Blog: Proud of our community spirit – Together towards the best student life in the world

There is strength in community, as the saying goes. But what truly creates a sense of belonging in a community?

Let’s take a moment to look at our own community, the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) students. There are about 15,000 of us, which is roughly the same number of people as a fully packed Nokia Arena. Another comparison could be a city: if BBA students formed a municipality with 15,000 residents, it would be the 76th largest in Finland – right between Parainen and Kuusamo (as of 2023). This is no small group of people but a significant community and network of BBA students.

Our community consists of a diverse range of talents from all over Finland, from Joensuu to Vaasa, and from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, some even from farther away. Among us are future CEOs, entrepreneurs, auditors, and content creators. Our community includes both young and older individuals, those who have just transitioned from secondary education to further studies, as well as those who have been in the workforce for a long time. What makes our community strong is the diversity of its members. Each of us is walking our own path, but every path is equally valuable. This is a place where everyone has the space to build their own story.

A hallmark of a community is that it works collectively towards a common goal. BBA students are striving to create the best student life in the world – as a community. But how can we work together to advance this goal? If each of us makes choices on our own path that lead to the best student life for ourselves, we are heading in the right direction. And if you ever feel lost on your path, the Student of Business and Technology and the whole community are here to help.

In this context, I feel it’s important to highlight perhaps the most visible voice within our community: our local associations across Finland, in twenty different Universities of Applied Sciences and even in more towns! Without the local associations, this community wouldn’t have grown to its current size, nor would it have the same strength it does today. Our local associations do selfless work for the betterment of our community so that every BBA student can experience the best student life in the world.

So, that sense of community? The world of students has changed a lot in recent years, and it continues to change. Our task is to strengthen our community by working together for a better student life. I hope that each of us can be proud to belong to this community – the BBA students.

- Jesse Koivukoski, Chairperson of the Students of Business and Technology