Experience report
Name: Lisa van Dongen
E-mail: l.vandongen@tilburguniversity.edu
Exchange semester: Spring semester
Academic year:2014-2015
Host University: University of Helsinki
Country: Finland
Admission, arrival, housing
No one will pick you up from the airport, but it was easy enough to get to the center of Helsinki,
since there is a bus that goes there directly from the airport, and bus tickets can be purchased
directly at the bus stops there. Once I arrived at the main station (for train, bus and metro), it was
only a ten minute walk from there, but I could have easily taken the metro or bus. I was housed in
Domus Academica, which was a little expensive, but it was definitely worth it. It is basically three
buildings with nice and spacious studio-apartments filled with exchange students and a common
room to meet up. That accommodation was provided by a housing facility (HOAS) which was
linked to the university. Since there usually is limited availability of housing for exchange students
(especially in the autumn semester), it is vital to accept once you get an offer, because it is likely
that you would end up without housing before your departure otherwise.
The orientation activities took two days. For these activities the exchange students are divided
into groups according to their studies and assigned a tutor (a Finnish student) who accompanies
the group during the orientation activities, and later the tutor shows the group around the campus
and popular spots for students around the city center. The first day of the orientation consisted of
an information session, followed by a 'market' with check points that you had to complete to get
all the vital information and paperwork. The next day we all got a lecture on writing essays (both
papers and essay questions) to prepare us for the courses. This way, the exchange students
have a better understanding of what is expected from the students to complete a course. All
three activities were mandatory, but very useful.
Location of university/city
Helsinki is a very peaceful and colorful city with easygoing, friendly and very tolerant people. I
can imagine that people would disagree with me during the winter, though, since the entire city is
covered in snow then, the temperatures are not very welcoming and most people stay indoors
most of the time. In my experience, the cold is often not that bad, though. I went in the spring
semester, but the temperature feels warmer than it actually is. Honestly, when it was 8 degrees
outside, we all walked around without our jackets, and I kind of missed the snow. Since I lived in
Domus, everything was pretty close. The nearest supermarket was right in front of our building,
the closest shopping centre at a walking distance of five minutes, and the main buildings of the
university are at 20 minutes (the closest one was right next to my flat, though). There were also
bars and sport centers with saunas (cheap membership can be acquired through the university)
located all over Helsinki. Everything was also very easy to get to by public transportation. The
public transportation facilities are excellent in Helsinki, since it was well-organized, unlike every
form of public transportation in the Netherlands. For every part of Helsinki there were multiple
bus stops, metro stations and tram stations, and they went pretty much constantly. My favorite
places to go were Suomenlinna (a beautiful island), the market at the port, Gringos Locos (an
excellent Mexican restaurant), and cafe Regatta (the cutest cafe you will ever see).
Academics
Law students are very lucky in Helsinki; there were so many courses to choose from, and since
the courses can take anywhere between one week or two months, you can do more courses in a
semester and really focus on the ones you have at that moment. Of course, the latter means that
the workload for the courses varies a lot, but in my experience, the workload was fair and in
balance with the amount of credits you could gain. The courses I took were: 'WTO and Regional
Economic Integration', 'WTO Negotiations Course', 'EU Competition Law – Public and Private
Enforcement', 'Comparative Crime and Criminal Justice', 'Comparative Law under the Conditions
of Globalization', and 'Sociology of law: a Short History of Socio-Legal Thinking'. I would strongly
recommend all the courses I took, because they were interesting, challenging and different from
what you get at the Netherlands. You cannot choose any of these courses or similar at the
university at Tilburg, so it really provides exchange students from this university with an
opportunity.
I preferred the University of Helsinki over my home university, honestly. The teachers were more
considerate and willing to help students to get as much out of their studies and study results as
possible. This means, for example, that teachers might be willing to give students a few days
extra for an essay if they have two other deadlines that week. For a lot of the courses the
teachers let you choose between either taking the exam or writing an essay. If you need to
practice writing essays, this is a good opportunity. The courses were much more a dialogue with
students than lectures, and the teachers often advertised that you should never satisfy yourself
with one answer, and instead question everything. They really challenged the students to be
more active. This kind of teaching keeps students paying attention, and will ensure results. The
exams are usually a few days after the last class, which means you are more on top of the
content of the course than you would have been otherwise. This is even more so since you
usually only have two or three courses at a time. Exams are also more aimed at what you know,
than what you do not know, with open questions that allow you to answer the question at the best
of your ability. This way, the professors have a better view on what you understand and know,
instead of the risk of knowing everything but that one particular point and getting punished for it.
