance exams in Warsaw

Last week I had the privilege to supervise entrance exams for candidates to Finnish universities of applied sciences, this time in Warsaw in Poland. The exams are organised by the FINNIPS network for the whole of Finland and attendants came from Poland, the Czech Republic, Moldova, Slovenia and the Ukraine.

- I'm glad we actually made it here, despite the global situation as it stands at the moment, said Oles and Taras, brothers from the Ukraine who hope to start international business studies in Finland in August.

Long days with 3-4 hours of exam at a time. Water, water, water...

In the group interview part of the exam the hopeful candidates shared their hopes and dreams in their future field of  study. Most already had some experience through spending a few months in Finland as an Erasmus exchange student, or already had friends or family studying in Finland.

For myself, this was a first-time experience which I shared with a colleague from KYAMK. Thankfully he had lived in Poland for six years, one of which was in Warsaw. I got a good overview of the city in the brief free hours of each evening, with a travel planner right next to  me... thanks Jori!

If you have a chance to go for a similar assignment abroad, I sincerely recommend you take it!

Text & Photo: Piri Hiltunen / TAMK International Services

Visitor from Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria

Ms. Aleksandra Jama (in the middle) is discussing with the International Coordinators, Mr. Janne Hopeela and Ms. Ulla-Maija Takkunen and the CUAS students Felix Wiesinger and Magdalena Hamm.

TAMK was privileged to have a guest from our Austrian partner university, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS). The Head of International Office, Ms. Aleksandra Jama, was here to discuss about the future cooperation in student and staff mobility.

TAMK and CUAS have many common study fields and interests in higher education so the partnership will be fruitful in the following years, too. At the moment, CUAS is a possible exchange destination for TAMK students in Business, Hotel and Restaurant Management and Social Services.

Ms. Aleksandra Jama met also the CUAS students currently in exchange at TAMK so they could share their first impressions of the Erasmus period in Tampere.

Text and photo: Kaisa Merilahti, TAMK International Services

“No real culture shock, only interesting situations” - TAMK exchange students' experiences

Hiking in national park Seitseminen...

When settling into a new country, one can face new things that seem weird or awkward. The confused feeling can be strong or weak and it can arrive during the first days or even after returning back to home. The TAMK exchange students from the academic year 2012-2013 shared their experiences of culture shock and adapting in Finland in the evaluation questionnaire. Here you can read some of the answers:

I didn't experience culture shock really, as I noticed, that the mentality of the other students, the teachers and finnish people in general was much more easy to handle than in my home country and I adjusted very fast. It was also not my first time in Finland, so I knew a little bit of its culture already. And because of feeling more connected to the people, also going to school was more fun than in my home town, so I enjoyed not only the parties, but also the week-days when going to school. - German girl

One can have fun also in Finnish winter!

well, i was shocked about the way Finnish people behavior like they have schedule for everything, it was complicate to understand that at the beginning. – Mozambican boy 

I enjoyed my time here. I didn't have much of a "culture shock", but the city is really welcoming. TAMK is a very well organized school and I am very happy that I made this decision of coming here. - Belgian girl

Well I really enjoyed for being in Tampere. A small but nice city and of course a safety city. If I compare Tampere with my home city which is bigger but is not offering as many as Tampere. During the first three days after arriving I asked myself "What the hell I am doing here"? but after one week I really enjoyed the time with my new friends and with the new culture. - Turkish boy 

Marta from Spain enjoys a summer evening

My experience in Finland was great!! I knew a really hospital country, in which people are kind and direct. I knew a beautiful city, the lakes, the forest, the snow. I knew a new, efficient university. I knew young people coming from all over the world. Now I know I've a new home!! Thank you Finland - Italian girl

I had Spanish cultural shock. I had French cultural shock and believe me that was a big one. I also had Italian cultural shock. And Hungarians? Dont even get me started... But seriously, I rly didnt anything that could be described as "culture shock", never heard of it before either. Overall, it was rly awesome here and I loved it. Thank you very much. – Slovakian boy

Parties are always an important part of course

When I came to Tampere I got used to language and people easily, because finnish people are friendly,straightforward,interesting.I meet many people not connected to university activities, I had a great time, learned cultural things,like traditional food,drinks, customs, develop my basic finnish language knowladge, also city is very well developed in many ways, I love various interesting cafes, architerure in Tampere, facinated by grand event and exibitions that takes place here. - Lithuanian girl

