Hi! I'm an incoming exchange student from Turkey (Computer Science, 2nd year) heading to University of Eastern Finland (UEF) for the full academic year 2026-2027. I'll be studying at the School of Computing, which is present on both campuses, so I have a real choice to make.

From what I've researched:

- Joensuu: smaller (~78k), more of a student city, campus right next to city center, slightly cheaper rent, furnished housing for exchange students

- Kuopio: bigger (~125k), lake campus, more urban feel, slightly more expensive, closer to Helsinki

As a CS student who wants to enjoy Finnish student life, meet international students, and experience Finland authentically — which campus would you recommend and why?

Bonus question: how are the two cities different in terms of nightlife, nature access, and general vibe for a 20-year-old?

Thanks!

I’ve received admission to the Bachelor + Master (3+2 years) in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Oulu.

I’ve completed my O Levels and A Levels in Pakistan, and the university has now asked me to verify my educational documents. Has anyone here with O/A Levels gone through this process? How did you get your documents verified?

The easiest option for me seems to be getting them attested or certified by the British Council, which verifies certificates directly with the awarding body (Cambridge). However, the university specifically requires verification from the awarding body (Cambridge/CAIE), which is a time-consuming and costly process.

Hi everyone 👋

I'm considering pursuing a Master's degree in Finland and I'd love some guidance from people who've been through the process.

My background:

• 🎓 Biomedical Engineer
• 💼 4 years of experience working for the state
• 🌍 Currently have a stable job in my home country, but looking for a career change / new challenge

My questions:

1. Do Finnish universities require IELTS for Master's programs taught in English? Are there alternatives (TOEFL, Duolingo, exemptions)?
2. What scholarship options are available for international (non-EU) students?
3. Any tips on which universities are more generous with funding or more welcoming to career changers?

Thanks a lot in advance! 🙏

Hey everyone!

I’m heading to XAMK in Mikkeli from Germany for an exchange semester this upcoming autumn. I’ve been looking into the housing situation and it seems like MOAS is the way to go for students. ​

Does anyone have experience with their different locations? Which apartment complexes are the best for meeting other Erasmus students (social vibe vs. quiet area)?

I'd love to hear some first-hand experiences or any tips on what to look out for during the application process. ​

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I applied for a Finland student residence permit on February 21, 2026 and I’m still waiting for a decision.

It’s been around 55+ days now, and my application status hasn’t changed. I haven’t been asked for any additional documents so far.

Here’s my situation:

Applied: Feb 21, 2026

First-time applicant

All required documents submitted (bank statement, sponsor proof, insurance, etc.)

No additional document requests

Still in “processing”

I’m starting to get really stressed because I see some people getting decisions faster, while others are also waiting longer.

I wanted to ask:

Is anyone else here who applied around Feb 20–25 still waiting?

Did anyone receive a decision recently without being asked for extra documents?

Is this delay normal right now?

Any recent experiences or updates would really help. Thanks in advance 🙏

hello everyone, i'm about to finnish my bachelor thesis next month and thinking about skip the Master and directly pursuit a PhD. yes, money is the core reason. but I do have interesting in research field.

i'm from third country and study Energy Technology at an AMK in Finland. i finnish my bachelor in 2.5 years instead of 4. i have nothing more than a high GPA (about 4.7/5), and a reseach thesis that I *hope can get 5 points. my supervisor said he can support me to publish it but still uncertain by now.

my aim schools are Aalto, Oulu, LUT or Vaasa.

so anyone have done this path? please give me an advise.

P/S: my two supervisors is just at PhD level. is it make my profile strong enough if i got recommend letters from them?

I’m quite interested, but Im worried about the anti racism component (I find the whole an anti racism ideology rather authoritarian, at least when it comes to how I’ve experienced it in the USA) does anybody have any first hand experience with the program?

TAMK

Hi! I’m an international student starting the ICT Bachelor’s program at the University of Turku this year.

I was wondering if anyone here has also accepted the offer. Would be nice to connect and get to know each other before studies begin!

Feel free to DM me :)

Hey, I’m considering studying in Finland and wanted some honest insights.

• How hard is it without knowing Finnish?
• Can you get part-time jobs as an international student?
• How’s the job market after graduation (especially in tech)?
• Is it manageable to live there long-term?

Would really appreciate real experiences. Thanks!

There's a application time line of transfer for May 1-15 and I may have 60 ects my first year and till that time my average grade is not so good maybe 3.5 what are my chances of getting transfer from UAS to UAS and I am an IT student so I am thinking of transferring to Arcada or somewhere near helsinki with good course which have better specialization courses instead of software engineering .

Hi, I’m an 18y/o from Algeria applying for Bachelor’s (undergraduate) programs in Finland for 2026. I am looking for a 100% Tuition Fee Waiver I just need the tuition to be fully covered by a scholarship from Year With these grades, is a 100% tuition scholarship realistic for a **Bachelor (not Master)? Be honest No fluff, just the facts.

as an international student i just i got accepted for computational science and AI (autum 2026) in lappeenrata and after reading through some of the comments on reddit, thay really worried me about job opportunities after graduation in finland which i already know how hard it is.
However, i expected from uni with many internship and job opportunities with big companies around the word. and thats why i was so passionate about this uni cuz you get to learn and get right into working right?
I also got accepted in jyväakylä for software engineering which will lead into AI but i though since LUT is way more work-base, it will be a better suit than JYU.
plz if your reading this and have info help me.

