The opening ceremony at the University of Tartu has just taken place, signifying the start of the academic year and a whole new year of opportunities for students from all over the world as well as Estonia. Last year, The University of Tartu had 1820 international students across all its programmes resulting in the highest number of international students in 5 years! As international students studying in Estonia at the University of Tartu, we get the opportunity to not only share in the academic experience at a highly rated university, but also, we get the opportunity to experience the rich culture, nature, traditions, and history of Estonia. In this blog, I will optimistically look forward to the new academic year and give recommendations to my fellow students.
As I look upon the new academic year, (which will be my last at the University of Tartu) I began to look for inspiration on how I can make my final year as successful as possible. I didn’t need to look far as Rector Toomas Asser delivered a commencement speech with his recommendations for the new academic year. His recommendations are as follows:
First, join a student organisation of your choice. Those who are active and involved in an organisation in their spare time will gain better knowledge and skills over their university years and, of course, make lifelong friends.
Second, familiarise yourself with the university’s good practice of learning and find out what academic fraud is. Also, familiarise yourself with the guidelines related to the use of chatbots in teaching and studies.
Third, find out about the mobility opportunities at the University of Tartu and the ways to spend a part of your studies abroad.
Fourth, be active in the lecture hall. Stand out, get noticed by your lecturers. Challenge them, ask questions, elaborate.
Lastly, remember that you have a voice. There are lots of you, and when you make your voice heard, you are powerful. I wish you make yourself heard both at the university and in society.
In addition to these excellent recommendations for the new academic year from Toomas, I would like to add a few of my own which I’ve learned from my time in Estonia and the University of Tartu.
First, step outside of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to try something new whether it be an experience or even just a new food. Estonia and the University of Tartu have so much to offer that would otherwise be missed if someone is not willing be a bit uncomfortable and do something a bit different.
Second, ask for help. Some things in university and day to day life are hard and nobody is expected to handle every challenge alone. Whether it be from the University or peers, being able to ask for help and being knowledgeable about resources available to you is an important skill to have if you want to succeed.
Lastly, Get involved. Getting involved in an activity, organisation, or hobby is an amazing way to meet new people and experience new things. Had I not gotten involved in the International Student Ambassadors I would have missed out on so many great opportunities, experiences, and interactions with great people.
On another note, this upcoming year in Tartu will prove to be an exciting one as Tartu has been named one of the cities for the European Capital of Culture. This means many exciting events will also be taking place for all residents of Tartu and Students alike.
All in all, it is an exciting time to be a student at the University of Tartu. The city, region, and country have so much to offer, and it is up to us as students to take advantage of all the great things that are offered to us.
All images used courtesy of The University of Tartu
