Already during her first year at Haaga-Helia, Zhen Qi has been able to strengthen her work-life competences and widened networks in the industry. Alongside studies, she has many hobbies, such as painting and cooking, and she spends a lot of time volunteering. She has been a volunteer for stray cat rescue and helping children in underprivileged areas to go to school in China. Now, Qi lives in Finland with two adopted rescue cats (one in the photo). Next semester, she will be volunteering as a tutor for the new Haaga-Helia students.
How and why did you choose to study Business IT?
I chose software development because I have a solid background in business. As a financial analyst, I often needed programming skills. I would like to systematically learn programming, and Haaga-Helia's curriculum perfectly combines software development with my business background. Moreover, Haaga-Helia offers many business courses. While these courses have similar names to those I studied in China, the content is quite different. Comparing and reflecting on this new knowledge with my previous studies helps me better understand both the business world and computer science, making the learning experience very new and interesting.
What has it been like to study at Haaga-Helia?
In my first year, I experienced a mix of in-person, online, independent, and group studies. All these formats are important, and I cherish and enjoy each class. As an international student from Asia, understanding the European group work and communication environment is crucial. Haaga-Helia offers a wide range of courses, allowing you to focus on areas you would like to improve.
Besides professional courses, the school provides many Ulysseus courses, offering opportunities to collaborate with students from other countries. For example, in May, I participated in the BIP programme during the intensive week and worked on a business project with students from four different universities, each located in different countries. Such courses greatly enhanced my communication and teamwork skills.
Has anything in particular surprised you during your studies?
The support from the teachers at Haaga-Helia really surprised me. Every teacher goes above and beyond to help you. For example, in our first semester courses, "Introduction to Digital Service" and "Introduction to Software Development," our teachers Kasper Valtakari, Lari Iso-Anttila and Heikki Hietala invited many guest lecturers from different IT fields. They shared their roles and career choices, which was incredibly valuable for someone new to the IT field. This helped me quickly understand the industry and start planning my career. My guidance counsellor, Liila Mäntylä, also helped me a lot with my numerous questions about studying and working in Europe, as I had never studied in this system before.
What has been best at Haaga-Helia so far?
One of my best memories is from the Experience Designer series of courses, which were 30 credits in the second semester. In this course, we completed two projects: one for Haaga-Helia’s Student Services and one for Posti Group Oyj.
In the project for Haaga-Helia’s Student Services, we interviewed over 60 international students, learning about their challenges and creating plans to help them adapt to Finnish life. This project inspired me to become a student tutor at Haaga-Helia to support freshers and international students.
Posti Group Oyj project included interviewing over 70 Gen Zs about Posti services. We improved package pickup processes and tested new outdoor locker locations, understanding Posti’s culture from different angles. I learned so much from this experience.
Without Haaga-Helia providing such excellent courses, I wouldn't have had these amazing opportunities. I am very grateful to the teachers who designed this course: Marika Alhonen, Mário Passos Ascenção, Erkki Häkkilä, and Mariitta Rauhala.
Your greetings to future students
I highly recommend Haaga-Helia. They offer a variety of interesting and engaging courses and projects where you can gain solid professional knowledge, improve your teamwork and communication skills, and make lots of like-minded friends. It’s like a safe nest where you can try different things and grow your wings, so that when the time comes, you can soar into the wide sky of your future.
