University of Helsinki
Name: Marjolein Sliepen
Study field: Master’s program in Chemistry, The faculty of Science
Campus: Kumpula
From: Netherlands
“After living in the Netherlands for twenty years, I felt it was time for a change and applied to universities abroad, and got accepted to the University of Helsinki.”
Hello Marjolein! What made Finland stand out as your study destination?
I have always been very interested in the Nordic countries. There is a nice and friendly atmosphere, beautiful nature, and high quality of living. When searching for a suitable master program, I started looking for universities there. I heard many positive stories about living and studying in Finland. This is the reason why I applied for the University of Helsinki.
So University of Helsinki is quite special place?
There is a lot of freedom for students at the University of Helsinki. You can give a lot of input, and there are many different courses to choose from. Besides this there are many resources for students, plenty of study spaces, beautiful libraries, sport facilities, etc. This all helps to make the study process very smooth.
What has been the best part in your studies so far?
Meeting so many inspiring people, not only professors but also peers. It is amazing to study with fellow motivated students who are excited about the subjects as you are. This makes studying a lot more interesting.
Great to hear! What about our services. How does University of Helsinki provide you with support, advice and guidance?
The first week of your studies there is the orientation week, which is the perfect way to start your studies. You are assigned tutors from your program. They will show you around the university and Helsinki, and can answer all questions you have. It is also a good way to meet students from your program.
During your studies you can always visit the student advisor. He or she can help you with any problems you may encounter during your studies.
There are also interesting courses that might help during your time in Finland. I took a course myself about career guidance. Here we learned a lot about job hunting in Finland, but also practiced writing an application letter and simulated job interviews. This was a great way to prepare for the future.
What are your career plans?
Currently I am working on my master thesis. While studying polymer chemistry at the University of Helsinki, I realized that I really enjoy conducting research. The logical next step for me would be to pursuit a PhD.
We wish you good luck. Do you have good advice for applying to University of Helsinki?
In the WebOodi system you can see which different lecture and practical courses are offered for the different study programs. By looking at these you can get a good idea of what to expect during your studies, and which courses you could choose from.