SeAMK Talk: SeAMK studies and application processes
[Anders]
Welcome to this new episode of SeAMK podcast. And today we will talk about a little bit more about SeAMK itself, you know, the degree programs in English. What are the opportunities that international students can apply and study with us?
And we have some special guests today. My name is Andres Mendez. I’m originally from Mexico.
Very happy to be here today. And we have with us.
[Rebecca]
Hello, my name is Rebecca Luoma. I’m originally from Michigan, from the USA. Happy to be here talking with you today.
[Andalip]
Thank you. Hello, my name is Andalip Hossain. I’m from Bangladesh and I’m a bachelor degree student in SeAMK.
And my department is agri food engineering. Thank you.
[Dong]
And my name is Dong Nguyen. And I’m from Vietnam. And I know my name is hard to say.
So you can call me Windy as well. And I’m a second years of international business students. And I’m happy to be here as well.
[Anders]
Great, great. Thank you. Thank you for being here with us today.
Here at SeAMK, we are currently offering different degree programs in English. And the new degree programs are coming up this autumn. For example, I would like to mention that we have an international business bachelor studies.
Also in the bachelor’s, we have automation engineering, agri food engineering, registered nursing, and hospitality management. But not only that, also for master’s program, we’re offering two different degrees in English. One is international business management.
And a new degree program that is opening is master of social services or health care development and management. And we’re very excited to see how many students will actually come and join us next autumn. And yeah, we’re here to talk a little bit about our experiences as students.
And then also how can we guide our audience today to apply to SeAMK. And how they can, not only for this year, but for future years perhaps. There will be a similar process.
But the first thing to do is to go and visit the SeAMK.fi website, where they can find all the information about degree programs, about application processes, about testimonials from different students, and many more, a lot more information. But yes, let’s get started by telling us a little bit about the degree programs. Please, Windy, could you tell us a little bit about the international business program?
What do you like the most? What have you learned the most? What are the challenges that you have faced?
[Dong]
Thank you, Andres. And actually my background is hospitality. So I have more than eight years experience in that hospitality.
And I will think that I want to expand my knowledge about, I want to be, at least I want to know more about the business. So that’s why I choose to apply to international business in SeAMK. And luckily that I am having very good education here at SeAMK.
And I have been approached so many new knowledge and many way that I can practice my academic knowledge as well as I can practice those knowledge, whatever I already know. And also the new thing as well when I am study here at SeAMK.
[Anders]
Can you tell us a little bit what has been the nature of the degree program? Like for example, how everything start? Like when you begin with your studies, what goes in there?
[Dong]
First, for the first year as a student in international business, you will get to know about what is the business. And they will encourage your entrepreneurship spirit in yourself. And then slowly for the second year, you will get to know more about how to plan, do the business plan, how to choose the correct strategies for your business, and how to approach more your international spirit in doing business.
That is the nature of the international business degree.
[Anders]
Okay. This degree, is it only for people who want to do business? Or have you find that it can be more generic?
Like can it be also for other people that not necessarily want to have their own business? What other options could there be?
[Dong]
I think this degree not only for the people who want to do a business. This degree is for the people who love to, how to say, do everything in the systematic way. Or the people who want to discover things new.
And also the people that they, like the people they want to do something related to the administration thing. So they can, because actually this degree name is Bachelor Degree of International Business and Administration. So they have basic, they will get the basic knowledge about related to the business and related to business administration as well.
And also because this is my background was hospitality, but my education was pre-school. That why it’s really totally new for me, and totally new environment. And when I arrived here in Finland, and when I study in my class, I have so many classmates from different nationalities.
Not only Vietnam, we have Sri Lanka, we have Bangladesh, we have Finnish, and we have Nepalese. So it’s not only the name of the degree is International Business, but also the environment and the way that they approach the study also is very international. Because we have that, when you start the second year, you will have the global trade.
So you can study the business in Europe, business in America, business in China. So that is the way that they approach the degree in very international way for us at CM.
