Study Guide

Objective

You receive specific tips for integrating into your new study environment and learn about finding opportunities for practical training, bachelor’s thesis and future employment in Finland.

You make a personal plan for studying Finnish and learn to identify the strengths of versatile language and cultural competence.

You also practice describing your professional skills and strengths, including competence gained outside school settings.

You learn what local Finnish employers of your professional field expect when recruiting new trainees and employees.

Content

What is worth knowing about Finnish society and employment related practices as well as official guidelines and requirements?

What is good to know and do for finding and advancing your career path?

What kind of Finnish studies support your career development and how do you plan your Finnish studies?

How to secure that you have a position for practical training and meaningful assignment for your bachelor’s thesis?

What do local employers expect from students and graduates of your professional field?

Opiskelumateriaali

The course material, assignments and tasks are available on a Learn platform that becomes available on 28 October 2024 when the course starts. Receiving the Learn link to your student email requires that you have signed up for the course.

Yksilölliset oppimisväylät

The course is completed independently online. However, it's worth discussing the course content and assignments with fellow students. Discussion can provide support for reflecting and describing your own competence and career path.

The course includes short tasks that are not returned for grading. There's no feedback either for the short tasks, but completing them supports and facilitates working with three more comprehensive assignments. Some of the short tasks must be completed before moving onwards is possible.

The course material consists of texts to study, internet sources, videos and activating tasks and assignments-

TKI ja työelämäyhteistyö

The course has been produced as part of a project called Cultural Diversity for Study Paths that is funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) through the ELY Centre of South Savo. This sets certain requirements for carrying out the course. For example, participants are asked to sign up in a project information service called EURA 2021. This signing up is done together in class so that there project team members available to help you.

Part of the course content has been designed made by students of your professional field and representatives of local IT companies. Some of the assignments require becoming familiar with companies of the professional field.

Tentit ja muut määräajat

The course starts on 28 October 2024 when its Learn site becomes available. The course ends on 17 January 2025. There is no exam, and a timetable in the beginning of the Learn site shows all important deadlines at the same time. It's worth studying the timetable carefully and planning your use of time.

Kansainvälinen yhteistyö

Persons with different cultural backgrounds have contributed to planning and producing the course material. One of the course aims is promoting cultural diversity and the course encourages you to consider your own language skills and culture competence, also from the viewpoint of internationality.

Opiskelijan työmäärä

The course covers 3 ECTS credits equalling 81 hours of student work. The course is completed during 9 weeks with Christmas break in between. This means around 9 hours of student work per week.

It's worth planning your use of time right from the start when the Learn site becomes available. The course has been designed so that you would use around 10 hours for scheduling your studies and getting to know the Learn site. Furthermore, time is needed for filling in specific extra feedback in addition to regular Xamk's course feedback.

Toteutuksen osien kuvaus

The course consists of three parts of 1 ECTS credit as follows:

The first part titled Career-related skills introduces the world of work and applying for jobs in Finland. You also receive tips for authorities and practices, knowledge of which facilitates everyday life in Finland. The main assignment for this part asks you to consider and write a short text/story about your own competence.

The second part is called Career-related language skills that encourages you to consider all your language skills and culture competence and how such strengths could promote your career plans. The main assignment in this part is to make a plan for your starting and future Finnish studies.

The third and last part concentrates on Career-related networking by introducing local IT companies. You learn what type of competence they expect from students looking for positions for practical training, topics for bachelor's theses and for work after graduation. The main assignment is to make a short video where you introduce yourself and your competence.

Evaluation scale

Approved/Failed

Further information

The course is aimed at the first year students of the Degree Programme in Information Technology.