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Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions, where you will find the answers to your most burning questions.

Application Process

Everyone is welcome to apply. You have to be at least 18 years old and either be a resident or have a permit to live in Finland. No previous knowledge of coding is needed.
Selection Sprint is a 3-week full-time test period for the candidates (3 weeks = 2 weeks on-site + 1 week remote). 

You can read more about Selection Sprints here.

The learning process will start with covering different topics on our platform. Each week will end with an exam based on what you have learned during the week. During the weekend, there will be group tasks. The goal of this exercise is to strengthen the learning outcomes from the previous week.
If you are accepted to the Selection Sprint, prepare for the most intense but also rewarding 3 weeks of your life. You will make new friends, learn a lot and achieve more than you thought could be possible!
The first two weeks of the Selection Sprints will take place in Viestikatu 1, 70600, Kuopio. The third week of the Sprints is remote. More information about the Selection Sprints will be sent to those taking part in these closer to the Sprints.
The Online Check-in is a short online event where every Sprinter must participate before the Selection Sprints. ✅ The invite will be sent after your Sprint spot is accepted.
Its purpose is:
– To make sure you understand how the Selection Sprints and Study Program work. 
– To ensure you understand, you have to be on-site for the first two weeks of Selection Sprints. 
– To check if the people who reserved the spot are actively participating. 
You have to participate in one Online Check-in before you arrive at the Selection Sprints.
Each topic, group task and exam result will give you points during the Selection Sprint. 
The people who reach a certain limit of points and demonstrate great soft skills in the Sprint will be accepted into the full program.
If you successfully finished the Online Test, you’ll see the next steps right on the platform. The next step after passing the Online Test is to take part in the Selection Sprint!
Accepted candidates who get an invite to start their educational journey at kood/Sisu, will be informed 2 weeks after their selected Selection Sprint. 
The Online Test is a game that will test your logical thinking skills. There is no preparation needed, just make sure that you have up to 1 hour of undivided attention and a good internet connection! You cannot pause the Online Test once you have started it, and have to go through it in one go. 
Some recommendations: 
  • Use a computer and a keyboard – this is for your own convenience! 
  • Make sure you can fully focus on the Test for 1 hour.
  • Don’t give up! – There are no instructions on how to solve the tasks, and this is done on purpose. 
  • Take your time and think everything through.
 
The results
You will get your results right away from the platform.
  • In case of a successful Test, the platform will notify you of the next steps.
  • In case of an unsuccessful Test, you will get 2 more tries to do the test successfully. 
Some of you might wonder what levels you need to achieve to advance to the next steps. We’ll keep this information for ourselves to keep an element of surprise. If you put in effort, you will have a successful Test. Do your best and make it count!

Studying at kood/Sisu

The program is up to 24 months long and a full-time commitment, but ambitious students are able to complete it even faster thanks to the program’s dynamic and self-learning approach to studying.
There are no vacation periods planned into the study time. 
The platform is designed to guide your learning. In our school, you will “learn to learn”. This means you’ll be searching for information, trying out solutions, asking for help from peers and working in teams with other students. Additionally, technical assistants at the school support your progress in studies both on-site and on Discord. Support is provided in both Finnish and English.
The study software has additional instructions and a built-in mechanism to teach you coding from the very beginning. 

