Nordic Adventures 2024: My Unforgettable Erasmus Journey in Finland
Tanya Linaswe Chelsea M., International Business Management Studies in the Baltic Sea Region, 6th semester, Finland, Kouvola, XAMK – South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, summer semester 2024

Some would say Finland is the happiest place on earth and of course, why wouldn’t
anyone choose to go there for a whole semester? But for me, Finland was a bit of a
happy magical accident. The Erasmus program allowed me to attend my semester
abroad in any partner university in Europe and suffice it to say, Finland chose me.
Not having initially planned to go to Finland, I embarked on this journey with very few
expectations: gain some Finnish language knowledge, meet new people, and
experience a magical Winter Wonderland, that was it, but the country had more in
store for me.
I took the ferry from Travemünde in Germany to Finland. The ferry was a long, about
36-hour ride with no Wi-Fi, no windows in the cabin, and expensive food on board.
Safe to say it did not start off that great. One can only read so much for
entertainment during a 36-hour rough sea ride. But not to fret, it gets better! Arriving
in Finland was like a dream, everything was beautifully covered in snow, a true
Winter Wonderland and the picturesque view was breathtaking. The trees were
dazzled in fluffy white snow and the streets were paved with glowing ice particles
that made it look like a page out of fairy tale book. Since it was January, the
temperature was jolting between -26° and -28°, a giant leap from the 6° I left in
Stralsund. This was the biggest initial challenge because it was my first time ever
experiencing such extreme temperatures and feeling everything freeze from the
inside out, metaphorically, and literally. Nevertheless, I ushered through with the help
of my trusty winter jacket that was so big and long I nicknamed it my winter blanket.
The biggest challenge was keeping my fingers warm, my gloves unfortunately did
not do me any justice as I could feel those degrees working their way through the
material. Word of advice: get the oven mitten type of gloves when going to Finland in
winter, the ones that allow your fingers to hug each other and fight the cold together.
Arriving in Kouvola was funny because we passed by a store called “Sale” which we
immediately thought meant everything in the store would be cheap and on sale, as
the name suggested. It was so close to the housing, literally opposite so it was so
convenient to have cheap products so close to home, or so we thought. We later
found out it was the most expensive store, and the name is not English but of course
Finnish. Moving into the apartments was easy because they had elevators, which
was a lifesaver with those heavy suitcases. The apartment's first impression was not
very good since the kitchen was mostly empty, very little to no cutlery, pots and pans
were absent and if an apartment had any, they would not be in the best condition.
There was also no WIFI, which we found out could only be purchased during
orientation two days later. Having been stuck at sea with no connection to the
outside world for almost two days already made this news, as you can imagine, a bit
disheartening. Nevertheless, I was in Finland, and I was excited to see where the
next four months would take me.
Fast forward to the day of orientation, we got our login details, and everything
required to fully begin the academic semester at Xamk. We got a tour of our
respective faculties as well as the cafeteria where you make your food purchases by
card. The best part about the cafeteria is the sensitivity to people with food allergies;
they had good options for people with gluten and lactose intolerances, including
gluten-free bread. So for anyone with a food allergy, not to worry, this is catered to
with delicious options. This was also implemented in grocery stores where almost
everything had a gluten-free and lactose-free substitute with a plethora of options to
choose from; it was not at all limited to just having one or two products to choose
from.
The teaching method at Xamk was very different compared to the HOST teaching
style, but I did not expect it to be the same since it was a different country and of
course different culture. It is a more practical university therefore most lectures
focused less on theory and more on the practical. There were a lot of group projects
and partner work that contributed to the final grades which I found to be a good way
to teach because putting the information taught into practice with the expectation of a
grade allows it to be better absorbed. The most surprising aspect of the teaching
style for me was the lack of exams. Grades came from individual assignments,
learning diaries, group projects and group presentations. This was the biggest
highlight for me as I believe exams do not test what the student has learnt at all, just
how good they are at memorising information especially for those cramming the
night before the exam. For modules I had exams in, they were held online as a timed
quiz which, as the world is progressing digitally, I found to be a good way to
implement technology and digitalisation into the academic realm, not physically
writing on paper. Compared to the exam system at HOST I rather preferred the
Xamk method of assessment. Something that was a bit of a culture shock, in a good
way, was the casual approach to addressing professors and members of staff.