Winter activities

The first shock when i got here was the extreme cold weather, which i am not used to and the darkness. Then it was the small city that is Tampere and the strange, unusual but cool campus in Finlayson, which i really liked and enjoyed. As a personal development i learned to live alone, to do everything on my own, administrate my time and money, to get along and work with people that has different backgrounds and beliefs; and to work hard. - Mexican girl

Tutors and exchange students in Särkänniemi amusement park

This was an amazing adventure for me. I always wanted to visit Finland, but to live here is different. I like that almost all the people can speak English fluently, so I could ask anybody for help or just make friends within Finnish people not just exchange students. The city and the enviroment is beautiful, calm, no stress and hurriness. I like to live here someday. - Hungarian girl 

 Ryo Tominaga from Miyagi University in Japan spent 1 year at TAMK, this is how he said goodbye to Finland and the many friends he made

Posted by Kaisa Merilahti and Annika Dillenburger from TAMK International Services
Photos by David Nakamurah, Ryo Tominaga, Marta Sanchez-Vina, Kaisa Merilahti

"The future prepares itself for us." - Interview with fresh TAMK graduate Oana Syrjäläinen

The journey is over - at least for the over 800 students who successfully graduated from TAMK during this spring.
One of them is Oana Syrjäläinen, who studied for 4 years in the Degree Programme in Tourism and graduated on June 8th as Bachelor of Hospitality Management.
There are uncountable experiences and impressions to collect during the time as a student and Oana shared some of them with us.

Why did you decide to apply to TAMK in the first place?
Oana: I actually got the idea to apply for TAMK (or PIRAMK at the time) one day before the application period ended (February 2009). It came as a surprise even to me that I wanted to apply, as I was not previously considering going back to school (after having already 2 BA degrees from Romania). I guess we are not always preparing for the future, but the future prepares itself for us. Tourism felt like a natural choice, also from my recently discovered love of travelling and because the programme was taught in English.

What kind of benefits and opportunities did TAMK give you?
Oana: TAMK gave me opportunities to work and study abroad, though Erasmus programmes, which enriched my life through new experiences and the people I have met while on exchange.
In addition, for me the practical training was an excellent chance to get to know the hospitality industry from the worker's point of view also and opened the path to working life in Finland, something most people might take for granted but not a given for us, foreign students, who struggle with language and culture barriers.

Were there any unforgettable moments that need to be mentioned?
Oana: I cannot speak of "unforgettable moments" but I can speak of unforgettable people: my colleagues are beautiful people from all over the world and I am happy to have met every single one of them! I feel that we have learned a lot from each culture and that we have come together as a small team during these years.

How was the graduation ceremony?
Oana: It was great that I actually had butterflies while at the ceremony, it is I guess a unique feeling for me and for the other nowadays alumni to know that studies are over, new challenges lie ahead and we no longer have to stress about exams, bachelor thesis and credits anymore. The ceremony itself was pleasantly concise and the speakers wittily entertaining, with subtle cross references on previous speeches, uncommon for these type of events, I think. Clearly a good decision to be part of it! Bonus for me was that I got to speak to Markku Lahtinen (President, Managing Director of TAMK) during the coffee-and-cake event, it was a perfect ending to the studies.

Do you have specific plans for the future?
Oana: I am one of the lucky graduates not to find themselves in front of a big question mark about the future, as I am already part of the team that opened in July 2012 Tampere's "youngest" hotel, so I will continue working in the same place.

Would you recommend applying to TAMK to other students?
Oana: Yes, I would recommend TAMK to future students. TAMK is young, dynamic and, in addition to wide fields of study, there is a visible "fun" culture through international events and club gatherings. Basically, I think there is something for everyone on offer, no matter how demanding and what is more appealing, anyone can get involved and be a part of it.
As for studying, tourism is still one of my favourite topics, so I definitely recommend future students to take up courses in tourism, it opens up the taste for travelling beyond imagination. And a piece of advice for all those pondering whether to go abroad for a semester or not: DO IT, you will become part of a community that will give you amazing memories and you will meet people that might change your life!