Another great thing was that the courses did not require us to purchase books. They all made
materials available to us or prescribed books that were available at the library. When a book
proved to be more scarce than the teachers had anticipated, they often gave you a list with
subjects, so you could use several other books or articles available in the library, or the Internet,
to acquire the same knowledge. In addition, you did not have to pay for printing in the library. All
you needed was a city pas (for public transportation) to identify yourself and you could do all the
free printing you wanted. One particular thing I must add, because I loved this, is the fact that
there were rooms at the university for people to take a nap between classes. The library also had
these really big comfortable arm chairs, where students would just climb in and read, for
example. It is very normal to study at the library without your shoes. It is a very non-judgmental
study environment, and I absolutely loved that.
Social life
A great thing about the location of Helsinki is that it is so close to Estonia, that you can go to
Tallinn by boat for less than 20euros (with discount it is only 9euros!). Tallinn is such a lovely city,
especially the old part. There is a pancake house there that has the most amazing pancakes with
the most extraordinary toppings and fillings you can think of. If you go to Tallinn, you must go
there. Other places very nearby that I recommend are Stockholm, St. Petersburg and Lapland.
Especially Lapland was amazing. I went to Saariselka, which was such a lovely small town, and
with Time Travels (travel organization) you have the opportunity to ride a husky sledge, a
reindeer sledge, a snowmobile, and go to the Santa Clause village, see the northern lights, etc.
Something an exchange student in Helsinki must do is participate in the activities organized by
ESN at the beginning of the semesters. There are, for example, city tours, pub crawls, sitsits
(similar to a cantus, but in a dinner setting), tours to and through several museums and factories
(free entrance, e.g. Fazer chocolate factory), several opening parties, etc. All great activities, but
the main point, of course, is to meet as much people and see and experience as much as you
can while you are in Helsinki, and these activities are a fun way to do so. The faculties also invite
exchange students of their own faculty to their activities and parties, so that is a great way to
meet the Finnish students. The same is true for the sitsits; the organization always tries to put
exchange students next to the local students for diversity. The local students might need some
time to warm up to you, but they are nevertheless very welcoming and a good partner to party
with, and as Fins, they have the best advice and stories about all the cultural and fun sights there
are to find in Helsinki.
Last but least: the exchange students themselves give a lot of parties. Together with the other
Dutch students we have arranged a beer cantus for Kingsday, and that was amazing. The
invitees loved it and they really participated, it just felt like one big family. Others have thrown e.g.
theme parties, dinners, and on special days like Australia Day and St. Patrick's day the nationals
organized activities themselves to really involve us in their celebration, like we did with Kingsday.
It must be said, though, as a Dutch person, you have to dial it down a bit in the social scenery.
Finnish people are very polite and considerate, and they might not be very comfortable with
Dutch honesty, loudness and directness. The same is true for the other foreign students, of
course. It really surprised me how little I had in common with an Italian student from Milan, and a
Siberian student from Moscow, for example. One cannot simply explain 'Brabantse gezelligheid'
to a foreigner. In our group, the Dutch did not stick together, but really mingled among the other
exchange students, which in my opinion was a very positive thing. We hang out with each other,
because we had a fun and big group that was really diverse, not because of nationality and/or
culture.
Living costs
Obviously, Finland is a little more expensive than the Netherlands. Nevertheless, the total
amount of expenses is easy to underestimate. I had saved up over 5000euros, but that turned
out to be tight, even with the Erasmus grant (around 900euros). With the monthly rent, your
health and travel insurance, living costs, costs of activities, your telephone, public transportation,
etc. you easily spend 1000euros a month or more, and that is without trips to Lapland, St.
Petersburg and Stockholm. The latter is a shame, since the whole benefit of being on exchange
is that there are so many other places nearby to explore. For me, personally, the monthly costs
were about 450euros higher than they were in Tilburg. Especially the rent and living costs were a
lot higher than in Tilburg. The rent will be anywhere between 400 -600euros, but if you have
found a place to live for 400euros, that probably means you live pretty far from the city centre, in
a shared flat, and you will be very much dependent on public transportation. If you want to go out
for drinks or to a party on work days, this means you either have to leave early or sleep over
each time. Even just hanging out for a bit or having to borrow something requires a lot more
effort. This means that it is possible to have lower costs regarding the rent, but it has its
downsides. I lived in the city centre in a studio in a apartment building filled with other exchange
students, and that was so much fun and just made it so much easier. I would really advice to not
try to save any money on the rent, since you get a lot more out of your exchange when you don't.
If you just keep your expenses in check every month, you will be just fine, and very much able to
get the most out of this lovely city and places nearby. As aforementioned, apart from the college
tuition you will not have to spend any money on your studies, so that is a huge relief.