[Anders]
Okay. Yeah, and SeAMK prides to be a very international organization. Now, there are different ways of seeing this.
We are international organization in the big picture. We have a lot of partner universities where students can go and do exchange. We have, I think it’s about 200 different institutions in 50 or 60 different countries where we receive students from also to do exchange program with us.
But we not only want to be international in the big picture. You know, like also in the degree programs, in the interaction of students with the staff members, with teachers. And we also try to give the same international atmosphere to the whole city of Seinäjoki. Because it’s a small town, it’s not very international, but we are making it international. So that’s also something very, very interesting. Thank you, Windy.
I’ll come back to you with some more questions. Andalip, once again, tell us where are you from? What are you studying, but also why did you decide to choose this degree program?
[Andalip]
Thanks, Andres. My name is Andalip. I’m from Bangladesh, and I’m studying agri-food engineering, and it’s my bachelor degree in SeAMK.
And agri-food engineering, it’s very interesting subject for me. I hope also others who are trying to applying or studying about food related food science or nutrition and like about science things. So they can apply for that course in SeAMK, because I choose especially SeAMK because we have the best food lab in our university.
When I saw that video in SeAMK lab, it was so incredible. And I saw many kind of tools, more update machineries. And I thought, OK, maybe one day I go there and I’m going to use those things.
And the good thing is it’s our daily life things. As a food engineer, we learn every day new things, and it’s going to be helpful for me and also others. We try to innovate new food and how can we improve the shelf life and how it can be does zero footprint.
Now we have more pollution ongoing in our art. So we try to figure it out how we can reduce the carbon emission. And yeah, that’s our study things.
But I honestly I really like this because we in SeAMK we have not only the reading based education system in engineering side. We have lots of practical training base as an engineering student. I really support this because we know we learn easily to about our study background like in hand handy way in a practical way.
We learn those things easily. So, yeah, I like those.
[Anders]
OK, and what can you think about? What can you tell us about the degree program? Like how do you what is your favorite thing, for example, on a study of food engineering or what is the most challenging thing at the moment?
[Andalip]
OK, my most in agri food, it’s very large study program because we have 240 credit scores in a four year. So some course I like it’s chemistry based and biochemical based. So I like those course.
And yeah, though sometime I face difficult situation with find the practical training. And I know it’s because of language variation. But my university tried to figure it out how we can improve and how we can easily find internship in future.
So basically we are the first agri food engineering base. That’s why I think we face that kind of problem. But I think we will figure it out easily because our university, they’re also trying to supporting us.
And that’s a very good thing as a student. And I never feel any challenge, but I only feel the language challenging thing. And it’s not, you know, like it’s a little bit connecting with study.
But yeah, otherwise everything is good about my study program.
[Anders]
Yeah, actually here at SeAMK, we’re trying to we’re trying to support the students in everything related to their studies. And for example, a lot of the students have come to us and ask, hey, Andres, can we you help us to find a job? And I said, no.
OK, can you help us to, you know, like a lot of different things related to to I need an income. And I don’t I don’t have enough money, et cetera. And I don’t need to find a job.
And we just basically try to tell them, listen, we we’re here to support your studies. So, for example, we are trying to help the students to find a practical training because it’s part of their studies. But then but then we we have advised the students, you know, to be financially prepared to come and study with us and to be financially prepared for at least the first two years of their studies.
You know, it’s an advice because in that time they might be able to get to know companies and to meet people and to increase that network and so on. So the idea is that is, yeah, that that students also know that we try to support them in anything that is related to the studies. And I’m sure that you will find a like the right place.
You know, if you didn’t find an easy place, it probably means because you haven’t found the right place yet.
[Andalip]
Yeah, that’s true. And I also try to add one thing. In Seinäjoki University of Applied Science, it’s the most internationalized university in Finland, I think.
Not I’m thinking it’s true because we have many kinds, many different countries student. We are study here. So we have very good internationalized community culture inside our university.
So that also help us to grow international community. So it can be also improve our language variant, cultural variant. And it can be also helpful for you in your future to find job, business or something to make a network other country.
