Good education plays a vital part in society, and the development of civilization as we know it rests in the hands of students. Why, then, are we not making the effort to invest in our own future and to take care of one of the most important pillars of this society?

Most students, from the day they start their studies, carry some kind of worry. Firstly, when the new batch of students begins their journey, if they question their choice of study, they won’t be able to change their degree easily due to the new One Study Right Rule, where if you accept a study right, you lose all the other study rights you have, which in practice puts more pressure on the students and traps them in a position they might not want to be in.

Secondly, as a result of the Housing Benefit and Financial Aid Changes, students today are also carrying a real worry about money, about their future and about simply being able to keep studying. According to Statistics Finland, only 53.5% of university of applied sciences students graduated within the target time in 2024. And a year after graduating, 13% of UAS graduates were still unemployed. When you look at the numbers, it’s hard to blame us!

When it feels like every decision is made without you in mind, when your money runs out, and your wellbeing suffers, it all becomes too heavy for anyone to carry. Students not being able to study should not even be said in the same sentence!

Furthermore, there is one bottleneck that students talk about more and more, and it is hiding in plain sight: the internship.

In a UAS degree, internships are a mandatory part of your studies. Depending on the degree, they are worth anywhere from 30 to 120 credits. As the labour market has weakened, finding a placement has become much harder. I couldn’t find national statistics on how many students struggle to get one, which is a problem in itself, because what isn’t measured is easy to ignore.

What I do know is how the chain works. When internships are hard to find, studies get delayed. When studies are delayed, financial aid is at risk, because it is tied to your progress in studies. And for many students, one missing internship can set their whole life back. At the same time, graduating late means entering working life later, and the stress that comes with that makes it even harder to keep going.

Well, what can we do?

SAMOK’s parliamentary election programme already contains sound solutions, and I want to make sure they are voiced and pushed for the decision-makers if I’m elected to the Board.

• A national internship voucher – Employers would receive support for taking on higher education students as interns. This lowers the threshold for companies to say yes, and gives students more places to say yes to.
• Better language teaching and integration for international students – Language skills are key to finding work in Finland, but learning a language should never delay graduation. High-quality, sector-specific language teaching should be built into degrees and placements, and the language expectations placed on students in working life need to be realistic. As an international student myself, I know how big of a barrier this can be when almost all internship postings require native level Finnish.
• Employment vouchers. – SAMOK has proposed a nationwide trial in which employers who hire skilled graduates receive a financial incentive. This supports the move from studies into working life, so that graduates find work sooner and have solid hope for life after graduation.

Next year’s parliamentary elections are our chance. The next government programme will shape what students can count on for years to come, and decisions are often made by those who make themselves heard. So let’s make as much noise as possible right now, so that the students who come after us can complete their studies as calmly as possible.

I keep saying this like a mantra, but it isn’t a bad thing: Students aren’t just the future. We are already part of this society, studying, working, contributing, and shaping the society right now. We deserve a path through our studies that doesn’t feel like a leap into the unknown.

I’m Rue, a third-year Software Engineering student at Tampere University of Applied Sciences, and I’m running for the SAMOK Board for 2027. I’ve served on Tamko’s board for two years, as Leisure Representative and now as Vice Chairperson of the Board, and I want to take what I’ve learned to the national level.

Author: Ruvindu Gamage (Rue), candidate for SAMOK board for 2027.

During the autumn, candidates for the SAMOK Board of Directors for 2027 will be presented on the SAMOK blog and on social media. For more information about the General Assembly, click here.