Oamk’s high-quality teaching and student union activities made an impression on Sam Chou from Taiwan – “The curriculum is really well designed”

Sam Chou, a student in the English-language Degree Programme in Information Technology, has been satisfied with his studies at Oamk.

Sam Chou from Taiwan moved to Oulu just over a year ago to pursue IT studies. He wanted to develop his skills in the field of IT and had heard that the quality of education in Finland was good.

– I already had some experience in the IT industry through my previous studies and work, says Sam, who has previously completed a degree in electrical engineering.

Finland was not a completely unknown country to Sam, as he had visited Varkaus during a few work projects. 

– That’s when I saw snow for the first time in my life. I still remember taking a taxi from Kuopio Airport to Varkaus and looking out the window at snow-covered trees and houses. It was so exciting!

Sam had not been to Oulu before starting his studies, but he has enjoyed the city very much.

– I like the atmosphere of the city, especially in summer, when the temperature is comfortable. It has taken a bit longer to adapt to the cold winter.

Sam has enjoyed his studies at Oamk, and has found that the quality of education really is good. 

– The curriculum is very well designed, and the study load is not too heavy.

In Sam’s opinion, the studies successfully combine theory and practice. As an example, he mentions practical training, which was not part of his studies in Taiwan.

– We’ll all start working in due course, so it’s good to see how companies actually use the technologies we learn about while we’re still studying.

Something else Sam likes about his studies is that teachers encourage students to think and solve problems independently.

– No one tells you exactly how to do a certain thing.

Sam also speaks highly of the student union’s activities.

– The student union encourages students to participate in various activities and tries to help them get to know one another. It’s been great and has helped me adjust to my new place of residence.

The English-language degree programme in information technology has students from all over the world. Sam believes it benefits studies in many ways.

– Because studying in an international group allows you to have conversations with many people from different backgrounds, you get various perspectives. It’s really good for learning.

Sam aims to complete his studies at Oamk in three years. After his studies, he dreams of working as a backend engineer focusing on server operation, tuning and performance optimisation. Another option is working as an IT engineer.

One of my teachers at Oamk got me interested in it. I also dream of completing a master’s degree later.

However, Sam still does not have definite plans for after graduation, and he’s not sure whether he will stay in Oulu.

– If I find a job here, why not. I’m flexible about where I live.

Sam warmly recommends Oamk to anyone interested in moving to Finland and studying in the country.

– Oamk is a good place to study and begin adapting to a new country and culture, he says.