Elina Pyylampi wants to combine renewable energy solutions and commerciality

Elina Pyylampi is a first-year student of Electrical Power and Energy Engineering, available in Finnish and Swedish. In her free time, she participates in the activities of the Guild of Electrical Engineering (SIK), does a lot of sports – especially tennis – and spends time with friends. 

How did you end up studying Electrical Power and Energy Engineering at Aalto University?

Promoting society and helping others have always been close to my heart; when I was younger, I was sure that I would become a doctor. In high school, I discovered that these values can also be fostered in other ways. During physics classes, I became particularly interested in energy issues and renewable energy. 

I never thought I would become a teekkari – a technical student – but as I learned more about the field of technology, it began to attract me. I had been considering the Energy and Mechanical Engineering major, but as the application period drew nearer, I noticed the newly launched programme in Electrical Power and Energy Engineering. I didn't know much about it or the field in general, but the description corresponded well with what I was hoping to study.

I happen to know a lot of former or current teekkari students, so I had heard a lot of good things about Aalto University. What was especially appealing to me was the sense of community and the practically limitless opportunities in studies, as well as leisure activities and events. The Otaniemi campus and the guild you join are like a small village and a family, where everyone is allowed to be themselves and realise their own dreams. 

How is studying at Aalto like in practice?

I graduated from high school in 3.5 years and ended up with a kind of a "gap year". At first, I was nervous about whether my studies would go well – or whether I had forgotten everything. Luckily, I noticed that even though the courses cover a lot of material, everything is explained in a beginner-friendly way. The teaching is fast-paced but clear. 

At Aalto, the course offering is extensive and the studies are diverse, as it is also possible to take studies in other fields. The possibility of shaping the studies to your own liking has been made easy. I am particularly interested in combining renewable energy and its commercialization, so I have already taken a course from the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management in my first year.

The studies themselves include attending lectures, as well as practice groups and math exercise groups, where support is available. Studying is different from upper secondary school: although the days are shorter, a lot of time is spent on independent study outside of lectures.

I feel that in addition to theoretical knowledge, Aalto also allows you to develop with future working life in mind. Here you get a lot of support and space for both independent and group work, both of which are essential skills in working life.

What has been the best thing about your studies?

The best part has been the variety of courses and the opportunity to experiment. In high school I took a programming course, but understood and learned almost nothing, since the topics were covered quickly and it was difficult to keep up. However, when I attended the Y1 programming course at Aalto, the teaching covered the very fundamentals – and I would say that it was my favorite course of the fall!

Now I am looking forward to an electrical energy systems course, which will cover electrical systems in more detail. The topics of the course are interesting, and the whole thing seems to be tailored to me, based on the description.

Electrical engineering is a demanding  and constantly developing field, but in my opinion that also makes it rewarding.

What is student life like at Aalto?

Even though I am only a first-year, I have already attended a lot of student events. During the orientation week I boldly joined the guild for my major and went to their events, which helped me make a lot of new friends.  

Right after that I became so enthusiastic about these activities that balance out studying that I applied to volunteer for the Guild of Electrical Engineering (SIK) as soon as possible. Any member can join the team organising all sorts of events. I am now involved in organising sitsit dinners and other events.

Teekkari culture and the guilds have numerous traditions, which are easy to take part in. I highly recommend participating in student life, since that is how you can meet new people and easily find like-minded people.

What does your future look like?

Currently, I dream of being able to combine renewably energy production and electrical energy systems with industrial and commercial perspectives. I feel that at Aalto, you are encouraged to pursue your dreams, be innovative, and foster an entrepreneurial spirit. My own little dream is to succeed in finding new, innovative solutions for more sustainable energy production. I would also like to be able to utilise my leadership skills and entrepreneurial tendencies.

For whom would you recommend studying electrical power and energy engineering?

In this programme, you can tailor the studies according to your own needs – so if electricity is your primary interest, I definitely recommend applying. With the help of minor studies, you can combine expertise in power and electricity with practically any other subject.

If you are particularly interested in energy issues and the future use of electricity in society, the Electrical Power and Energy Engineering programme offers good preparation for working with these topics!