Choosing your study programme is an exciting step towards your future! However, it might be difficult to orientate for studies and eventually select your favorite study programme online. Fashion and Textile Technologies students Anna Babilua from Ukraine and Niamh Mitchell from Ireland both had to orientate and select their study online due to Covid-19. Both students share their experiences on discovering and choosing your study programme from your screen.
How was it for you to virtually choose a study?
Niamh: ‘’I found it relatively easy to choose my study, even virtually, as I already knew what I wanted to study. As part of the online event, Saxion provided virtual livestream sessions where lecturers shared presentations on the ins and outs of the course, course content and also answered questions and I found this very helpful to get myself more acquainted with everything! For me, the challenging part was making the decision whether or not to actually start my study this year due to Covid-19. After having started my course, however, I realized I would have regretted not choosing a study this year!’’
Anna: ‘’I have been orientating for my studies since 2018, when I was still at high school. In order to get the complete picture of Saxion, I went to open days at Saxion in 2018, which were at that moment held offline. It was nice to discover the atmosphere at Saxion and to get a look around. In the beginning of 2020, when I had to make a final decision regarding my study choice, I was planning to visit Saxion again but due of Covid-19 the plans changed. However, since I had visited Saxion before and because of the enormous rich amount of information and support I received from the International Office, I could figure out nearly everything about the future of my first year at Saxion online. The International Office did a great job: they replied as fast as they could and always reminded not to forget to check on a website for the latest news. I eventually made my choice to study at Saxion online, based on all the information that was provided online and with the support of the International Office.’’
For me, the challenging part was making the decision whether or not to actually start my study this year due to Covid-19. After having started my course, however, I realized I would have regretted not choosing a study this year!
How are you experiencing your study?
Niamh: ‘’I attend all my classes online at the moment from Ireland. It is definitely a struggle in some aspects as I am personally a physical learner and learn better onsite, so I do find the subjects that are mostly theory rather difficult to learn online. The upside of virtual learning is that it does feel like you have more time to get everything done and there is a lot more flexibility for your personal life as well, but the only thing I find is it is sometimes really hard to motivate myself and get up on time for early classes when everything is online, especially with the time difference in Ireland. The lecturers also really go the extra mile for students with everything being online and that is really appreciated.’’
Anna: ‘’ I also attend all of the classes online, from Ukraine in my case. In the beginning it was hard to understand how everything works: How to get to the lecture? How to enroll to the modules? How to enroll to the exams? etc. But we received great support from the lecturers and Saxion. All the information was sent to us via emails and the answers to the frequently asked questions was and they currently are on the ‘MySaxion’ site. The main problem is the cooperation with my fellow students, since it is a challenge that everyone is living in a different time zone and it’s hard to get to know each other virtually. ‘’
Why should international students choose a study at Saxion, even in times of Covid-19?
Niamh: ‘’ I think international students should choose a study at Saxion regardless of the global circumstances, as it is very important to keep life on track and to keep busy. Even though a lot of it is virtual now, you still get the opportunity to meet a lot of new people and to learn new things! It is hard to know how long Covid-19 will be with us, so I think you may as well choose a study in something you enjoy and would like to pursue to keep you occupied and have some weekly consistency during these trying times.’’
Anna: ‘’Saxion is a great place to learn more about your future profession and prepares you for the future work field. All the information we obtain from our courses will be definitely useful in your future work, since our lecturers provide us with workshops and podcasts that prepare us for our future jobs. But most of all, if you want to be a specialist in the sphere you really admire, Covid-19 should not stop you from starting your studies and creating the future you desire.’’
Covid-19 should not stop you from starting your studies and creating the future you desire.
Do you have any advice for potential international students who are virtually orienting what study to choose?
Niamh: ‘’Just don’t be discouraged by Covid-19 and virtual learning when choosing a study! It is not an easy task, as it is a difficult time for everyone but remember that everyone is in the same boat, especially international students and it’s just as likely that you could end up thriving with online classes!’’
Anna: ‘’I want to advise potential students to ask as more questions as you can, and if something is not understandable for you – do not be shy and ask again and again until it’s clear for you. Moreover, try to be open and ask for the contact details of your classmates from the very start of education. By doing so, you can easily reach out to them for questions and, of course, you can make some friends. Good luck with choosing your studies!’’
Are you ready to discover your future?
Experience studying at Saxion from the comfort of your own home, by visiting the Digital Discovery Days. Meet with lecturers and students online via live streams and find out everything you want to know about your preferred study programme.
Digital Discovery Days