University of Helsinki

If you want to learn fluent Finnish, Helsinki is NOT the place to study. Most Finns speak English very well, and automatically switch to English when they hear you are a foreigner (even when you don't want them too)! I was disappointed that I didn't learn any more Finnish than I knew before I arrived. Another barrier to learning Finnish was the fact that the local students themselves are often shy and you really have to put for an effort YOURSELF if you want to get to know them. I often found myself hanging out with other international students, and even though I had a blast, English was pretty much the common language among us.

Finland is a beautiful country - very clean and safe. If you have a strong desire to learn Finnish, you may wish to consider schools in Turku, Tampere, or Oulu, where knowledge of English is less common. If you're finding it hard to meet local students, at least take advantage of the international student activities. You may not meet any Finnish students, but you will definitely make friends from all over the world (and find new countries to visit - I ended up traveling to Sweden, England, Estonia, Russia, and Austria, plus many other countries. Also, take advantage of the cruise ships going to Sweden and Estonia - they are a blast! Good luck and happy travels!

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!

You can always find friendly faces at the Irish pubs (ex: Molly Malone's) in Helsinki - if you are finding the Finns a bit unfriendly during the day time, just wait until they get a few drink in them! And if you are there on May Day, be sure to grab a bottle of champagne and head on down to Kaivopuisto!

My apartment was very close to the main campus, but some students ended up living very far away. Try to request an apartment close where your department will be located.