Students' View

LAURA  |  VILLE  |  GIORGIO  |  READ ALSO

STUDIES WERE ABOUT APPLYING LEARNING TO PRACTICE

Laura Lehtonen graduated from the IBML programme three years ago. She currently works for Lundalogik Oy, a company delivering CRM systems, and is responsible for sales and consultancy at the newly established Helsinki office.

Laura was drawn to Rauma by the English-language degree programme and, in particular, the teaching method (problem-based learning) in place.

– I wanted something different from my studies, something that stands apart from traditional studies. I found what I was looking for in the IBML degree programme – the studies were about directly applying learning into practice.

Laura also liked the idea of taking responsibility for her own learning.
– The teaching method teaches problem-solving skills and how to think ‘outside the box’, so to speak. This learning is something that I have now taken with me into working life.

Laura perceived teamwork to be a particular challenge of the international degree programme. According to Laura, the education has provided good capabilities for working life.
–Your own motivation is key. The more you invest in your studies, the more you get out of them too.

PRACTICAL APPROACH TO INTERNATIONAL TRADE

After finishing upper secondary school, Ville Rantanen started looking for a seat of learning that could satisfy his interest in business. A few older friends suggested that he should go study in a university of applied sciences, and fairly soon he spotted a study programme in International Business and Marketing Logistics starting in Rauma. A combination of English teaching, business education and a practical approach convinced Ville that he had made the right choice.

He did not have to regret this decision. The study programme provided him with just the right kind of challenges. Ville thinks this is mostly due to group instruction based on learning by problem solving. Ville is especially thankful for the group instruction based on learning by problem solving that he received.

– Solving problems is rewarding and teaches you to perform in public. All the assignments are presented to the entire group, which makes you take responsibility for the assignment and present your assignment clearly in another language.

English is indeed necessary, because half of the students in Faculty of Business and Culture Rauma are from abroad, from Asia or Europe, for example. According to Ville, the atmosphere is very international.

Exposure to other cultures in Finland is not enough for this cosmopolitan. Luckily SAMK offers diverse exchange studies.

– I want to study in California.

EXCHANGE STUDENT IN IBML

Giorgio Bertola is studying in the University of Bergamo in Italy. He spent an autumn in Rauma as an exchange student, studying in the IBML degree programme.

– I was interested in attending courses abroad especially through the Erasmus programme. I chose Finland because I was interested in English teaching and also in the Scandinavian culture.

Giorgio thinks that the programme is very interesting and useful even if a student can participate only for a short period of time. He really enjoyed Business-to-Business Marketing and Business and Marketing Communication courses.

– I think that Rauma is a very interesting and practical place to study in. It is a peaceful city and small enough to learn to know well/to get familiar with. The campus is very functional and a good place to live in.

During his studies in Rauma, Giorgio took part in a company collaboration project. He prepared a project for SCM and thinks it was interesting to know how to work in a virtual team. Of all the knowledge and skills he learned in IBML, the most beneficial is teamwork, he thinks.

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"I chose this programme because it’s content is very interesting. International experience is the best." Elena, Russia

"I have been studying here for three months now and I think that school with hard software (advanced equipment) offers to students a very good study environment." Guangun, China

"I chose this programme because I wanted to have international education and this programme is a good addition to my previous education. Presentations and some other methods of study develop student's skills and prepare them for work life much better than just theory." Natalia, Ukraine

"The best thing about IBML is that it brings together different cultures and the ability to work in groups and learning through the Problem based learning -method." Rudolf, Ghana

Read about Liu Yun's experiences studying in the IBML (PDF)

Read about Wilma Mäkilä's experiences studying in the IBML (PDF)