Learning new things can be considered a way of life.

Marika Leed is a living proof of this and could also be called a ‘life-long student’. She holds not only university degrees but also lots of other expertise gathered on courses through FITech and other institutes.

Leed used to work in communications, specializing in digital communication from which she transferred altogether to the field of digital services. As she was working for a software vendor, she noticed that it’s a good idea to gain some general technical knowledge about the field.

‘I remember thinking that I wished I could evaluate how big or small some technical procedure actually is. It was frustrating not to know’, she says now.

So, she started to study alongside work.

Leed has studied information technology courses through FITech Network University. They are a good fit because the study offering also includes courses on intermediate and advanced levels.

‘Open universities usually offer beginner-level courses. I don’t know any other institution than FITech where I could study courses like these’, Leed says.

She works at the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) as a project manager. Her job includes leading the website renewal process, among other things. FITech studies have helped in situations that require technical knowledge.

‘The things I learned on the course Information security have become handy when I’ve had to clarify information security requirements to potential website suppliers’, Leed says.

Most recently, she studied system architecture planning on a course called Software and system architectures. There are many degree students on the course which made it sometimes challenging to agree on a schedule for group work.

Still, Leed says that she is willing to use her free time outside business hours to develop skills needed at work.

Learning new things and the drive to constantly update one’s knowledge has helped her find new career possibilities. Besides personal interest, the main reason for studying is professional self-development. Leed thinks that learning and mastering new skills is important when it comes to career development.

‘I am career-oriented and I believe that developing one’s knowledge will open doors in the future.’

5 tips to get you started on studying

Marika Leed has a lot of experience on FITech courses, among others. Here she shares some tips she has found useful during studying.

1. Write down things you would want to learn. For example, I have a Kanban board full of things I’d like to study next.
2. If the course has a chat or some other platform for discussions, make use of it!
3. Get to know the course materials efficiently and in different ways. Video lectures can be good on some topics and the course textbook might be better on others.
4. Rather than just taking a Swedish language course, you might find it insightful to study a certain topic in a foreign language on a course organised by Åbo Akademi. Not only do you learn about the topic itself, but also get a Swedish recap.
5. If possible, take courses that you can study on your own pace.