Student life at a Swiss University of Applied Sciences

A workshop at a digital solutions company as part of the course. Arasan MJ

Before coming to Switzerland Arasan was unaware that a University of Applied Sciences is not the same as a regular university.

 Studying at a University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule in German or Haute Ecole in French) has been a new and demanding process for me. It differs a lot from a regular Indian university. The academic term is short and there is a lot of self-learning involved.

For more blog posts and information on studying in Switzerland visit our dedicated page Education Swiss Made.

​​​​​​​Classes

The present academic term at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences is from February 18 to May 27 for regular classes. This short period – a little less than two-and-a-half months of classes – was a real shock, but is a norm in most places.  And even during term time, I only have classes two-and-a-half days in a week.

However, this doesn’t mean I can put my feet up and cruise through my programme. They give you a truckload of assignments to do. I only have six sessions to absorb a subject equivalent to two European Credit Transfer System points (ECTS). This is makes it necessary to attend all the sessions.

A normal teaching session would comprise 20% introduction to the topic and explanation of some concepts, 50% the professor’s experience with the subject (the challenges he or she has faced and how they resolved it), 15% recent trends of the subject followed by an explanation of the difference between theory and practice and the last 15% for practice and clarifying doubts. The system revolves around the principle of self-learning and nothing is spoon-fed.

Professors

I found the quality of the professors to be top-notch. This makes up for all the downsides in Switzerland. The professors are friendly, supportive and experts in their subjects. Not to be mean but of the 30 professors who taught me in India, I felt only four of them really knew something about the subject. In general, professors at a University of Applied Sciences have worked in the industry for 20-25 years before they made a move to a full-time academic career. You also have industry practitioners teaching a few courses besides guest lectures from professionals.  

Exams

The exam pattern at my University of Applied Sciences was also new to me. It was startling for me that it was up to the individual professor to set the syllabus for the course, prepare the exams and grade students. It is in stark contrast to the centralised exam system I have faced in India.

The maximum duration of exams is an hour. There are hardly any descriptive type questions but are mostly applied ones. I found it strange that the answer scripts have your name on them which means the professor knows whose paper he or she is evaluating.  However,  I don’t think there has been any bias in the evaluations. 

Brainstorming is a common practice to find solutions. Arasan MJ

Classmates

I enjoy having a highly intellectual crowd around me. They all come prepared for the class and most are middle level staff in their companies. This makes things a bit tricky for me. At times, I lose track of the class as the discussion reaches a level I can no longer understand. It was also remarkable for me to see a lot of married peers as it was a very rare occurrence in India. They are amicable but aren’t super social. Maybe, it is because they are already too busy studying and working. They just disappear into thin air once the class is over.