Oana Syrjäläinen at the graduation ceremony

Text: Oana Syrjäläinen, Bachelor of Hospitality Management; Annika Dillenburger, Trainee, International Services
Photo: Oana Syrjäläinen

Goodbye Tampere!

Check out the video of winter impressions made by TAMK exchange student Stephan Besseling from Hogeschool van Amsterdam:

The video has been shot in Tampere, Helsinki, Baltic Sea and Lapland during Stephan's exchange period. He studied International Business at TAMK for Spring 2013 Semester.

The spring season showed the very different faces of Nordic climat for international students. The spring semester started with cold and snowy winter months and ended with sunny and bright, even hot days in May. In March a rare phenomenon occured when the clear and colorful northern lights were witnessed in Tampere.

At the same time when the summer arrived in Tampere, the exchange students started to get prepared for returning to their home countries. It's time to say goodbye and thank you for this academic year!

Text: Kaisa Merilahti, International Services

Erasmus IP: See me! - Creative methods with youngsters at TAMK.

Erasmus Intensive Programme for Social Services studies has begun on Monday the 13th of May. In total, there are over 60 participants, both teachers and students from six countries: Lithuania, Spain, Hungary, Germany, Netherlands and Finland.

See Me! Erasmus IP participants during the introduction day

During the two week programme the participants will get to know each other, work and study together and familiarize themselves a little with Finland and it's culture as well. In the programme there are several different workshops, visits and a lot of international teamwork!

Course participants prepared some special treats and drinks as a greeting from their region for the students and teachers of other countries. How nice!

See Me! -learning style. Fun!

Teamwork for the win!

Students and treats from Sevilla

Here in Finland we have this thing called Letkajenkka

Text: Panu Alanko
Photos: Sanna-Maria Anttila & Eveliina Anttila

Erasmus Intensive Program: Forests and Storms at TAMK

International cooperation course in Erasmus Intensive Program on forests and storms ends in good but wishful spirits. The Program was organized at Tampere University of Applied Sciences lasting from March 14th to March 27th.

Portuguese students enjoying Finnish spring weather and trying out the snowshoes!

A two-week intensive course on forests and storms at TAMK came to its end yesterday. Almost 40 students and 15 teachers from 5 different European countries had a busy time learning and lecturing about things like climate change, storms and bioenergy. Besides the lectures and group-working, the participants had the chance to see some forestry activities in practice and visit e.g. the SMEAR (Station for measuring ecosystem-atmosphere relations) –station of Helsinki University 60 kilometers north of Tampere.

Forests and Storms field trip – Logging excursion

Although the weather was exceptionally cold for this time or the year the students and teachers really enjoyed the activities on snow on free-time. Everybody tried cross-country skiing and walking with snow shoes. One Romanian student proved to be a real fisherman – his catch was five perches from a hole on the frozen lake. The Spanish young men were brave enough to try ice-swimming - in water with temperature close to zero degrees Celsius!

Visiting teachers testing another very Finnish thing to do, cross-country skiing.

One of the unforgettable experiences for the visitors was undoubtedly the northern lights, aurora borealis, which they could observe on the night of March 17th. At these latitudes it is very exceptional to see so impressive electromagnetic activity.

The IP Forests and Storms was realized for the third time. Previously it has been in Bazas, France in 2010 and in Palencia, Spain in 2011. The IP was coordinated by ELEPFA de Bazas and the other participating universities were University of Valladolid (Spain), Transilvania University of Brasov (Romania), Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (Portugal), Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco (Portugal) and Tampere University of Applied Sciences.

The Erasmus Intensive Program: Forests and Storms participants.

Text: Ari Vanamo

Photos: Ari Vanamo, Manne Viljamaa & Raul Araujo

New exchange students are here

While the degree students were still on holidays, the exchange students already started their semester with the Orientation on 3-4 January 2013. The Main Exchange Student Orientation gathered around 60 new students together to learn about studying and living here.

Exchange students in International Business, Tim Denissen and Valeriia Gorlushko, on snowy TAMK Main Campus

The new Erasmus students Valeriia Gorlushko from Poland and Tim Denissen from the Netherlands didn’t face any big culture shock when arriving to Finland. In their opinion, the weather is not too cold but the only thing Valeriia is missing is the sunlight. During the first weekend in Tampere, Valeriia and Tim were lucky to see the sun when having a walk on the frozen lake. They also saw people ice-fishing  and the fishermen were proud to present their catch of frozen fishes for the foreigners. It was funny!

