Not as hard as you would think

Swedish is Robin’s first language. “Studying in English requires a little self-confidence, but you’ll get along just fine in an international group”, says Robin Snellman.

Not as hard as you would think

After high school, Robin Snellman’s main goal was to study in either Finnish or English. Swedish is his first language, but he wanted to explore other opportunities.

– My Finnish was not that good, so English it was.

Robin says his English got a lot better in high school. He spent a lot of time gaming and watching movies. It gave him self-confidence and also improved his vocabulary. Gaming has been proven in several researches to support language learning.

– Of course, you have to know some English, but I wouldn’t say you have to be perfect at it. After all, my study group is multicultural, so hardly anyone speaks English as first language.

Robin is studying Information Technology at VAMK, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences. He is currently attending his fourth and final year and expected to graduate next spring.

A perfectly sized city

Love was one of the reasons Robin chose Vaasa and VAMK. His girlfriend was attending Novia, a Swedish speaking University of Applied Sciences in Vaasa. He didn’t really know what to expect when moving to Vaasa from Pietarsaari, a smaller city about a hundred kilometers North from Vaasa.

– Now I have found it to be a beautiful city. Not too big and not too small. Actually it’s quite perfect for students.

That been said, Robin has been concentrating merely on his studies. The student life with its parties and happenings have not been that important to him.

– I have been following the curriculum, since there are not that many extra courses to take.

Good sights in career

Information Technology is a programme consisting of both basics and advanced professional studies. Like in all programmes in University of Applied Sciences, the students will learn to do things in practice instead of just reading the theory.

You can choose between software engineering and embedded systems, according to your preferences and needs. The advanced professional studies focus on internalization and teamwork in projects.

– In my class, there are two Finnish students in a group of 40 people. Approximately 75 percent of them are Asian. I like the diversity.

Robin first chose embedded systems as his orientation but has later changed to telecommunications. It was a choice made by his interests, rather than evaluation of job opportunities.

– It might be nice to work abroad at some point, even though I probably will have a job in Pietarsaari at an industrial calibration company Beamex. I’m also doing my thesis for the same company, and if they are happy with it, I have a good shot to a steady job after graduation.