Business Management student Lucas: "Studying in Laurea is really hands-on"
Laurea's degree programmes offer a springboard to your dream career.
Laurea's degree programmes offer a springboard to your dream career. The practical and work-oriented approach ensures that students are equipped to succeed now and in the future. We spoke with Business Management student Lucas Laakso about the international perspective, flexibility, and strong connection to working life offered by the program.
Lucas Laakso, who is completing his studies to become a Bachelor of Business Administration, is in his third year of Laurea's Business Management degree program. The comprehensive business degree, which is taught entirely in English, opens doors to the world and strengthens students' connections to working life. Now Laakso tells us how his studies at Laurea have brought him closer to his dreams – and why it is worth studying at a university of applied sciences.
1 Practical studies focus on real-life examples
“Really hands-on, very little cramming. Very different from high school.”
This is how Laakso describes studying at a university of applied sciences. Laurea's teaching is based on the Learning by Developing (LbD) model, which focuses on real-life development tasks.
When asked if any practical study projects stand out in his mind, Laakso's answer comes straight away. The year-long social media plan for the Ylläs ski resort, which was carried out with a group of students, left a lasting impression. During the project, the group met with representatives from Ylläs and listened to their needs and wishes. Finally, they presented the finished plan to them.
"It was really great to be able to do such a large and comprehensive project for a company. It was the best group work I've ever been involved in," says Laakso.
2 Studies prepare students for working life
Successful teamwork was not Laakso's first contact with working life. Laakso's degree includes two work placements lasting just over two months, one of which he was able to complete with his previous work experience. In addition, he does freelance work alongside his studies. Entrepreneurship and sales work also interest him for the future.
"My degree includes comprehensive studies in accounting and financial management, among other things, which are already useful to me. For example, the course on taxation and law was really important to me. These topics are essential for entrepreneurs, so it was great to be able to study them already in college," Laakso says.
He considers cooperation with companies to be useful and a good bridge to working life. In one course, a representative of a large Finnish accounting firm gave the students the task of working in groups to come up with ways to attract recent graduates to work for the company through marketing. Like the social media plan created for Ylläs, this course also provided a concrete overview of a real-life working life challenge.
3 The degree program is flexible, leaving plenty of time for other things
It is important for Laakso to be able to work alongside her studies, as her goal is to save money for a future trip to Japan. He completed a six-month student exchange in Japan, in the city of Hirakata, halfway between Osaka and Kyoto. The opportunity to return to the country either to teach English to rural children or to work on a working holiday seems like a dream come true.
"I planned my studies so that I could fulfill other dreams alongside my degree. The first year of study follows a specific schedule, but from the second year onwards, you can organize and complete your studies in a way that suits you," Laakso explains. Courses can also be taken in the summer if desired.
In his third and final year of study, Laakso only has his thesis left to complete. He completed his courses in previous years. Now his goal is to work hard enough to ensure that his return to Japan is financially secure.
4 An international degree provides skills for the future
An exchange period in Japan, a two-week study trip to Europe. An English-language degree program and students from all over the world. As a native English speaker, Laakso feels right at home in an international environment.
"I like this degree and this university of applied sciences because my future opportunities are not limited to Finland."
Laakso wants to work in an international environment in the future. He feels that Laurea has taught him how to work with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Group work brings together students from different countries and cultures. Not everyone works together in the same way as Finns do, and it is important to be able to compromise.
"My studies have changed my way of thinking. No matter where I end up working, I am prepared to understand that things are probably done a little differently there than here," Laakso sums up.
5 A community where no one is left alone
Lucas Laakso describes the Laurea student community as close-knit, even closer than high school. He is a member of the Laureamko student union and has served as a tutor for new students. Just before the interview, Laakso represented Laurea at the Studia study and career event in Helsinki. He wants to convey to potential new students the same feeling that Laurea has inspired in him.
"No one is left out of the community here," he says.
Although Laurea students study at six different campuses, the student union and campus offices organize joint activities. There are student traditions, parties, and May Day celebrations—opportunities to get together. Laakso, who will soon graduate, has gained not only knowledge, skills, and working life readiness from his studies, but also valuable social relationships.
"I have already grown my social network around the world during my studies. It's a huge advantage, and I believe it will open up various opportunities for me in the future, both in terms of work and leisure," he says.
He already has friends in almost half of the countries in Europe who will let him sleep on their couch if necessary.