WEB-BASE ORIENTATION TO LIVING AND STUDYING IN KOKKOLA, FINLAND.

Abstract

The aim of this thesis was to create a website that gives general knowledge prospective foreign applicants (full time students and exchange students) applying to Centria University of Applied Sciences, Kokkola to study. The website entails up-to-date information in the area of description of the university, requirements for applying, entrance examination abroad, visa application requirements for non-EU Students. Joomla! 1.5 and XAMMP were the two software employed for designing the website. The rudiments and functionalities that came with Joomla and XAMMP made it possible to build a complete website. However, a number of challenges were encountered while creating a suitable template and employing the right modules for the intended purposes of the website. These problems were resolved with the help of the Joomla forum and supports that Joomla user can get from free from the Joomla website (www.forum .joomla.org). Moreso, for the creation of a full website, Joomla may be required as a good option for designing a website because every year the developers of Joomla add new features that make website designing more comprehensible. Therefore, for the purpose of this thesis, a website designed with Joomla that gives rise to the creation of many web pages and the results of the website is presented in the framework. Finally, because of the personal experience gained using Joomla, it was concluded that Joomla is effective, innovative and user-friendly to use.