IT, Business and the human mind
My choice - University of Oulu
Trang Nguyen came to Finland right after graduating from high school in Vietnam. “I wanted to do something with business and IT, and I wanted to do that abroad, explore the world. I found the right programme in Oulu University of Applied Sciences and decided to stay here for my masters,” she recollects.
“Oulu is a leading location in technology, I believe that I can learn a lot more here.”
Combining psychology and technology
Trang started the Human-Centred Design and User Experience Specialisation in the programme.
“Human-Computer-Interaction is all about how people act and behave around technology. You apply psychology to technology in order to make people’s technology use easier. The ideal case would be that they don’t have to think at all, when using a product.”
During four years of studying in Finland Trang came to appreciate the self-regulated learning approach. “Teachers give you assignments and provide guidance within your career path, but in the end, you are responsible for your own success. This was a new experience in the beginning, but I know it helped me learn a lot more,” Trang says.
A chance to slow down
Coming from Saigon, a city that never sleeps, as Trang puts it, she appreciates the peacefulness and calmness of life in Oulu. “One thing I would really miss if I left Finland is to just literally do nothing, sit, listen to music and watch the people go by. In Saigon I was always busy, there is so much to do. Oulu gave me the chance to slow down and listen to my own soul and to understand myself better.”