Everyone, regardless of their age, gender, or status, was to be addressed by their
first name even when writing emails. It made interaction with professors more open
and easier to be expressive during class discussions and asking questions.
The local culture is different compared to the German culture. They take pride in ice
hockey and their respective competitive teams. Attending ice hockey matches was
an exciting experience with the cheering, popcorn stands, and sausages available on
site. In addition, Finnish people are quite friendly; everyone thanks the driver before
leaving the public buses, till operators in stores are always smiling and giving the
customer happy remarks, and even those who do not understand English in grocery
stores do their best to help you when you have questions. I received daily evidence
of why it is called the happiest country in the world. Although Finnish is the first
spoken language, the majority of the locals speak English as it is an official language
which made communication easy and straightforward.
Social life in Kouvola was not very exciting. In fact, if you don’t know how to make
your own fun and experiences, Kouvola is not for you. But if you know how to chase
the fun and make the most of what is in front of you, which is something I learnt,
Kouvola is not the worst place to be. Since it is a very small city, rent is cheap
compared to other Finnish cities and it was the perfect place to be based whilst
traveling to other places. Cities like Lahti, Mikkeli, Kotka, and Helsinki of course are
easily accessible by train and give students a perfect chance to visit Finland. For
social life and fun, I visited a lot of sushi buffet restaurants in multiple cities and went
to a lot of karaoke bars and sightseeing with friends. Making friends with other
international students was easy because all exchange students, full-time students,
and part-time students lived in the same apartment buildings. All you have to do is
come open-minded, with a good attitude and respect for others, and you will make
friends and connections that will last a lifetime, guaranteed. Fellow Erasmus
students easily become your family during this experience because they too are in
the same boat as you and have similar expectations and encounters. Meeting the
other Erasmus students and building connections with them was a beautiful part of
the exchange visit and the best part was my fellow Erasmus roommates. I felt
blessed to have had such wonderful roommates and friends because they not only
made staying abroad more fun, but also made me feel like I had some family in this
unfamiliar country. Eating together, partying together, going out, and even having
dinner parties together was a big highlight of my stay abroad.
The Erasmus journey is one I would do again if I had the option. It left me with
wonderful personal growth such as dealing with conflict, expressing myself more and
working effectively in a group. I also learnt to be more patient because of course
there were times where my patience was put to the test by peers and unforeseen
circumstances. Naturally alongside the positive and rewarding experiences, there
were also some challenges. My greatest challenges were the sky-high prices of
everything; daily life was a relentless thief, constantly emptying my pockets, every
small necessity especially groceries cost a fortune. However, I overcame by
shopping and spending smartly: for kitchen utensils and room essentials, the
second-hand stores were the best to visit, for groceries, shopping at the cheapest
stores like S Market, Prisma, and Aldi as well as looking out for discounts was the
best way to take on this challenge. Another downfall was the slippery ground due to
the ice and melting snow. I slipped so often that I considered enrolling in an
unplanned figure skating routine! I even took a tumble once, but I overcame this by
working on my balance. Jokes aside though, if you do not have good snow boots, a
good way to combat this is by purchasing a pair of detachable snow grips. They give
you a grip on the ice and can be attached to any pair of shoes saving you that figure
skating embarrassment.
In conclusion, my Erasmus experience was filled with fun, friends, sushi, snow, and a
bit of tumbles but all in all, it is not an experience I would want to change. Everything
that I encountered and saw, the people I met and made connections with, I would do
it all over again in a heartbeat. Finland was a great journey that I approached with an
open and positive mindset. After all, life is a canvas and our attitude the brush; the
colours we choose define the masterpiece we create and the experiences we
encounter. Thank you, Erasmus, and thank you Finland!