#throwback: my entrance examination

Moi! 

I want to start this week’s post with a fun fact: exactly one year ago, I was in Finland for my entrance examination in Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences!

My family and me in Helsinki

My family and I took advantage of the situation to enjoy some days of holidays in Finland – and mamma e papà wanted to check out where their son was going to live and study 😊 For this reason, I wanted to spend some time to talk about the Finnish education system and my entrance examination.

The Finnish education system is well known and praised all over the world for being innovative, inclusive and, most of all, free for Finnish and European citizens. The Finnish Government invests a huge part of the budget in school and education development, which is something very important in my opinion!

For upper education, students can choose between the “classic” Universities (in Finnish yliopisto) or the Universities of Applied Sciences (in Finnish ammattikorkeakoulu). These last ones focus usually on business and management, tourism and hospitality, wellness and nursing. 

What a lovely place to live and study!

Lotte and I study in Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, one of the biggest in Finland, counting 10.000+ students around five campuses (three in Helsinki, one in Porvoo and one in Vierumäki (about 100km north of Helsinki). Our campus, as you already know, is located in Porvoo. 

In Porvoo Campus are offered courses for the Bachelor of Hospitality Management (in Finnish restonomi) and for the Bachelor of Business Administration (in Finnish tradenomi) in English, Finnish and Swedish. 

The Aviation Business programme I’m in is a tradenomi, so I learn business, operations, sales and management for the aviation industry. 

In order to get a study place in the Aviation Business course I had to pass an entrance examination. It consists of two main parts (written and oral).

In the written exam we were asked many questions about basic mathematical and logical skills, then we had to read a document about business, answer some questions about it and write an essay related to it. The document I’ve been assigned was about China’s plans to build again the Silk Road to promote and increase trades between Europe and the Far East (yes, I remember my entrance exam as if it were yesterday!). 

Recharging my batteries after the exam with a lovely view!

The oral exam was divided into two parts: first, I had a personal interview with a teacher and a student tutor, in which we discussed my personal background, my motivation to study and some relevant topics about aviation. On the second part, in groups of four people, we took part in roleplays – for example, in my group we pretended to be cruise ship managers and had to take some decisions for the customers as a group. The goal of this second task is to test our willingness and attitudes to work in teams. 

I have such good memories of the entrance examination - I talked to a lot of new people from all over the world and therefore had the chance to experience beforehand the international environment of Porvoo campus!

Oh, and when I got the results of the examination I was FREAKING OUT! I gathered my family to open the e-mail together, and eventually read the good news!! 

I can’t believe one year passed already!

I still remember that sunny day light I cherish the moment that painted my heart...

-Mike