Beginning My Master’s Degree at LUT

The moment has finally arrived. The reason why I’m in Finland has begun: pursuing my master’s degree in Bioenergy Systems. As a recap, I will be studying this two-year degree at Lappeenranta University of Technology. The program consists of three semesters of courses and a semester-long research thesis. Here I’ll gain an expertise in the different bioenergy generation technologies as well as in designing small-scale bioenergy systems. Basically I’ll learn everything about producing bioenergy, “taking technological, economical, environmental and societal aspects into account.” See more here. Though I don’t know exactly what I want to do yet, this degree will be a gateway to work in the field of bioenergy.

My studies began with a half-week orientation. The influx of students dramatically changed the atmosphere of the city. Now I actually have to maneuver through people and other bikers to get to campus. But I appreciate the change- now it feels alive. Throughout the week we were introduced to the school, services, and student culture. We got to know campus by participating in orienteering and were welcomed to the city at an event in city hall. After this I saw more of the Lappeenranta city center with my tutor group. On the last day there was a welcome fair with representatives from student services, the health center, guilds, a few societies, etc. This didn’t at all compare to a quad day in the U.S. (lacking hobby clubs), but it was still nice to learn about these organizations.

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As always, I like to observe the differences between here and the U.S. To do that I’ll comment on two aspects: student life and academic culture. Then I’ll talk a little bit about my first month of classes.

Student life

Imagine: You walk into a party on campus sponsored by the student union. You see hoards of students dressed in different colored overalls with patches sewn on, sporting what appear to be sailor caps. Cans litter the ground, drinks are being sold in the basement, and a competitive game of beer pong is taking place. This happened in real life. You can envision my astonishment coming from the U.S., where alcohol on campus is taboo. The fact that the student union, an organization mandated by Finnish law, freely sells alcohol is wild! Click the pictures below to learn more about the overalls as well as guilds, which are degree program specific groups that represent students and organize events.

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Another unique aspect is having a student “tutor” in the same degree program who helps us acclimate to the university. If you arrive during the normal time frame (I didn’t), they give you the key to your apartment along with a welcome package, which includes a free sim card, useful for those of us traveling from abroad. On the first day of school, September 2nd, there was a beach party where freshmen traditionally carry their tutors into the neighboring lake. While I didn’t participate in the act, it was bizarre and hilarious to see this transpire before my eyes! I look forward to more strange traditions throughout my time here at LUT.

Academic culture

There are many differences about the structure of classes here at LUT:

• LUT has many different systems associated with class registration and information, including independent registration and timetable tools. This made registering for classes confusing and frustrating as an incoming student since I had a difficult time figuring out which classes to take and when. Luckily our tutor and peer advisors helped guide us through this process.
• Instead of having the same classes at the same time each week, they change, as seen in the picture below. This was initially pretty confusing but now I’ve gotten used to the dynamic schedule. Exporting the calendar into my Google Calendar was a lifesaver.
• LUT runs on a quarter system with two periods per semester. Exams only happen during an exam week between the periods and you must register for them separately.
• There is an unspoken rule about classes starting 15 minutes after the official time. Imagine my surprise as I sat in my first lecture, wondering how a Finnish professor could possibly be late (since the stereotypical Finnish person is extremely punctual).
• Classes are long- between 2 and 3 hours for me right now. Luckily my 3-hour class has a 30-minute break in the middle for lunch.
• It seems that few textbooks are required and if so, multiple copies of the textbooks are available at the library.
• Few classes and exercises are required, which really puts the responsibility on the student.
• There aren’t as many study spaces as I’d like. The library is usually packed and there aren’t many other options. I guess I was spoiled at Illinois, which has 50,000 students compared to LUT’s 5,000. Still, the campus is nice with several interconnected buildings, which will come in handy during the frigid winter months.
• There are 20-30 new students in my program, but surprisingly I am the only one beginning my full master’s degree this year. A popular option is the double degree where students study one year at one university, like in Saint Petersburg, and the second year at LUT.
• Kids, some as young as 6 or 7, roam the halls freely. One building houses an elementary school and we constantly see kids walk there from the main entrance. And many of these kids are biking or busing to school by themselves. The police would be notified immediately if this were to happen in the U.S.!
• People come from a more varied context than just having finished high school or bachelor’s studies. They may have worked for 10 years or are living in different cities and commute.

