Last modified 2.3.2012 at 12:11

Online in Finland

Text: Heikki Ylipaavalniemi Photo: Petteri Löppönen

For some students, finding a degree programme abroad is a straightforward process. Harrison Oriahi, 31, had a clear vision in mind: he wanted to study information technology. After researching his options, he came to Oulu.

Harrison Oriahi is studying information technology and he is especially interested in the online marketing business.

Harrison Oriahi is originally from Nigeria, where he worked as an audiovisual engineer for three years in one of the leading events centres in Lagos. His future hopes were to work in the area of information technology. He already knew that in Finland this area of industry is very strong. With a help of a friend and some online research, he found the right school.

- I found the Finnish application site www.admissions.fi and from there I searched different schools offering studies in information technology. Oulu University of Applied Sciences offered the kind of courses I was interested in.

Harrison was accepted to Oulu UAS in 2010. However, because of problems with immigration, he had to postpone his studies for a year.

- I was very happy that the school offered me this chance. Otherwise, I would have lost the opportunity.

He did quite a bit of online research before coming to Finland. He had a good picture of his destination. Still, some things caught him by surprise.

One of these things is the darkness during winters. Being accustomed to waking up in a bright daylight, it has been a challenge for him to wake up during mornings when it is still completely dark outside. He almost missed some classes because of sleeping too late.

Home and away

Harrison is studying in the Degree Programme of Information Technology. His main interest lies with Internet web technologies as well as business and marketing, especially online. Harrison speaks with passion when he describes how the university could market itself to different target groups in Facebook or Google.

Harrison says that so far his studies have gone really well. He describes Finnish people as friendly although shy.

- Teachers know everyone and call you by name. The teachers are also more on the same level with the students and this gives an opportunity to learn more.

Harrison is also happy with the university’s labs, where it is easy to do practical assignments. When comparing his studies in Finland to his home country, one main difference is the group size.

- We now have about 25 students in our group. In some public schools in Nigeria, the groups are much bigger.

So far he is studying HTML, CSS and other programming languages.

As a part of his studies, he is also keeping a blog, in which he tells about both his experiences and also those of other international students.

- It really means a lot to me because it gives me an opportunity to share my study experiences with other students and also share my thoughts on what I enjoy doing - blogging.

You can follow Harrison’s studies in his blog Home and away at blogit.oamk.fi/homeaway,