484 reviews
3.90 / 5 based on 484 reviews

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0
Maria S
Fachhochschule St. Pölten, St. Pölten, Austria
Business Studies, Undergraduate, Erasmus
Expenses
Main source of funding:
An ERASMUS grant
Other sources of funding:
Personal savings
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits
costs of food are higher than at home, but the dormitory was cheaper. I think it's normal to spend more on nightlife and travelling - I expected that
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Food, Nightlife, Travel, Overall:
was more expensive than at home.
Telephone, Housing:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
get a student's card to save money when travelling by train, etc. - always say that you are a student, since there might be some reductions
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Maria S
Fachhochschule St. Pölten, St. Pölten, Austria
Business Studies, Undergraduate, Erasmus
Academic
My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course

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Maria S
Fachhochschule St. Pölten, St. Pölten, Austria
Business Studies, Undergraduate, Erasmus
Overall
I wish I had known...
we weren't really informed if we got an accommodation or not - we didn't even know with whom we were staying in a room - it would have been good to know!!!
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In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
it was quite difficult to get in touch with Finnish students, since mostly the exchange students were put in a seperate group.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
There are a lot of sight/places to visit (North Cape, Helsinki, Stockholm, Tallinn, Finnish cities, et.), but it takes a while to get there, since the distances are quite long. There a so many other exchange students -so a lot of fun - but it would have been good to know some tutor students before (by e-mail). The weather is not so bad, as you might imagine before - it is not that cold. The darkness in the winter feels strange and I don't think that you can get used to it. You get used to not understanding a word of Finnish, but almost everybody speaks English very well. So you don't necessarily need to learn more than the basics of Finnish. Buy a bike to get around in the city - everybody uses it (even in the winter)!
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Maria S
Fachhochschule St. Pölten, St. Pölten, Austria
Business Studies, Undergraduate, Erasmus
Languages
Language of instruction: English
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
How much did you improve your English?
My level before: No problems in any areas (including slang)
My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang)
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
almost everybody (even the old people) spoke English very well - so it was never a problem to communicate. It is very difficult to learn Finnish, but it is good to know some basic stuff.
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Maria S
Fachhochschule St. Pölten, St. Pölten, Austria
Business Studies, Undergraduate, Erasmus
Housing
Type of housing: On campus
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: On campus
Why?
a lot of other exchange students
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Personal comments
it was very old - the furniture was quite damaged, but it was quite well equiped
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0
Maria S
Fachhochschule St. Pölten, St. Pölten, Austria
Business Studies, Undergraduate, Erasmus
Student life
Describe host city:
Students interact with the local community without much university involvement
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Activities: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Nightlife, Travel: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
there are just a few night clubs - on wednesdays the Onnela (free entry) on the weekends Kaarle, 45 Special
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