Interview
Meet Vasiliki from Greece
Name: Vasiliki Mylonopoulou
Home country and city: Greece, Thessaloniki
Programme of study: Master\'s programme in Human-Computer Interaction
Personal interests: music (playing and listening), reading books, good conversations
Favourite thing about Umeå University: The staff is very helpful with everything
Favourite swedish word or custom: the variety of dialects (Pitemål, expression: Väles mä)
Three words to summarise your time in Umeå: (the most) knowledge-gaining experience
What is your educational and professional background?
I have a bachelor\'s degree as a computer engineer by the Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki and I have attended many seminars on web programming. I have worked mainly in jobs that I had direct contact with people like sales. I am also a founding member of the metal band Erevos.
Why did you choose to enroll in your degree programme at Umeå University?
As a computer engineer I had seen the one side of the coin, how the technical things are done but I wanted to see what is going on the other side – in the end all these technical things are done for people. I wanted to know about the needs of the users. I chose Umeå University because I read that has vivid research activity on that area, and the people of the
department were really helpful with everything I needed to know.
What do you like most about your programme?
The programme is active and follow the new trends, is connected to real world experience (we have cooperated with companies and researchers) and the courses support creativity and alternative ways of thinking. The teachers and the rest of the staff are helpful and close to the students.
What is the most interesting thing you learned in your programme or courses so far?
Collaborative work and that even if theory and practice seem distant to each other, experience, open mind and alternative thinking can bring them really close and use them for innovation.
What do you do when you are not studying?
I practice piano, study Swedish and go out with friends. I also try to learn as much as I can about Swedish culture.
What is your impression of Umeå and the surrounding areas?
Umeå is in the nature. I haven\'t seen a lot of surrounding areas but even in the winter I was enjoying taking walks next to Nydala Lake to enjoy the nature.
What do you find as the biggest cultural difference, both socially and educationally, fromyour country with Sweden?
People are willing to help, officially and unofficially. The educational system is completely different from the Greek one and I received help with my dyslexia. When I was studying in Greece there was no laws about aiding adult people with learning disabilities in the universities. When I came here, however, I found lots of help that I can use if I choose to.
The academic resource centre gave me some advice that I can use on reading and writing and even if the computers in resource lab are mainly in Swedish there is always someone that you can ask for help, if you want to use the technology there. I believe that the variety of services that a student can take advantage of is the biggest difference from the Greek
universities.
What you would say or what advice would you give to another international student thinking of attending Umeå University?
Go for it and don\'t worry about the northern latitude of the town. If you need advice, just ask people from the university – no matter if they are staff or students, most of them will be happy to help!
What are your career aspirations?
I would like to continue with a PhD and research. There are so many things that I learned and so many things that I want to learn and use in order to find something new that can help people to fulfill their needs.
