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University of Helsinki
Helsingin Yliopisto, Yliopistonkatu 4 - P.O. Box 33, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
4.05 / 5 based on 198 reviews.
Description:
The University of Helsinki (Helsingin yliopisto) is the oldest and largest university in Finland. It was founded in 1640 as the "Academy of Turku"; Turku being the former capital of Finland, which was then part of the Swedish realm. After Finland was annexed to the Russian Empire in 1809, the capital was moved to Helsinki. In 1827 the University was transferred to Helsinki, where it opened the following year under the name of the Imperial Alexander University, after the Russian Czar Alexander the Second. It was the only university in Finland until 1919.
88% of students recommend
198 reviews
198 reviews of University of Helsinki
HOUSING
by pauline, Université de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
Political Science, Erasmus
Personal assessment
Type of housing: On campus
Arranged by: Independently - I had no other choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why? I would like living in a colocation because on the campus the mentality was very good but i would like to live with finish people in order to learn more the language and understand more the way of life.
Personal comments:
I choosed to live on the campus first because it was very good situated in the town, second because it was like living in a colocation with neighbours of all the world. The flat was very usefull. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
STUDENT LIFE
by Karine, Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales, Paris, France
Language, Erasmus
Personal social experience
Describe host city: Students interact with the local community without much university involvement
Activities, Nightlife, Travel: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment Personal comments:
In Helsinki, you have the Vanha Café that is linked with the student union of the university. The ESN student meet there every tuesday night. Then you have the irish pub Molly Malone near from the railway station, great live music! you have too the restaurant-bar and disco Copacabana for those who like latin music. By the sea as well you have a nice café called Ursula, in the Kaivo puisto. there are some events like Sankta Lucia parade the 13th of december, during christmas the lights of Aleksanterikatu. An important event for students is the Vappu on the 1st of may, after having party the students go for a picnic in the Kaivopuisto. For the discos I like Kaarle12 and Ostrobothnia. There are museums and Ateneum(art modern) and Kiasma are worth to be seen. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
ACADEMIC
by tuck0066, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
Language, University Agreement
My academic experiences
Course recommendations:
Unless your knowledge of Finnish is very high, I wouldn't recommend taking Finnish language courses. For the most part, the instructors speak very quickly, and often use technical terms that a non-Finn would have trouble understanding.
My opinion of the university assessment
Personal comments:
Coming from the US, where we are required to register before the semester starts, I was a little bit confused about how course registration worked. There was never an official time to register for the course - you just kind of showed up for class and the instructor gave grades to whoever turned in the final exam/paper. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by Kilde, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
History, Independent
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: English
Local language was: Different than language of instruction.
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't. Was learning the local language a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my knowledge How much did you improve your English?
My level before: At ease in most situations My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) How much did you improve your local language?
My level before: Did not speak it My level after: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.) Personal comments:
I believe that the time spend in Finland has chenged me more than I have expected. My life and education in Helsinki helped me to achieve exceptional communication skills as finns are very shy and no comunicativ people. One should really work hard in order to be accepted. There is a finnish saying "If you make a friend in Finland it is a friend for life". The Finnish language course helped me a lot in my every-day life. However it is hard to speak Finnish with the local students and teachers as they switch to English as soon as they find out one is not of a Finnish origin. May be this is the reason why my skills in English have developed so well. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
EXPENSES
by tuck0066, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
Language, University Agreement
The accessibility of student needs
Main source of funding:
Other Other sources of funding:
Personal savings Government assistance A private grant School Financial Aid Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options Personal spending habits:
Helsinki is the capital city, so food, housing, entertainment, etc is more expensive than it would be in other cities. Local pubs often had cheaper drinks than those located downtown though. Nightlife, Overall, Telephone: was more expensive than at home. Food: was the same price as at home. Travel, Housing: was less expensive than at home.
Personal comments:
It was very hard for me to open up a bank account in Finland - and to this day, I'm still not really sure why (I think it had something to do with the fact that I didn't have a Finnish social security card and I wasn't a permanent resident). Most forms of travel have special student rates available - you only need to show your student ID card to receive them. Also, check out STA or Council travel for cheap rail passes or train tickets! This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
OVERALL
by Kilde, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
History, Independent
Important to choosing this university...
I wish I had known...
Now when I look back I would say I should have taken some Finnish language courses prior to my departure. In my opinion:
I loved it but I'm not sure everybody would.
During my experience abroad, I ...
Personal recommendation:
Socialize. Finland is a hard country to live in. Especially because it is hard to communicate with the locals. The best way to urvive and return home with really good and helpful experience is to socialize. And not to be afraid of chalenges and communicating with the others. FINAL COMMENTS
Bring warm clothes, never forget that you would hardly see the sun during the winter, which might be pretty depressing... And don't forget that in a month or two you would for sure start hating snow. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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About iAgora
iAgora provides university reviews and ratings by international graduates, Erasmus and exchange students. International rankings and admission details to graduate programmes like masters, MSc, MBAs and summer courses at University of Helsinki and other business schools and universities.
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Couldn't have asked for more.
Pretty good.
Could've been better, but didn't lessen the overall experience.
Disappointing.
Very Important.
Important.
Not really important.
Unimportant.