Culture and personal development
At Tilburg University they have warned us for a culture shock, but I must say I did not experience
that in Helsinki. Strangely, the culture shock for me came when I was back home for a few
weeks. I really liked the culture in Helsinki, even though I had to dial it down a bit myself. When
you are in Helsinki at a supermarket, the cashier will barely look at you and just say the
necessary. When you are looking at a street sign outside or walk around with a map, people will
rush to help you out. When you speak in a foreign language, people might stop you to ask you
where you are from, and they will get very enthusiastic. They love tourists, because they are very
proud of Helsinki, and the overall nature and conditions in Finland as a whole. So when a
foreigner is visiting their country, that brings about a national pride and helps them overcome
their shyness. That is really the Finnish culture. They are very friendly, helping, tolerant, and
welcoming, but they are very introvert. In the Netherlands, it would be the opposite. In general,
the cashier will be very friendly and smiley, but on the street people tend to avoid you, and
honestly, we do not seem to be very fond of tourists. I have since my exchange come to the
conclusion that we are a generally very hasty, loud, judgmental, and calculating people. I would
not want to give up the 'Brabantse gezelligheid' for anything, but I believe we can learn a lot from
the Finnish people in how we approach other people. I am not saying I do not have those traits,
or that everyone else does, but I have become more aware of them and try to adjust to the
situation more.
One thing I would like to add in our favor, though, is that the Fins tend to drink a lot, and not for
the right reasons. Whatever it is that the Fins are drinking for, the aim is to get drunk. When you
are at a club, you will not notice the difference, but it really comes down to our Dutch habit to sit
on a terrace and drink a beer, or have a wine at dinner, or maybe just something when you are
watching a movie after a long day. We are just a fun-loving crowd. The point for us in general is
that we like the taste, the overall atmosphere and just enjoy a moment. We usually drink just for
fun, not to get drunk. I really liked the Finnish culture, but this took some getting used to, and I
am still not really comfortable with this in particular. I think it is safe to say that our culture might
be the opposite of the Finnish culture in a lot of things.
When I was back in the Netherlands, a strange thing did happened to me when I was sitting in a
train. People all around me were speaking in Dutch and I got a little annoyed and uneasy,
because I could understand everyone. They were speaking about personal things, and very
loudly and everyone could hear, and that was when I realized I was experiencing a culture shock.
I got uneasy because the conversations were kind of personal, but the main point for me was
that I had just gotten so used to not being able to understand people. After being away for half a
year, and having grown accustomed to the Finnish culture, the open, direct and often loud culture
of the Dutch felt unfamiliar. That was so weird, but I got used to it again after a while, of course,
although I still feel uncomfortable doing it myself, and sometimes I do find myself wishing I could
not understand people again. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed being abroad and I do enjoy being
back home. The only thing I would change if I could was save a little more money, so I could
have used the summer to visit all my new found friends. It is the people you meet abroad who
make the experience, so after spending five months with them always a few doors or floors away,
it is weird and a bit sad for everyone to back home without them. Obviously, I was excited to see
my old friends again, but it is different.
I do believe I have grown to be a lot more patient and considerate, and I have become a bit more
intolerant to intolerance, even though that seems quite paradoxical. I think that is what I took
home with me; the overall acceptance of differences and the importance of just letting other
people be. What I learned about myself is that I should really stop apologizing for everything, and
above all should stop trying to change things I cannot control, or try to change people in making
them more aware of others. It is beyond my control and I should not want to. I should just focus
on things I can affect, and rest assured that my opinion about myself is the one that counts: one
can never make everybody happy and I should just let others be.
Tips for future students
I would definitely recommend other students who consider to study abroad for a while to enroll in
the exchange program, and especially recommend the University of Helsinki. It is a place you
would not think of immediately, but is definitely worth it. Most people would rather consider to
some place warm, or something with a history more close to home, but I would advice people to
do the opposite. If you want to see Australia, or spend some time in England, you will, apart from
an exchange program, because those are places you will think of right away, they might already
be on your list of places you want to see. No, if you are going abroad, pick a country that is
different, and of which you know nothing about. Finland is one of those places where you should
study a semester, because that is the only proper way to really get an understanding of the
culture and to see all the beautiful sights that Scandinavia has to offer, besides all the benefits
the university itself has to offer. You can always go to the Spanish beaches; who can say they
have actually steered a husky sledge, raced on a snowmobile and seen the northern lights?
When you go to Finland, you must bear in mind that fancy shoes and clothes are not that useful
and only take up a lot of space in your suitcase. If you happen to need a dress; there are
shopping centers on almost every block. Especially in regard to the shoes: they do not use salt,
but little stones for the snow to make it less slippery. These little stones will demolish your fancy
shoes within a month, so I would recommend bringing warm and proper shoes for those first
months. Also, make sure you save enough money; the Erasmus grant will not be enough if you
want the full experience. You do not want to be one of those students sitting in their room
because they could not effort joining the others for a trip. This is not particularly applicable to
Finland; the same is true for other destinations. Going on exchange will cost money, period.
A little last, very unrelated warning for Dutchies going to Helsinki: if you are a dairy products
lover, you will experience some tough times. The milk, cheese and even the yogurt all taste very
different from what we are used to in the Netherlands. Also, they have never heard of eating
chocolate sprinkles or anything similar on your bread. They just know it as a topping for ice
cream, so I am sorry to say you will not find that in the Finnish supermarkets, anywhere.