I had an exchange program in Aalto University 2014-2015 during my Bachelor’s studies, which made me feel inclined to come back for my Master’s Programme. It was easy for me to come back to Finland, because I had enjoyed my previous experience very much and the job market in was difficult in Brazil.
After graduating from my Bachelor’s Programme and having had a summer job at Destia Oy in 2015, it was easier for me to arrange a workplace from Finland. After feeling that I could have a more effective experience in Destia Oy after getting a Master’s Degree, I applied for the Geoengineering Master’s Programme at Aalto in 2018. This was in accordance to a wish that I had, which was to connect Engineering studies to nature somehow. In this case it meant studies of soils and rocks.
The best thing about the Master’s programme in Geoengineering is the Professors. My favourite courses were Advanced Soil Mechanics and Numerical Methods in Geotechnics, which had projects applied to real-life situations.
What surprised me with studying at Aalto were the 6-week long periods. They can be sometimes very stressful, but somehow, they stimulate students to keep up with a disciplined schedule of studies. Studying in English and sometimes Finnish was also new to me. Now I think studying in Finland is a lot better, if you know some Finnish. In that way you can make the most out of your professional experience and student life.
During my regular student days, I had to work part-time to be able to pay for housing and food. It was very tiring to work and study at the same time for two-years straight. At the work I had to speak Finnish and studies were extremely time-consuming. The regular days were full of studies and deadlines to follow.
I engaged in student activities when I was an exchange student in my Bachelor’s. During my Master’s I absolutely had no time to be in extra-curricular activities. Work and studies consumed my whole time as a student. However, it is important to get to know people and have a better taste of Finnish culture. Also, as a student, you are in contact with a lot of parties and fun, which is necessary for all.
I think life is made out of opportunities, which you can either get or reject. All the doors opened for me to start a career in Geotechnical Engineering, which I am currently improving my technical skills within. I am enjoy working as a geotechnical designer, but I feel like I will change to something else in the future, which would be more related to nature in the construction field. However, I am still working on figuring it out.
Currently I work as a Geotechnical Designer at Destia Oy. My usual working days consist of lot of discussions in Finnish dealing with engineering problems which require solutions, mainly in the geotechnical field. My work is a great way to improve my Finnish language skills.
What I have learned from my studies is that when you have a whole bunch of deadlines as during studies, you become naturally disciplined and very responsible. This is fundamental at work, especially when working for a contractor, where, indeed, time is money. The will to learn, which is polished at University is fundamental as well, as there are many aspects you can only learn at work, concerning both personal and technical skills.
During my Master’s I went to Norway for exchange semester. Going for an exchange semester is a tip that I give to all students. It is a really important thing to do for better clarify your studies and professional path.
My other advices to new students are going to the career planning advisors, who work at Aalto University, because that clarifies better yourpath of studies and future work life. Also be responsible and study; Employers really value the importance you give to your duties and how you solve them based on your knowledge. And last, but not least; always, always ask professors if you have something to clarify. Asking is NEVER too much.