Read more about the Study Program

You can complete the studies either on-site, remotely or a combination of both. The studies are primarily conducted independently online, allowing for fully remote learning. However, we recommend on-site attendance at the school, as it provides opportunities to easily participate in school events and network with other students and companies that might be your future employers!
When applying to our school, the 3-week Selection Sprint consists of a 2-week on-site period when students will be required to be present in Kuopio.
The campus is located in Viestikatu 1, 70600 Kuopio. kood/Sisu premises are built for your convenience to give you the best possible study atmosphere. The school hosts multiple events with other students, partners and the community planned throughout the year that you do not want to miss.
We do not recommend full-time employment alongside studying.
Completing studies on schedule requires a significant amount of time and personal resources.
However, some students have completed the program while working.
The study program is conducted in English. We also offer support in Finnish. While doing your teamwork, you can choose which language you prefer.
You do not need expert-level English to succeed in the program; basic knowledge and understanding are enough. However, it’s important to develop your English language skills to succeed in the digital world and to think globally.
Oh, you wanted to know what coding languages we use? Check out the “What coding languages will I learn?” question.
Yes, you can.
Note that we also host events on Campus, where you are highly recommended to be on-site.
kood/Sisu works on a self-learning methodology, and therefore, we highly recommend that you be at the school building as much as possible. A large percentage of the program is teamwork with your colleagues, which is easier and more motivating to do on-site.
Nothing. It’s free.99
Coding should be accessible to everyone, irrespective of your previous education, experience or financial situation.
Students will use their own devices to conduct their studies. If you don’t have a suitable device for studying, such as a working laptop, you may be eligible to receive one for your studies from kood/Sisu. Please check your eligibility with the technical assistants.
The curriculum trains full-stack developers.
The 24 months of coding are the basis on which everything else is built. Once students complete their studies, they have developed the capacity to code in any programming environment.
The main 2 languages learned are Go and JavaScript. It’s followed by multiple other programming languages based on the specialisations you choose. You can also choose to undertake an internship.
You are your time manager, and we do not set boundaries on how you set up your time.
The tasks have a certain completion time limit, meaning that everything is built upon your own time management skills. You have different assignments you need to fulfil to move on in the program.
You have no official breaks during the kood/Sisu program, but you can do assignments in advance to enjoy a planned vacation.
Community and teamwork are essentials for a positive experience in our Study Program.
Among the kood/Sisu team, the Student Council will organise events and occasions for the students to get to know each other. The Council takes notes and improves ideas for the future school experience from the students regarding the events, campus and other matters related school experience.
In the kood/Sisu study program, you will learn the essential skills needed in today’s job market.

When it comes down to real life, Partner companies take part in specialisation module development.
It means they get to implement technologies used in real working life in the studies in kood/Sisu for a more realistic experience.

During the studies, our partner companies will host workshops, meet with senior developers, events, hackathons. This is aiming for a smooth transition between education and getting employed.

You can also choose to undertake a 6-month internship, which will be included within the 24-month study program. 

Operational

kood/Sisu operates as a Non-Profit Association with the mission to help reduce the lack of software engineers in Finland, offer an innovative addition to regular schools and strengthen the current educational system. 
We are not a public sector educational institution. We are run by an association established by a community of companies. This community develops our future-proof curriculum with us, supports the employment of our students and finances the operations of kood/Sisu.

Other questions

Completing the program gives you access to many positions and jobs in the digital world, from startups to leading worldwide companies. In the final 12 months of your studies, you can choose which fields you want to specialise in. 
You will receive a Diploma after graduation.
After you complete your studies, you do not receive an accredited degree, as this educational model is new in Finland and does not correspond to any traditional definitions. However, this is usually not a problem in the technology sector, given that companies tend to prefer your skills, mindset and attitude above official degrees. This is also the spirit all our partner companies have.
We have created many partnerships with the best companies in Finland that want to recruit future talent.

During your studies, you have options to get to know more about these companies through different events, work with them solving challenges, and create relationships to make sure you have a great position waiting for you when you graduate. 

You cannot obtain a student visa through us. So, to apply to us, you must already have a residence permit in Finland or EU citizenship.
Regarding studying on unemployment benefits, we cannot provide specific information as the matter is handled by the service provider, TE–office. You could contact the local office to clarify the situation with them. Here are some facts about our education:
  • The studies are full-time.
  • The studies are conducted in English.
  • You can complete the studies through on-site, remote, or hybrid modes.
  • The studies can be recognised as part of the Ylä-Savo Vocational College’s (YSAO) ICT degree.
If any questions arise about financing your studies, you can contact info@koodsisu.fi.
Students in our 2-year program are allowed to apply for student financial aid via Kela’s website or offices. The final decision about the benefits is made individually by Kela for each applicant.
kood/Sisu program student benefits are classified as secondary education. To receive a study grant, you must be a full-time student. 
Also, you can apply for housing from Kuopas student apartments in Kuopio after you are accepted to our program.
The Student Agreement is a document that every kood/Sisu student must sign upon accepting their place in the two-year program after successfully completing the Sprint. The purpose of the Agreement is to outline the rights, responsibilities and privileges of both the student and kood/Sisu.
 
The Trial Period is a three-month timeframe that begins on the first day of the two-year program. During this period, a student may withdraw from the program at any time without having to pay the Early Termination Fee. The Trial Period allows students to determine whether the kood/Sisu program is the right fit for them.
 
An Early Termination Fee applies if a student decides to leave the program after the Trial Period. In such cases, the student is required to pay a fee of 500 euros to cover part of the educational costs incurred by kood/Sisu.

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