So that’s a very good thing in SeAMK.
[Anders]
Thank you. Thank you. And before we move on to our next topic and our next guest today, I have a question for you guys.
Do you remember when you apply to study with us?
[Andalip]
Yes.
[Anders]
Was it was it an easy process?
[Andalip]
So easy as process.
[Anders]
It was easy process. OK, good to know. Good to know.
And what about you, Windy? Was it easy? Easy process to apply at SeAMK?
[Dong]
I applied through agent.
[Anders]
Through agent. OK.
And, you know, that’s that’s not wrong, actually. That’s that’s a perfect answer as well, because today we also want to talk about an application process. We want students to keep applying to study with us.
We want more students. We hope that all of our listeners, if they don’t have the possibility that they will spread the word, that will help us to tell other people we want you here. You know, we want students at SeAMK.
And let’s talk a little bit about application I have with me today. Becky, would you like to reintroduce yourself?
[Rebecca]
Yes. Yes. Thanks, Andres.
So my name is Becky Luoma. I said in the beginning, Rebecca, that’s my formal name. But everybody here at SeAMK calls me Becky.
So I’m Becky and I’m working in the international office and working in the areas of coordinating our agent partner network and around international student recruitment. And great to hear your stories, Windy and Andali. And about application, we are having now opening an application period.
And this is a great time, Andres, to talk about it and how easy it is to apply to SeAMK. And you can apply yourself, like Andali said, directly visit our Web site, SeAMK.FI. Click on the English page. You’ll find all the information you need there, instructions to move forward with your application.
And like Windy said, we have a network of agents, agencies around the world that will help you. And on our Web site, you can find all of our agencies listed. So if you do feel you might need a little help, you can check out our agents.
And on our list, is there someone in your area or from your country that you’d like to contact and ask, hey, can you help me? I want to apply to SeAMK. There’s application period open now.
Can you help me? So please, please reach out to them if you feel that’s your pathway to apply.
[Anders]
Yeah. And then just before recording this podcast, we were talking about let’s check the Web site. You know, let’s check how easy or how clear the information is there.
And thankfully, we have also, well, all the different links. You know, if you go to SeAMK.FI, also make sure that you click English so that the Web site would appear in English. But there is also there is a lot of mentions about admissions.
And you need to read carefully. There is a lot of applicants that we have that often don’t like to read through all the instructions. And sometimes they’re just panicking.
Oh, I don’t know this. I don’t know that. Well, this isn’t there.
So it’s important to read the information. But also they can send emails. And, you know, sometimes the emails take a little time to answer, but all the emails get answered.
So feel free to, you know, to contact us for for any questions. You know, when also we were talking about the challenge of language. Well, turns out that Becky speaks Finnish very, very well.
Becky, would you share with us one of your tips? How do you learn Finnish?
[Rebecca]
OK, well, just like you, Windy and Andeli, I studied in Finland a bachelor’s degree program in nursing. And it was important. It was all in English.
And so when I had first moved to Finland 21 years ago and it took me, I would say, three years to learn Finnish fluently. So, yes, we only studied in English. Yes, our practical trainings were in the hospital in Finland where there is Finnish speaking patients.
So I think that helped me a lot being immersed in an environment because of these practical trainings. So to be active and just listen, listen, practice and then put yourself in that environment. Don’t be afraid or shy to say something wrong.
That was I think I’ve always been brave and not afraid to speak out. So I think that helps me. That helped me a lot.
Just my basic the way I am. But I think to try to immerse yourself in the Finnish environment while you’re here in different ways. Listen to the news, maybe find some groups like hobbies, extracurricular activities that you could do on the evenings or weekends if you have time.
But but to be active and take take role in it because it takes time and it takes some people longer. But me, it took three years and I know you guys can can learn it. And I just encourage you to to try and be active and not give up because it’s a process.
It’s not going to happen overnight or in a week or two weeks. It takes time and everybody can do it, I think. And we’re here to support you.