The first day of orientation with different forms to fill

The students taught each others some Finnish words they had already learned

The main part of the arriving exchange students are from Europe. This spring the biggest groups come from Spain, France, Hungary, Netherlands and Belgium. However, there’re students also from more distant countries like South Korea, China, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Mosambique and Canada. 

In total, there will be over 120 exchange students at TAMK this spring. Almost 40 out of them will study in the Degree Programme in International Business. The Degree Programmes in Media, Nursing and Tourism will also receive more than 10 students each. 

Text and photos: Kaisa Merilahti, International Services

First exchange students are arriving!

The first bunch of new exchange students is arriving during this week. About 50 students are going to start Summer Schools on next Monday. 

Two of the Summers Schools will take place in TAMK: Erasmus Intensive Language Course and North-South-South Summer School. In addition, a group of TAMK exchange and degree students will participate in Summer School organized by SITR cooperation (Studying in Tampere Region). The topic of the Summer Schools is the same: Finnish language and culture.

Yasar is having a walk around TAMK main campus

One of the early birds is Erasmus student Yasar Ismet Demiröz from Ege University, Turkey. He’s going to do studies in Environmental and Construction Engineering in TAMK for the academic year 2012-2013. For Yasar, the Erasmus exchange in Finland is a dream come true. He says that if he wasn’t accepted to Finland, he wouldn’t have gone for exchange at all. One of the reasons to choose Finland, is his dear hobby orienteering. Through orienteering he has already met Finnish people who he had found lovely and nice persons.  Finland also offers good possibilities to do orienteering and other nature activities. 

The first impression of Finland is really positive to Yasar. He appreciates the fact that everything is so well organized in Finland. Also the calmness and silence fascinates him. We wish all the best for Yasar with his studies!

We also warmly welcome all the arriving exchange students and new degree students to TAMK!

Text and photo: Kaisa Merilahti, International Services

Memories to last a lifetime

During my studies in the Degree Programme in Tourism I spent a year in Athens, Greece, as an Erasmus exchange student. I highly recommend an exchange period for all students, and especially those in the tourism field, as it is an international industry and success in it requires multi-cultural social skills.

I chose Athens as my destination because I had lived on a Greek island some years before, and figured an exchange would be the perfect opportunity to add on to my limited Greek language skills. I was also intrigued by the idea of living in a metropolis city – as a small town girl I thought it made the exchange all the more exciting. Also, I figured that as the tourism industry brings in a big part of the Greek national income, they must have some expertise there to share.

Athens

The first few weeks of my residing in Athens can be described with one word – chaos. Although I had previous experience of the Greek culture, I must admit I did suffer some sort of culture shock. Life in Athens was similar to the life on the islands - multiplied by a hundred. Cars, houses, people, noise, shops, cafes, and then some more cars and houses and people…. It took me some time to learn my way around (I still don’t know how I found my way back to my house the first few times I ventured out J ).

Despite all that, though, I fell in love with the city in record time. I can’t pinpoint what made it so special, but I can say I really did have the time of my life. I met some amazing people, learned many things about other cultures, and gained an excellent new perspective on how the world works.

In Syntagma square after the first day of uni

I studied in the Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Athens, which is an equivalent to our University of Applied Sciences. The atmosphere on campus was much more noisy and vibrant than what it is here, true to the Greek form of communication, and I did wonder how the students got any studying done among all the hustle and bustle. The Greek students do, however, have to work extremely hard at their studies, and they are not as lucky as we Finns are to be receiving monetary assistance from the government either.



View of  Lycabettus Hill from the Acropolis



I was in Athens for the semesters of 2009 and 2010, which was the beginning of the troubles the nation is facing now. There were many strikes held during my time there, and during them many lectures were cancelled. The teachers did their best in making up for lost time, and all of my courses were very informative and useful. All the teachers were very professional and enthusiastic.

All in all my exchange year in Athens gave me some unforgettable experiences and taught me a lot of things about myself, other people, and life itself. I can’t wait to go back J.



At the Finnish Christmas party, downtown Athens



 The writer is Janita Nurmi, who is about to graduate from the Degree Programme in Tourism and go on to conquer the world.