University of Helsinki

I didn't have any special surprises. I knew the cost of living in Finalnd was higher than in Spain but until I came here I didn't how big the difference was. Going out, alcohol , cigarrettes, cinema, concerts, etc are very expensive! So, t least, I would quit smoking before coming to Finland.

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.

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!

1. Take care to order your beers during happy hours :p 2. Go to Lapland and North Cap. 3. Experience Finnish sauna 4. Taste some reindeer!

you have to pay all your bills by wiring through bill machine or internet but only through finnish bank accounts. That means that you have to open a bank account, it is compulsory.