Everyone here,
I used this forum back in 2011-2012 as a source of information about heading to Europe. It was, and remains an excellent repository of information for students looking beyond typical study destinations such as the US, UK, Australia and even Singapore. That said, it is beginning to seem that there is quite a lot of misinformation and half-baked nonsense floating around here. I'm putting out a list of issues that i find irritating to answer and often find that replies to these questions are misleading.
@seniors : Remember that the EU is not a very popular study destination (barring Germany, maybe) and there's a serious dearth of information. Remember that you too, were once the ones asking the questions. You now have a responsibility to present the facts as they are and not opinions. Remember that the people asking questions are more often than not, unable to find another source of information and will take anything you say as the gospel truth. With great power comes great responsibility.
1. It is impossible to compare countries. This cannot be done and is an exercise in futility and a waste of time for everyone. No one here is a social expert or will have lived in several countries. Even if they have, their 'comparisons' are likely subjective. YMMV.
2. You cannot compare universities. Sure, rankings are one way but take into account that rankings do not make or break universities and should not be the only way you make a comparison or decision. If someone tells you that university X is better than university, Y, please, please ask why. I'm sure very few people will be able to back up their claims and analyses with facts and evidence.
3. A fair comparison would be to look at the courses offered under identical or similar majors. Again, this can only go so far. If you like the coursework, that should be an indication that you would like to study at that particular university.
4. How do you expect students to comment on job prospects? No one here is Amartya Sen or has advanced degrees on economics. Understand and appreciate this fact. It is possible to get jobs in Europe just as it is possible to get jobs in the USA, Canada or Australia. If you try hard enough, with a bit of luck, you will land a job. Trust me and believe in yourself.
5. Currency exchange rates DO NOT AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO GET A JOB. Learn to identify flawed reasoning like that.
6. Some universities have degrees that allow you to directly apply for work permits in other countries. A masters from Aalto in Finland will allow you to get an Australian work permit, for example. Check for other examples.
7. Yes, language is a problem but it is not THE problem.
8. Personally, i find the concept of profile evaluations to be pointless. I'm sure this issue has been discussed to death here before but i'd just like to remind everyone that no one using this forum is on the admissions committee of any university and that their evaluations should not even be treated as estimates. Intakes and the competition very every year and there is no guarantee that you'll get in. The flip side is that evaluations are a decent way to determine whether or not you should apply to a particular university.
I'm sure there are other questions that frequently pop up and have answers that are not based on facts. Please add them here so everyone can benefit.
Cheers!
Now at Aalto University, Department of Electrical Engineering (Electric Power Engineering, in other words)
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