A European university degree is hard currency in many countries. Indian Neha Anand starts realizing her own dreams in Vaasa.
Thunder the sound reached the ear through the headset in the wee hours of the morning when Neha Anand was working the night shift at a McDonald’s restaurant in Vaasa. Soon after, heavy rain made Anand hesitant about how the walk home would go.
“I made a wish that the rain would stop, and it did! Wonderful.”
Despite the night spent at work, 24-year-old Neha Anand seems to be bursting with energy when she talks about her studies at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences. A believer in the power of a smile and positive thinking, Anand is from Amritsar, Punjab, India.
He says that he comes from a large family: although he has two actual siblings, the cousins who live in the same house are like brothers and sisters. The grandparents and Anand’s parents’ children also live under the same roof.
Anand’s older brother lives in Italy, the younger brother is still thinking about moving to Germany or, like his sister, to Finland. Everyone has wanted to study in Europe, where high-quality higher education and good advancement opportunities are available.
“I wanted to go to Finland myself because I had heard that it was a safe place for women as well. I told my little brother to just go to Finland to study, but there’s no need to imagine that I’ll cook for him then”.
in Finland according to the Ministry of Education and Culture, in 2022 there were slightly more than 13,000 students from outside the EU or EEA. Last year, there were a total of 8,383 first residence permits granted for studying, and this year 4,546 permits have been granted by the end of June. So it would seem that this year the number of residence permits granted based on a place of study will surpass even last year’s record numbers.
Students from outside the EU and EEA are generally charged a tuition fee, which, according to Neha Anand, is the only thing that bothers her in her current life situation. According to him, the tuition fee of 7,000 euros is such a large amount that in India it could be used to buy an entire house.
“I don’t want to be a burden on my parents, so I finance my studies myself by working. Fortunately, I found a pleasant job in December, where I have also learned a lot about Finnish culture.”
The degree in international trade takes 3.5 years. Neha Anand has now completed her first year of study.
Weekdays during lunch time, Neha Anand works at the Bistro restaurant in Vaasa Kauppahalli, and in the summer she has done another job at a hamburger restaurant. When full-time studies resume at the beginning of September, calendar management must be fast.
“In the past, I often worked during the lunch hour, then returned to my studies and ate in the evening or at night. We have to see how this will be handled in the future.”
He realizes that he should sleep, but working hard right now feels more starry than a night’s sleep. The young woman dreams of being known specifically for being successful in her own work. Now is the time to do the hard initial work and get a degree that gives you the skills to start your own company.
In his opinion, international trade studies are well suited for this purpose and complement the bachelor’s degree in information technology that he acquired in India. Staying in Vaasa is on his mind, because Finland’s peace and refreshing winter air suit him well.
“In addition, you can learn both Finnish and Swedish here, which I think will be useful in the job market.”
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