Aalto University Summer School
Make this summer unforgettable and experience the best of Aalto University and Finland under the Nordic summer sun.
Self-Leadership
Self-Leadership is a hands-on self-leadership and well-being summer course that creates a framework for personal growth by providing a toolkit for structuring time, working on your wellbeing, and how to work smarter, not harder.
Teaching period:
-
Application period:
31.1.2025 – 31.5.2025
Course format:
Campus
Duration:
2 weeks
full-time
Course level:
Undergraduate
Field of study:
Entrepreneurship
Credits:
2 ECTS
Organiser:
Aalto University
Tuition fees:
1170€
Summer School Alum Story: Toward personal growth and intrinsic motivation in the Self Leadership course
Summer School alum Christina Malikiosi reflects on her experience Self Leadership course, including personal growth and motivational factors.
Do you struggle with the nagging feeling of frustration or being stuck? There could be many reasons: you are enslaved by your calendar, and you never stop running, or you know that you need a change in your life, but you don’t know where to start or how to find the courage to make it happen. Meanwhile, it feels like your life is passing you by. Do you want to have a manual with practical tools to help you understand the reasons behind your frustration and how to step out of it? This course will give you such a toolkit.
Every person and their story is unique, and what works for one person might not work for another. The course offers a library of tools instead of one general concept. During the course, every student will find something that fits their particular circumstances and needs perfectly.
The undergraduate summer course Self-Leadership is highly practical. Students get to discuss the topics and get assignments connected to them. The core of the course is to equip every student with a practical toolkit of self-development exercises that they will be able to execute on their own long after the course.
The course covers life challenges and how to hack them; assessing your state; mindset flexibility and why we need it; goal setting, time management, self-compassion, resilience, maintaining motivation, empathic leadership and the art of small steps for habit formation.
The Self-Leadership summer course by Aalto University Summer School derives from the Good Life Engine course at Aalto University. It is one of the flagship courses of the Aalto Ventures Program. The Good Life Engine was created in response to the needs of Aalto University students regarding well-being and self-mastery. Over 300 students have participated in the course since its start in 2019.
4 August – 15 August 2025: Lecture weeks on-site at Aalto University campus
- Daily lectures and workshops in the mornings from 9.00 to 12.00.
- Individual or teamwork in the afternoons
- Optional social program in the evenings
- Commitment to full-time studies during the intensive weeks is required.
Post-assignment
- Individual reflection assignments on key takeaways (online)
| WEEK 1 | Monday 4 August | Tuesday 5 August | Wednesday 6 August | Thursday 7 August | Friday 8 August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Course session | Course session | Course session | Course session | Course session |
| Afternoon (13-16) | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work |
| WEEK 2 | Monday 11 August | Tuesday 12 August | Wednesday 13 August | Thursday 14 August | Friday 15 August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Course session | Course session | Course session | Course session | Individual or group work |
| Afternoon (13-16) | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Course session |
- You will understand and gain a study/work-life balance without sacrificing progress towards your strategic goals. You will learn how to live, not to run a marathon.
- You will learn about yourself and your motivating factors
- You will define your strategic life goals, plan the journey towards them, and plan how to manage your time best to progress on this journey
- You will learn how to create new healthy habits, do the twists in your life to tackle anxiety and procrastination, learn how to keep motivation
The main teaching method is workshop. Each teaching session includes the mix of theory and exercises. After each session, you will get list of tools related to the topic discussed in the class. In the end of the course, these exercises will form a self-leadership toolkit that you can use long after the course is over. The learning process will be supported by physical exercises, team discussions, learning diary.
To get an idea about the course topics you can check these blog posts and videos:
Blog posts
- The wanna-be efficient brain
- Good routines, better life
- Goal setting goals
- The acute need for a Good Life Engine mindset and toolkit — four tips for better mental well-being
- How to make decision-making easier?
Videos
Contact hours 30h
Team and individual work 14h
Post work 10h
Total 54h (2 ECTS)
The course is graded as pass/fail.
Please note that the undergraduate courses offered by Aalto University Summer School can not be included in Aalto degree studies.
Tuition fees for Summer School courses
One course: 1170€ (incl. VAT 25,5%)
- The course fee includes academic course sessions and assignments, an official digital Aalto University certificate and support from the Summer School team. The fee does not cover accommodation, daily meals, or transportation during the course
- Unfortunately, Aalto University Summer School does not offer scholarships for participants.
Social program fee
This course does not require previous experience in the topic.
Participants must have completed a high school or vocational degree or equivalent by the time the course starts. However, they do not have to be a degree student at a university to participate in our courses.
Additionally, all summer school course students must be 18 years or older, as it is the legal age in Finland.
Please include a motivation letter or video in your application. In your motivation letter or video, describe your motivation for taking this course. The recommended length for the motivation letter is 150-250 words, and 1-2 minutes for the video. Please answer the following questions in your motivation letter or video:
- Why would you like to take this course?
- What kind of course, training, or practices in the field of well-being and self-leadership do you already have?
If you need a visa, we recommend applying by April 15th 2025.
- This is to ensure that we have enough time to process your application and that you have time to make the tuition fee payment, book a visa appointment and wait for the application to be processed.
- You can apply and be accepted to the courses after April 15th. In that case, we recommend that you pay at your earliest convenience so that we can deliver your invitation letter to you promptly.
- According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, the processing time for a visa application is 15 days. However, the processing time may be longer if a more detailed application examination is required.
Learn about the Aalto University Summer School cancellation terms. You will receive the full terms before making the payment and confirming the course participation.
Teacher Information
Lidia Rauramo works as an educator in design thinking, teamwork, leadership, self-leadership, well-being, and entrepreneurship. Currently, she is an educator at Aalto Ventures Program (AVP) and an internal coach at Aalto University and Sampo Accelerator. For more than six years, she has designed and taught offline, hybrid, and online programs, courses, and workshops for students and staff at Aalto University and educators across the globe. Before working at Aalto University, she worked for multiple years as a senior project manager in a large nuclear corporation and Think Tank. She has recently published the ebook Good Life Engine – Membership in the Anxiety Club.
Information for Summer School Applicants
Information for Summer School Applicants
Get to know the application guidelines and tuition fees.
Summer School social programme and events
Get to know your coursemates and Finland through engaging extracurricular activities and social events organised by the Summer School team.
Travel arrangements for Summer and Winter School students
Learn about the guidelines for visa application and budgeting for your stay during the summer course.
Contact us
Summer School Team
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