Why English Studies?
Could you tell me little about yourself and what you did before studying in the English Studies programme?
I'm in my first year of MA studies, so it’s still quite a new thing for me. I did my BA in English in the Bachelor’s Programme in Languages here at the University of Helsinki. I studied a lot of different things besides English as well, like linguistics, translation, and a bit of French. I also went on an exchange to Sheffield where I did courses on language acquisition which were really interesting.
Why did you decide to study English?
I've always been interested in language and wanted to learn more, but I had basically no idea what I was getting myself into. I guess I was just kind of lucky I stumbled upon it. I first started studying English because I was interested in literature, but then I took a course on phonetics and phonology in language learning and teaching which got me really interested in applied linguistics and linguistics in general.
I really fell in love with applied linguistics during my BA and then chose the English Studies programme because I could learn more about it here. I also wanted to do pedagogical studies, which I can include in my degree this way.
What have been the best parts of the MA programme so far?
I'm actually starting the MA programme with writing my thesis, so I've been doing the research design course and research seminar, which might be my favourite courses in the university. You get to really focus on your niche and work towards something that you're really interested in. I also loved my BA seminar course for the same reasons. The courses themselves are challenging, but also really rewarding. And the people there are great, it's so much fun to do group work and get feedback on your own work.
Overall, the programme is quite well organised, which makes it more motivating for me to study. I also really liked Methods in Linguistics, it’s great for learning about a lot of different topics so you can get ideas for what to do for your MA thesis. Research Design has also been great, you get to learn about designing research projects before making your own research plan, which has really helped me with writing my thesis. It’s just well thought out.
Student life in Helsinki
What does a typical weekday look like for you?
My weekdays can be pretty hectic with work and studies depending on how much is going on, but I have a lot of flexibility with my schedule. I usually wake up quite late and then start either studying or working. I can make time pretty much anything during the day and take some nice breaks. During the evenings I tend to relax – I do my yoga, go for a walk or make good food, watch movies, things like that.
Beside by studies I’m working as a research assistant in the
What are the city and university like for you as a student?
Helsinki is very student friendly. You get a lot of student discounts for things like museums and events, and there are a lot of things going on in the city. Something I like are the restaurants and cafes, there's lots of variety even if they can be a bit expensive sometimes.
There's also a lot of nature in Finland. I live in Vantaa close to the Central Park areas which are really, really nice. Public transportation also works great – I live near the train which is very convenient, and you get a student discount for that as well.
The university has a lot of good studying spaces, and UniCafe is great for a cheap and healthy lunch. There are also a lot of different services and I've always been able to get help if I need it, fer example with planning my studies or working with SISU.
Future prospects
What would you say to those considering applying to the English Studies programme?
I would really recommend it! It's flexible and diverse and because of that you're able to focus your studies on what you're interested in, especially work related to your MA thesis. There are a lot of interesting optional courses as well, although all of them are not organised every year.
What do your future plans look like?
Next year I’m doing pedagogical studies, but I think I'm going to take a little break from studying after I graduate because I’ve been doing it nonstop since preschool. In the future I would be interested in doing a PhD, I've really liked learning more about doing research as a research assistant. It is quite a hectic environment, but I would still really love to explore that more. Something I've also been interested in is language textbook publishing, that's definitely an option I might pursue.