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University of Oulu

Oulun Yliopisto, P.O. Box 8000, 90401 Oulu, Finland
3.88 / 5 based on 210 reviews.
Description:
The University of Oulu was founded in 1958. It has grown quickly and is now one of the largest and leading universities in Finland. The university operates in eight major fields: Humanities, Education, Economics, Natural Sciences, Technology (including Architecture), Medicine, Dentistry and Health Care, distributed in six faculties.


Reviews
International Partners
Programmes
Accreditations
85% of students recommend
210 reviews
Housing
4.1/5
 All experiences (210)
Student life
4.2/5
 5 stars (54)
Academic
3.7/5
 4 stars (96)
Languages
4.1/5
 3 stars (48)
Expenses
3.3/5
 2 stars (12)
Overall
4.3/5
 1 star (0)
“Do take advantage of Scandinavian Studies excursions if at all possible. They are amazing!” Read Review
JoannaFL, United States

210 reviews of University of Oulu

PAGE: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 · 35    NEXT »
1 to 1 of 35 
HOUSING    
by Joanna, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, Greensboro, United States
Scandinavian Studies Program, University Agreement
Personal assessment
Cost
KEY:
Couldn't have asked for more.
Pretty good.
Could've been better, but didn't lessen the overall experience.
Disappointing.
Facilities
Location
Cleanliness
Space
Type of housing: On campus
Arranged by: Home university
If returning, I would choose: On campus
Why? Living on campus was a great way to get to know other students, especially those from the international program. Our location made it easy to access the university for class and other resources like e-mail and the library.
Personal comments:
The buildings are old, so sometimes things fon't wrk like they should, and they are really ugly, but it's no big deal. The part we will remember fondly is the people, not the building.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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STUDENT LIFE    
by Alexandria, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, United States
cultural studies, ISEP
Personal social experience
Activities
KEY:
Amazing! Hardly had time to study.
Plenty to do when I had the time.
So-so.
Did not get involved.
Nightlife
Travel
Overall
Describe host city: Students equally interact with the local and student community
Activities, Nightlife, Travel: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Personal comments:
whats so great is you have so much time off from class. you take typically one or two classes at a time, have plenty of time to study and with isep program get a 400 us dollar stipend which is plenty adequate for high living, travel, and even paid for extended travel in the summer. The beer is bad beer and soo expensive, but the people that i encountered made the place and in the end that mattered the most. Kuumpin Pykka has the cheapest beer but a rough crowd. Night life is straight out of the dance eighties clubs and takes a while to except.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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ACADEMIC    
by Joanna, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, Greensboro, United States
Scandinavian Studies Program, University Agreement
My academic experiences
Quality of courses
KEY:
Fantastic.
Pretty good.
Could've been a bit better.
Disappointing.
Variety of courses
Availability/access to resources
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with other international students
Interaction with local students
Course recommendations:
The Scandinavian Studies program is a great way to take courses in English and to meet other international students. If you want to meet Finnish students and see how the Finnish university system really works, try to take classes in the larger university as well.



My opinion of the university assessment
Exams at end of course
KEY:
Liked it.
It was alright.
A bit annoying.
Didn't like it.
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course.
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
Overall
Personal comments:
Sometimes, the professors went a little overboard with the papers, but the subjects were fair for the most part, and the papers doable.

This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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LEARNING FINNISH    
by jpck, Universiteit Maastricht, Maastricht, Netherlands
Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus
Language difficulties
Social
KEY:
No problems.
I coped pretty well.
Sometimes it was difficult.
It was a constant struggle.
Educational
Administrative / Institutional
Overall
Language of instruction: Finnish
Local language was: Different than language of instruction.
Was learning Finnish 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 Finnish?
My level before: At ease in most situations
My level after: At ease in most situations
How much did you improve your local language?
My level before: Did not speak it
My level after: Basic phrases
Personal comments:
I took survival Finnish courses, but the courses were very unstructured and didn't motivate you to learn the language. Even though the language of instruction for my courses on the university was Finnish, there was a special English-speaking group for international students, so I couldn't attend to the lectures (they were in Finnish), but that was not a problem because I had my own English-speaking group
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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EXPENSES    
by Joanna, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, Greensboro, United States
Scandinavian Studies Program, University Agreement
The accessibility of student needs
Second-hand text books
KEY:
Very easy.
Minimal effort.
Accessible but required effort.
Almost impossible.
Second-hand household items
Second-hand bedding
Administrative
Money from home
Main source of funding:
Personal savings
Other sources of funding:
A private grant
scholarship
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits:
I did not spend money on the phone because I did not have one. Generally, it is quite expensive. Travel is very affordable for students, which is why I took advantage of it. Buses, trains, and even airplanes all offer specially priced student tickets.
Travel: was more expensive than at home.
Food, Nightlife, Overall, Housing: was the same price as at home.
Telephone: was less expensive than at home.
Personal comments:
No need to buy textbooks, as the library is very good. Count on buying sheets, but maybe you can get a blanket from the interntional office. If you want a phone, be prepared to pay a huge deposit and not small monthly bills.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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OVERALL    
by Autumn, University of South Carolina, Columbia, United States
Scandinavian Studies, Northern Cultures and Societies, University Agreement
Important to choosing this university...
Academic reasons
KEY:
Very Important.
Important.
Not really important.
Unimportant.
Culture
Costs
Activities
Campus life
Party / people
Weather / Location
I wish I had known...
No... The best thing is to have no expectations. Then you will not be disappointed.
In my opinion:
Most people loved it.



During my experience abroad, I ...
Became familiar with another culture
KEY:
Happened all the time.
Happened quite a lot.
Happened a bit.
Didn't happen.
Traveled
Improved language skills
Met people from other countries
Became more independent
Partied a lot
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies/career
Personal recommendation:
VERY strongly, especially to those who like a non-typical place to study.



FINAL COMMENTS

**Leave your inhibitions at customs! Finns are not modest about their bodies, a thing to remember in the saunas. **And try sauna! It's such a wonderful experience. **Get a host family. Opportunities are available at the beginning of the study period. **Take advantage of travel opportunities while you can (and be sure to stop by Tallinn, Estonia, for a few days). **Finns are quiet by nature, so they may be hard to get to know. Don't think that they are cold and rude if they don't say much. **Get ready for snow and cold weather! **Keep an open mind--about everything. **Fazer chocolate is amazing. **Be sure to see the Aurora Borealis (as if you could special-order it...). **HAVE FUN!! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so make the most of it!
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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