Is the grass really greener on the other side? A Semester Abroad: Exchange Students Reflect on Academic Differences

They mostly come from a variety of European countries, such as France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Austria, Poland, Ireland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Portugal, Czechia, Italy, Iceland, Romania, Türkiye or Belgium. We have also been hosting students who had to cover much longer distances to eventually end up in Kokkola, such as those from Japan, the United States, China, Uganda, Mexico, South Korea, Morocco, Colombia, Cameroon, or Brazil.

They all begin their academic journey at our partner institutions located around the globe and visit Centria only for one or two semesters before returning to their home universities. Not only do they bring more diversity to our classrooms and the local community, but they also have a unique perspective on Centria as an institution, on the courses they complete and on the teaching methods they experience during their stay with us.

The survey conducted among current and former incoming exchange students enables us to crack open the gate of comprehension and peek a tiny bit into how they perceive Centria in comparison to their home universities scattered all over the map. What is it that we do and they consider better? What do they think we could improve? What was surprising, and was it a positive surprise?

Nearly 75 percent respondents consider our teaching style to be more interactive than at their home institutions. Jose from Spain praises the open debates which are possible in the Finnish classroom. All in all, students appreciate the practical approach to studying and using real-life examples instead of raw data sheets. The level of understanding, reached through various assignments, group work, presentations and homework, is considered higher than at their home universities. On the other hand, roughly 10 percent gives the advantage to their home institutions. Those do not appreciate using AI by our teachers to generate their course materials or chaotic timetables changing every week. Many students noticed the large number of classes run online. However, the opinions on whether it is a positive or negative aspect are divided.

Teachers at Centria are highly appreciated for their approach towards students as well as their dedication to actual teaching and not just lecturing.

Over 87 percent respondents admit that our assessment methods differ from what they see back home. Rene from Germany is happy with how assignment-based grades enabled him to understand and comprehend more from the course in the long run, while a concluding exam alone would only require him to learn things by heart before forgetting most of the material shortly after handing over the completed test. Not relying only on the final exam, but rather dividing the material into smaller assignments, generally leaves a positive impression. Only 13 percent do not recognise bigger differences in assessment methods when comparing studies at Centria to their home institutions.

Based on the survey results, 87 percent respondents admit they feel that our academic workload is lighter than what they experienced at home. They spend less time in a classroom and not as much at home preparing for the final exams. It is the result of allocating the workload more evenly throughout the semester, as noticed by Carlos from Spain. Only 10 percent disagree with that opinion and consider it slightly heavier than what they are used to.

The positive picture of Centria reflects the accessibility of teachers in the students’ academic experience. Over 90 percent respondents praise how easy it is to reach teachers here, and only less than 10 percent do not see a considerable difference from what they experience at their home institutions. Teachers at Centria are highly appreciated for their approach towards students as well as their dedication to actual teaching and not just lecturing. Alexander from Germany recognises their personal involvement and hopes that teachers from other countries would use such an approach as an example to follow. Teachers often act as moderators, showing students the right direction to understand a topic and work out the problem independently, rather than presenting a ready solution.

Students visiting Centria as a part of their higher education experience appreciate how it impacted their personal and academic growth. They discovered new ways to approach already familiar problems and realised that their methodology may not be the only way or not even the best way to resolve challenges. They are more open to listening to others and researching to find the best solutions. The comprehensive attitude, independence and flexibility developed during their exchange at Centria already benefit them with positive responses from their professors and employers.

Let us keep up the good work, shall we?