The number of students applying to English-language degree programs at universities and polytechnics has increased significantly this year compared to 2021, according to a report published by the National Board of Education on Thursday.
In total, more than 33,000 people applied for the courses, which start in the autumn. Last year, the figure was just over 22,000.
During the application period ending this Wednesday, the most popular English-language programs were the Bachelor of Health Care (Nurse).
The highest number of applications was received for the Jyväskylä JAMK nurse course, which was sought by about 2,285 hopeful applicants. This means that there are 57 applicants for each course location.
The probability of getting a place at the corresponding University of Applied Sciences Novia University of Applied Sciences near the city of Vaasa is even higher, with 70 applicants fighting for every vacancy after the institution also received more than 2,000 applications.
The competition for art course places will also be fierce, as 1,151 applicants chose the acting course of the University of the Arts Helsinki as the first option. There are only 12 starting points on the course.
Distance learning from Nigeria, Sri Lanka
Many applicants for English-language degree courses hope to come to Finland to study abroad, most of them outside the EU and the EEA.
This was also the case last year, as less than half of the students enrolled in the English-language degree program at the University of Tampere, for example, were Finnish citizens.
Coming to Finland means a huge lifestyle change for many students, and the Covid pandemic has exacerbated these challenges.
Dhanushi Srinivasan From Sri Lanka and James Afolaranmi Students from Nigeria are studying for a bachelor’s degree in popular sciences and technology at the University of Tampere. Due to the pandemic, both students had to start their studies remotely.
Afolaranmi started the course in the fall of 2020 while still in Nigeria and studied remotely until spring 2021.
"I studied in Nigeria while my fellow students were here in Finland. I missed the learning environment and the student community. It wasn’t very easy," he told Yle and added that the interrupted internet connection added to his difficulties.
He was therefore very happy to finally arrive in Finland in March 2021.
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Sri Lankan Dhanushi Srinivasan wanted to study abroad after high school but had to keep a gap year due to the pandemic. Last year, Srinivasan secured a place at the University of Tampere, but also faced physical challenges in getting to the country and campus.
"I had to travel to India to get a residence permit in Finland. There was a huge coronary virus outbreak in my country at the time," Srinivasan explained and added that the first weeks of classes were attended remotely from both India and Sri Lanka.
"The teachers were very encouraging and I could ask them for help. Although the teaching took place through Zoom, there was no human interaction," Srinivasan said.
Challenges of distance learning
Joanna KumpulaThe director of international student recruitment at the University of Tampere told Yle that he was well aware of the problems that students face when coming to Finland from abroad.
According to Kumpula, arriving from EU countries is relatively easy, but those arriving from outside the EU are required to have a residence permit, and in order to obtain a permit, a student must register with the Finnish Embassy, which is not necessarily an option in everyone. I.
"This has been particularly difficult for those who do not have an embassy in Finland. They have to travel to another country, which is very demanding or completely impossible during this Covid era," he said.
Thus, many students have no choice but to start their studies remotely from their own country. The challenges related to distance learning have been very demanding for both students and staff, Kumpula said. For example, time differences can cause problems, especially for multinational groups.
According to Kumpula, however, the feedback from students has been good so far.
He also pointed out that many students do not have access to distance learning and have therefore had to postpone their studies to a later date.
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Finally on campus
Distance learning means that a student can at least stay involved in their studies, but many other important things in the university experience cannot be done at a distance.
Dhanushi Srinivasan missed the orientation week, campus trips and group events, but is now happy to make up for lost time.
"The fall semester was really fun. Teaching took place on campus, and I liked it. There were a lot of student events where people got to meet," Srinivasan said.
James Afolaranmi has also enjoyed life on campus. Last summer, he took extra courses to make up for missed courses.
"I studied hard because I couldn’t complete lab studies in Nigeria, so I kept coming to campus to study," he said.
Unfortunately for students, Covid restrictions mean that life on campus is again limited, but some classes are still in person.
Source: The Nordic Page