[Anders]
And everyone has everyone has different method of learning and everyone has a different timing. But the reason why I ask you, Becky, is because is I just want to throw it out there that it is possible. It is possible for students to move to another country to to do life, to learn the language, to maybe who knows, find your other half, you know, like find a partner, get married, whatever.
But it is possible to do life somewhere else. And I think this podcast is not only the idea to just throw information out there, but also to dialogue and to actually get to know each other and to realize how’s how’s life in Finland and studying at Sam. But but, yeah, I want to go back to the application part, because once again, this is part of why do we want students to come?
We don’t just want to come. We just want to ask students to come and join us and have a bunch of people with nothing to do. But we actually want to, yeah, increase population.
Yes. We want to increase in internationality. Yes.
We want more people to actually enjoy the weather. Now, we are all laughing because actually it’s very cold at the moment, but summer is coming. You know, summer is coming and it will be nice and warm.
I would like to mention about them. So, for example, I’m actually one of those persons that are the first contact to the students. You know, when the students apply to study with us, we offer webinars.
So we offer like this online sessions where even though they are not our students yet, but we have this info sessions where we talk about more in detail about SeAMK and Seinäjoki, Finland. And we try to encourage them to, yeah, to join. It doesn’t cost anything to be, you know, to join the webinars.
And also please look at the videos that we have online on our website and YouTube. You know, we have all these different info videos in there. So it will be nice that the students will get to know all this.
And also it’s important for us to remember that the starting time of the studies is usually in September. It’s the autumn semesters when we begin our studies here in Sam. And we ask students that as soon as they know that they have been accepted, you know, we want them to accept the study place, to pay tuition fee, and then to start getting ready.
And what it means to get ready is to apply for an apartment, to apply for resident permit. So they have enough time to arrive on time at the beginning of classes in September. Yes, but Becky, anything else that we would like to add regarding application periods, regarding?
[Rebecca]
To apply, I think, like we said, go to the website and that. But then maybe it’s good to mention to be actively, like, checking your email and waiting for communications from us because we send, like, there might be an interview and they need to.
[Andalip]
Yeah, because sometimes outside Finland we forgot to check email. Yes. And we have also certain period to replay university, like the administration mail.
So that’s also a good thing.
[Anders]
Yeah, we have noticed that there is a number of students who then just, we send information and then they contact us, hey, you know, we would like to know this and that. And we already send all this information. So it’s important to check emails.
And it’s important that when students apply, it’s important that you have a personal email. I don’t think it’s a good idea that you only, there is some recruiting agencies who create an email address or other contact information. But I think when you apply with the university, it’s important that the personal information of the applicant will be there.
So that, for example, if I apply to SeAMK, I don’t give somebody else’s email address, but I give my own email address. Because there is important information that I have to know as applicant, I need to know. And there are some times for, once again, for webinar, for payment, for arrival, for resident permit, et cetera.
So it’s very important that you are the one who receives all that information. In addition to this, it will be also good that when you apply for resident permit, for apartment, et cetera, that also you add your own personal information. Because, you know, they need to contact you.
They need to know that you know who you are. And, yeah, so there might be third parties trying to help you with different processes. And I think it’s fine as long as it’s legal, but also take care of your personal information.
You know, like when and how it’s given. I want to thank you all for being here today with us. It’s been great to hear about your stories, about the application process, and to hear about the degree programs that we’re offering at SeAMK.
But let’s say goodbye to this episode. Is there some word or sentence that you could say to also describe what SeAMK means to you? Let’s go for it.
[Dong]
Hi, everyone. Let’s be SeAMK, be amazing. And also be friendly and more internationalized.
[Rebecca]
At SeAMK, as how I would say, global opportunities.
[Anders]
Okay, okay. I would like to say that SeAMK for me is a lot of innovation. And it doesn’t come by inventing things, but just by trying different things, not being afraid to fail.
Yes, thank you very much. And have a great rest of the week.
[Dong]
Thank you very much. Thank you.