Hi dude and dudies.... Need your opinion and suggestions.

Sara · Post by **Sara** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:14 pm

Im sorry only the university can help you out - we dont know the situation.

If you've been told youre accepted I would assume thats the case.

Perhaps start to sort out youre things and have things ready so you can leave as soon as possible once you get the letter

**Sponsor:**

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:45 pm

Well, it's great to hear you have been accepted but a massive, huge, enormous

to the university administrators who are incapable of getting you the paperwork in time so you can get a visa and at least get to your lectures. I think that really stinks and I understand your frustration.

I guess you could ask them to send you a recommended reading list so that you can do some background reading before you start.

If they have said they are sending you a letter then they will.... I don't think they would lie to you but when you go to the Finnish embassy for your visa you should explain to them that your application was held up because of delays at the university and ask them (nicely) if they can process it quickly because otherwise you will miss lectures.

By arriving so late you are also going to find it difficult to get a place to live...

Naavaneito · Post by **Naavaneito** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:05 pm

Hello, I can understand your worries well because when I applied and got accepted to Helsinki Polytechnic nearly 10 years ago the polytechnic had lost my addmission confirmation paper somehow. I was totally ignorant of this issue and just moved to Helsinki and went happily to the Polytechnic on the day my studies should have began. Then I was told that I am not accepted to study there because they never received my confirmation letter. Oh, that was a mess, but luckily it was solved in the end (after some tears and contacting a lawyer first) and I was able to start my studies.

I suggest you to be in touch with the university (again and again in a friendly manner) and just tell them that you have not received any papers from them yet (although you were promised) and this makes you really worried. Try to negotiate some solution e.g. that they will sent you at least an email statement telling that you are accepted. There is always a risk that someone has neglected your successful entrance examination result somehow (and therefore you have not received the letter) and they just think you must have been accepted because you got enough points from the exam.

Do not worry that the polytechnic staff will become angry, I do not think they will (it is their job to help you). Finns, in general, show their angriness and disappointment quite clearly so most people are used to facing it at least sometimes. Therefore a gentle verbal pushing should not be considered as a bad behaviour.

Let us know when this issue has been solved

.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:28 am

And how long will the mail take to Malaysia?

You'll probably miss the first "session" but the UAS's are run on random free choice of obligatory modules, so different modules come again.

You see, you're applied to a small place with a tiny amount of students. The town is not even a speck of flyswat on the paper. So they know once you got admitted you need to get your permits done, and once you then arrive they can figure out your study plan. This is not Malaysia where you got fiftythousand people starting school on monday, this is Finland where you got... fifteen people showing up for class.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:59 pm

Worrying does not make things go faster, it slows time.

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:32 pm

gufran wrote:Just share your thoughts please.
Cheers,
gufran

My first thought is why the hell do you want to come all the way from Malaysia to study in shed like Kokkola when you have for example the Universiti Sains Malaysia?!

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:55 pm

gufran wrote:to shinikala:
Thanks for the reply. University sains malaysia is nothing. I am currently studying in the rank no 1 university in Malaysia which is Multimedia University.

I would like to pursure my degree from Finland, because of is better reputations than Malaysia. Higher recognition. Better education system, teaching taught with so much of care and love....Especially, most technologically advanced country in the world.......Being in europe near to the latest developements...so much of practical work....and also becasue of the friendly of the Finland....I can not finish telling you all the good parts as i cant even remember what i have known from internet after researching over one year. I already had a degree from malaysia..now wanna have from finland....I want to study in the whole world..leran new things...i jjust dont wanna be a a tiny part of the world....

Boy, are you ever in for a rude awakening when you arrive in Kokkola!

Have you ever heard the phrase "If there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet that it's farthest from."? ... Well Kokkola is about the same distance out as Tatooine

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:01 pm

gufran wrote:20th August: I have taken part in the entrance examination here in Malaysia for the third time.

Why did you have to take the exam for a 3rd time?

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:05 pm

gufran wrote:what kinds of shock do you mean? I am prepared even thoush it is a bunch of balck wholes

Kokkola is not even one black hole, never mind a bunch.

Anyhow, you are clearly several sandwiches short of a picnic - I suspect you are lacking the rug, the basket and possibly the paper plates too.

Good luck, you're going to need it.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:16 pm

gufran wrote:what do you think, how many days more it might take.

Days, weeks... then you need to make your residence permit application. That is not automatic either and does not come fast; because of some dodgy dealings they are very strict in looking through the documents.... Once you get all your papers in hand then you start the other phase of getting your trip together.

Well, Kokkola and preparing for a shock. Well... in Malaysian terms... just mind your head in Sarawak when you go upriver too far...

karen · Post by **karen** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:28 pm

My husband's family lives in Kokkola and we go there for Christmas.

I just asked my husband what is the most exciting thing in Kokkola. He can't
think of anything that is exciting. That's pretty much my perception of it, too.

karen · Post by **karen** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:35 pm

In fact, he whined as if his head hurt before he answered me.

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:54 pm

I wrote:you are clearly several sandwiches short of a picnic

= you have something missing from your brain
= you are a bit mad.

I wrote:I suspect you are lacking the rug, the basket and possibly the paper plates too.

= not only are you missing some of your senses
you are probably stark raving mad.

I wrote:Good luck, you're going to need it.

You took 3 shots to pass the entrance exam? I think you are may need the whole of Finland praying for you... and quite possibly half of Sweden too.

You will not be in a class of 18 year olds. Finnish high school ends at 19, so most of your classmates will be 19 or 20 (after the army). Most of them will be local to Kokkola, they will not be very clever ... if they were they would have gone to a real University. Most of them will already have girl/boyfriends.

You will probably not find a part time job.

Kokkola is cold in Winter.

The smell from the zinc plant is not as bad as you might guess.

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:04 pm

karen wrote:My husband's family lives in Kokkola and we go there for Christmas.

I just asked my husband what is the most exciting thing in Kokkola. He can't
think of anything that is exciting. That's pretty much my perception of it, too.

The most exciting thing is they have one of the last British RN vessels to be captured in war (The Crimean War .... the one which Rob whatsisface forgot about). I was really up for this after reading about it in the Michelin Green Guide.

It's on display near the town centre in a glass case. It's a rather large rowing boat.

Anticlimax doesn't quite cover it.

They do nice onion rings in the Sokos there, though.

Sara · Post by **Sara** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:29 pm

You also have to realise that things here are very laid back. You keep calling the uni every day and they are going to get pissed off and label you as annoying. The university will get you the paperwork when they are good and ready, then you have to wait while it takes 2 weeks to come through in the post. Just accept that.

Do you know how cold it gets in the winter? Are you prepared for that?

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Hi dude and dudies.... Need your opinion and suggestions.