Choice - Luca school Brussels vs Alto in Helsinki

Graphic Design
#1

Hello everyone,
I am not a designer but my brother is.
He recently got accepted both to Luca art school in Brussels and Alto in Helsinki on a masters program. He is having a tough time in making a decision and I would like to help him maybe somehow. So I would be greatfull for any given advice.
He finds Brussels more appealing as a city, both in terms of climate and size. It also seems to him, Brussels being a bigger city might offer more opportunities. In Brussels the masters is also shorter, just one year which he feels better about, it is two years in Alto.
On the other hand Alto is very high ranking as a design school (top ten) and there is a possibility he could do an exchange. He is into fine arts and furniture design and Alto deals a lot in furniture design, though not his program (graphic design) but it would be possible for him to have access to it as well.

So he is in a big dilemma. On one end, one city seems more appealing and with a shorter program, on the other a higher ranking school.

Any advice is welcome, in form of a message, a link or a direction to what to research and look for.

Thanks everyone

#2

When I was growing up, I learned this:

Given two similar choices, whatever you pick will be the right one;

or

Given two similar choices, whatever you pick will be the wrong one.

#3

Sounds like Brussels is the better city and Helsinki is the better course. Should be obvious.

#4

Well not really, because it is not about better city in terms of living that’s important but the opportunities job wise. This probably goes in hand to Brussels being bigger city and more vibrant I guess.
Also I think my brother is reluctant to go for a longer course and in Helsinki it is two year course instead of one. He told me he would easily make up his mind if the course in Alto was one year long.

#5

I can’t comment on the course but I have been to both Helsinki and Brussels. In my opinion Helsinki is the better city. Brussels is a depressing city full of bureaucrats and historical buildings but not a city I would like to spend a year of my life in. Helsinki is much more vibrant and interesting but beware those winters are freeeeezing.

If one of the courses is longer then you must ask if that is because they teach a more extensive and comprehensive course, if so then I would go with that one.

#6

Hi,
Surprised that you think that way. I wasn’t in Brussels but I was in Helsinki. For me it was a nice city but I felt it to be kind of small, lacking the wildness of big city. Perhaps it was just me in the moment. I have no idea what is Brussels like, but I talked with some of the locals and they seem to have good opinion of the art scene there. Why do you think it is depressive?

#7

If your brother is pursuing an advanced degree (you said a masters), much might depend on his bachelor’s degree.

Even more important, is what he wants to do after graduating. The difference between one or two years isn’t that important compared to the rest of his life. The purpose of an education is to prepare students for what comes after school. If it were me, I would choose whichever school best prepared me to do what I wanted to do with my life for the next 40 or 50 years.

#8

Just my experience there, I was only there for a short time and I didn’t interact with the art scene in any way but it just seemed to me that the bars and restaurants were full of serious people in suits talking business. Perhaps I went to the wrong places.