208 reviews
4.12 / 5 based on 208 reviews
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1
tuck0066
Academic
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.
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
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.
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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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0
tuck0066
Languages
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 the local language
How much did you improve your the local language?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)
My level after: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
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.
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2
tuck0066
Overall
I wish I had known...
I wish I had known more about the academic process, as it really was different from American universities.
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In my opinion:
Most people loved it.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
This university is currently trying to appeal more to international students, so they are working hard to provide programs and travel for foreign students studying there.
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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
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!
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2
tuck0066
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Other
Other sources of funding:
Personal savings<br>
Government assistance<br>
A private grant<br>
Other
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.
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Overall, Nightlife, Telephone:
was more expensive than at home.
Food:
was the same price as at home.
Travel, Housing:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
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!
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tuck0066
Student life
Describe host city:
Students equally interact with the local and student community
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Nightlife: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Travel, Activities: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
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!
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tuck0066
Housing
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
The student housing was very clean and reasonable priced.
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Personal comments
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.
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