Win a study abroad experience with all flights and tuition fees paid for! Apply by January 31.
Asia Exchange are currently doing their biggest giveaway competition ever as a part of their 10th year of operations. At the end of January, one social media apt person will be chosen to get to do one or two semesters abroad, with tuition fees and all flights paid for (value of the price up to 5,000 Euros)!
Winner of the competition will be able to demonstrate great skills in social media (including blogging, photography, video, etc.), as besides studying and having a blast adventuring outside school hours, the winner will be sharing their study abroad experience on Asia Exchange’s social media.
With only three weeks left on the competition we wanted to ask some of our staff about their expectations for the person to be chosen to be the “social media star” for Asia Exchange.
Sami Hiltunen, Planning Officer
Which social media outlets do you think are the most important ones for Asia Exchange and why?
I personally think that Instagram and Facebook seem to still be the hottest, fastest growing social media outlets. It is so easy to utilize them both when planning a trip. For example, on Instagram one can get excited about the destination one is traveling to by searching and looking at pictures from there. It’s also a great place to seek for inspiration and find new places you would like to visit.
On Facebook one can join groups and follow pages, and also find travel buddies or other exchange students, and make some common travel plans already prior to the trip even starting. And after the exchange is over, Facebook is one of the most convenient ways to keep in touch with all the friends from all over the world.
What are you expecting the person to be picked as our social media star to be sharing with us?
Often times people only post highlights of their trip and some beautiful landscapes on their social media. I would like to also get to see pictures, and read about the simple daily life at the destination country, as it probably is so different from what we are used to back home. That would be something I’d like to get to see really.
The winner gets to choose up to two destinations in which to study. Would you go to Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia or Indonesia? Which ever places you choose, we guarantee you’ll have the time of your life!
Katariina Lius, International Coordinator
What sort of stories and videos do you most like to see from our students?
I really like to read the blogs that our students write, and sometimes I also send links to those to international study coordinators and also for the students who are applying to study at the same location. Often you can find great general tips from them!
I’m always interested in seeing how the students experience the local culture. For example a blog post from Niklas Melcher on his blog Hankuk and Me, where he was comparing Korean studying mentality to that of Germans’ and Austrians’ was very interesting and eye opening even. Every now and then I go back and read that blog..
I haven’t had a chance to visit all of our study abroad destinations yet, so I enjoy learning new things about the countries through the experiences of our students. I’m constantly itching to travel, and the student blogs really give some good tips on where to head to next! Students seem to also be real wizards when it comes to traveling on low-budget… At the moment Jeju in Korea, Kansai and Fukuoka areas in Japan, and the Malaysian side of Borneo are topping my travel bucket-list.
What types of social media do you like to use the most and why?
Blogs and Instagram! Blogs can be great sources of information while Instagram is quick and easy to use anywhere and always gives me inspiration! I’d love the winner to be a great story teller both in writing and with pictures.
Whether you like video blogging, writing stories, or taking photos and sharing them on Instagram, make sure you apply now – you might just win the Experience of a Lifetime!
Pekka Pernu, Team Manager
What sort of skills would you expect the most from the person who wins Experience of a Lifetime competition?
I would like to find an applicant with a track record of recognising the latest trends in social media. At the same time, an eye for small details and curious cases is something that I highly value.
More generally speaking: wit, humor and knowledge in social media content make me smile, so if the applicant can show that, he or she will be closer to getting my vote.
Ultimately, if I can actually feel the passion and presence in the applicant’s social media content, and the applicant demonstrates a capability to get me to stop scrolling, I think this person would be my choice to be the winner.
Harri Suominen, Managing Director
What sort of skills and attitude should the winner have?
I really hope that you will eagerly jump into all the new experiences which are likely to be some of the best moments of your life! I wish that you will enjoy capturing all the moments, feelings, colours, scenery, flavours, and all the happiness and thankfulness – and be able to show that to the world in a way that they’ll be getting goosebumps! I’d expect you to do this actively and with respect towards your task. And I’m hoping you to really enjoy your time studying abroad to the fullest in a way that will also help you in your future!
Good luck impressing us everyone! We are looking forward to reviewing the applications and interviewing the shortlisted candidates!