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There are three lunch buffets on campus and an Indian restaurant that is open until 7:30pm. In Finland student meals are heavily subsidized by the government, which makes a huge difference. I can get a full, healthy meal (salad / vegetables, main dish, bread, milk, juice) for between 1.80 and 2.60€! Coming from unhealthy, expensive dining hall meals, this is fairly amazing. There’s even a small grocery store on campus with prices comparable to the real grocery store.

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First month of classes

Currently I am taking a normal load including intro to master’s studies, sustainability, bioenergy, energy systems engineering, fluid machinery, and power plant design. The semester has started off slowly and I’m not as exhausted as I would normally be at this point. Surprisingly, there are a lot of Finnish students in my classes. I expected to primarily be with international students, but apparently Finland is moving toward shifting all of its master’s courses to English. My power plant design class only seems to have 4 international students. Sometimes the students ask questions in Finnish and the professor does his best to reiterate in English, but I know some of the meaning is lost.

As expected, my technical classes have the similarly low proportion of women to men that I experienced at Illinois. Based on a quick count during the first few days, fluid machinery has 5 women of 50 and power plant design has 3 women of 30- not great odds. On the other hand my bioenergy and sustainability classes are closer to 50/50. Regarding power plant design (not to be mistaken with power POINT design as it often is), it can be a bit intimidating to walk into a class full of Finnish guys. It’s comparable to Illinois but now they’re also all speaking a different language. The first exercise class for power point design was particularly daunting. I’ve gathered that most students took the intro power plant engineering class just last semester, and it felt like I was missing several steps while trying to solve a complex power plant schematic. Thank goodness for the other (South) American friend I have in that class!

Furthermore, most international students are from Europe. There is a small but noticeable population of black students on campus. One day my dad jokingly asked if I was going to join the African-American student union, to which I retorted I would be the only member! It’s weird to think about, but that’s probably true. Based on talking to others, there may only be about 10 (U.S.) Americans in total, so it makes sense that I’d hold a more notable minority status than usual.

I start off a typical day by biking to school. The nighttime temperatures have already dipped beneath 0°C so I realistically only have a few more weeks left of this. Then I’ll have to buy the 42€ unlimited monthly pass and rely solely on the bus, which has a disappointingly infrequent schedule (two or sometimes only one bus per hour). Upon arrival, I store my belongings in the communal coat / locker room near the main entrance. While I lock up my helmet and bags, many people leave anything and everything out in the open including hoverboards, pieces of luggage, and shoes. Finns are definitely pretty trusting. Next I attend my classes, which tend to be only one or two per day. Between classes I may study in the library or grab (free) tea / coffee in the lounge with friends. I usually end up eating lunch with friends or classmates. Since the school is so small, I always see people I know and can stop for a chat. This helps me feel genuinely connected to the community.

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Then in the early evening I attend a workout class between two and four times per week. I made the wise choice to buy the 60€ per semester group workout pass. This motivates me to stay active and should help me deal with the cold, dark winter. Afterward I’ll sometimes eat dinner at school with friends and either go back to the library or to some event. Otherwise I’ll bike back home and enjoy the rest of the evening to myself. Even at night, biking seems safe. The biggest concern is the cold, not the people. So far I’ve mostly been able to keep up with this system, which has been an effective way to manage my work-life balance. On the weekends I’m able to hang out with friends, mostly consisting of other international students. While life is getting a little busier with group projects (which most of my classes seem to have), I am enjoying the start of my master’s program thus far!

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