Laurea graduate Lavanya: "Studying at Laurea in a practical way gave me confidence"
Business management student Lavanya Joshi celebrating her graduation in a student interview.
This week, the traditional autumn semester graduation ceremony has been held in Laurea. A total of almost 400 students and a large number of their relatives celebrated the end of their studies at the Leppävaara campus. In total, around 800 students will graduate from Laurea during the current autumn semester.
Lavanya Joshi was one of the Laurea students who graduated this autumn. Joshi, who moved to Finland from India to study, graduated as a Bachelor of Business Administrator from Laurea's English-language Bachelor's Degree Programme in Business Management.
– It feels quite amazing now! Moving to Finland was a big deal for me and now it feels rewarding to have completed my studies, says Lavanya, describing her feelings on graduation.
– And at the same time, I'm excited about what's next.
Studying at Laurea combines theory and practice
Lavanya Joshi had already studied business in India, so choosing a course at Laurea was easy. She was particularly interested in marketing-related subjects.
– Studying at Laurea has been an amazing and transformative experience for me, says Lavanya.
– The most valuable thing about studying at Laurea has been the way theory meets real-life practice. It makes studying so much more interesting and effective.
Joshi credits the way her studies have allowed her to apply what she has learned to practical projects with real companies. She immediately names two of the best projects of her Laurea studies; one where she got to work with other students to develop the marketing of a recycling centre and another highlight was a service design project with service company Barona.
– This kind of learning strengthens both teamwork and time management skills, but also gives us students a lot of confidence for our future working life, Lavanya sums up.
Aiming for a Master's degree in Finland
One rewarding experience for Lavanya during her studies was when she was a tutor for international students at Laurea during her second year of studies. Being a tutor was also educational:
– Intercultural communication was definitely something you learned there. It was definitely a very important thing to learn how to tutor, Yoshi says.
– We have had students from many different countries during our studies in Leppävaara, so it has been great to meet new people and learn about their culture.
It's been 3.5 years since Lavanya herself arrived in Finland. There is one thing about coming to Finland that Lavanya wishes she had known at the time:
– It's worth being brave and approach people, she says with a laugh.
– I had read beforehand that Finns are quiet, and I was nervous to go and talk. It was pointless and I soon realised that you just have to say 'hello' and everything will be fine after that.
Now Lavanya Joshi is celebrating her graduation as a business administrator, but she is already thinking about her next studies. Her number one plan for the future is to pursue a Master's degree in Finland.
Laurea's graduation ceremony will be held at the Leppävaara campus on 12-13 December. You can also watch the graduation ceremony on YouTube, both live and later as a recording on the Laurea's YouTube channel.