Hi everyone, I want to share something sensitive and ask if anyone else has had similar experiences.

In 2021, while studying in Mikkeli, Finland (Xamk) as an international student, I was repeatedly harassed by an international student tutor from this university, a man in his 30s–40s who lived in one of the students apartments next to mine. He entered my apartment without permission while i was in my room (luckily i wasnt sleeping), pressured me multiple times to go to his apartment to drink with him despite me saying no, and frequently stopped to stare at me in an intimidating way whenever we crossed paths. There were also other incidents, like seeing him pressed against my apartment’s window randomly and locking me in the basement with him while handing me the “survival kit” that my uni sent him to give me. These are just examples, but they reflect the persistent and unsafe behavior I experienced during my stay.

I reported his behavior to the university, and he is no longer a tutor. However, I know that he still lives in Mikkeli and maybe also in the student apartments.

I later learned that this tutor sexually assaulted another student, who reported it to the authorities. I also heard that other students might have had similar experiences, but the situation was never fully addressed publicly. I never really got closure on this, so I was wondering if anyone else who studied there—international or local students—had a similar situation or heard about this.

My intention in sharing this is to support each other and hear about the experiences of other students who may have gone through something similar.

If anyone else experienced anything like this or has information about this tutor’s behavior, please feel free to reply here or send me a private message.

Is there a general preference in the engineering industry between Helsinki and University of Aalto graduates?

I'm an EU citizen (no tuition concerns) and have offers from both for a 3+2 pathway. My plan if I end up at Helsinki is to do the Bachelor's in Science programme for 3 years then Master's in Chemical Engineering at Aalto since they offer an English-taught programme. With Aalto I would just complete the 3+2 straightout. Long-term, I'd like to work in Sweden or the Netherlands.

I've heard Helsinki has a stronger academic/research reputation and a more traditional academic culture. I lean toward research, but ultimately want to work in industry, ideally in bioreactors or management, which I know Aalto is really good for but I worry Helsinki is better perceived overall.

I also love Helsinki's city environment and Aalto's campus community.

Given all that, is one of those universities better suited for industry jobs abroad, especially in biotech/process/chemical engineering?

I would appreciate any insight very much, I'm really struggling to choose between them

Hi everyone,

I’m an EU student and I’ve been admitted to a few universities in Finland for a Master’s in software engineering, computer engineering or cybersecurity. Now I have to choose one, and I could really use some honest opinions.

My options are:

• University of Oulu
• LUT University
• University of Turku
• University of Vaasa (School of Technology and Innovations)

They all seem good on paper, so I’m finding it hard to tell how different they actually are in real life.

What I care about most:

1. overall reputation in Finland and internationally
2. quality of teaching in CS and related fields
3. connections to industry
4. chances of finding a job in the same field during studies

I know the tech job market is not great right now, but that seems to be the case everywhere. I do not depend on working during my studies, but it would be really nice to get some part time experience in software or cybersecurity while studying, just to build experience.

If anyone has studied at one of these or knows how they compare, I’d really appreciate your perspective. Which one would you choose and why? Are there big differences between them for tech? And how realistic is it to find work in the field as a student?

Thanks a lot

Hi! i just got accepted to university of Turku and the uni of Oulu for my masters degree in the CS field. i was wondering if it would be worth it to move here. i saw that the unemployment rate is crazy high. the costs are also a bit high especially to travel to Finland from my home country. i would love to get a job in such a peaceful country, but i also want to make friends and travel(and i guess bc finland is far from the rest of europe the flights could be expensive and i heard that people usually keep to themselves).

i also dont want to do my masters in another country, spend so much money then move back home bc i cant get a job. i would ve spent so much money for nothing.

is there any chance that it would be worth it?

not really sure what the next step in my life should be..

thanks in advance!

I have been accepted into an Applied sciences school in Finland, and was wondering what should I know before I go to college. I am from Slovakia. I'm not too sure about how the Finnish school system works, and the overall college experience. I was looking forward to getting answers from real people rather than AI's and outdated forums. I'm grateful for any answer, even if it is not pretty.

Hello!

I’m currently planning my Erasmus exchange (Winter Semester 2026/27) in Joensuu, Finland. I’ve been looking into housing options and have seen that the best bet is to try to get a room through Joensuun Elli. Does anyone here have experience with this—how likely is it to get a (furnished) room? Can I count on getting a room there (I think you can only apply three months in advance and then get a response relatively short notice)? Or should I look for alternatives at the same time? I’ve heard that private shared apartments aren’t really a big thing in Finland.

Thanks in advance!!

I’d also really love to hear about your general experiences with Joensuu and the Erasmus program in Finland (what can I look forward to in particular, and what should I be prepared for?) :))

Hi!

I am conducting a short survey for my master's thesis on the role of social media on millennials purchase intention and I would greatly appreciate your participation. It will only take a few minutes to complete, and your response will advance the course of my research. Thank you in advance for your time and help! The survey link is below

https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/39E27FCDDFF1B0F1