Stay abroad in the 5th semester of the bachelor program in Oulu/Finland in WS 2008/2009

Erfahrungsberichte Corinna Höhl
Image: Corinna Höhl

Preparation

My decision to study abroad for a semester was already very early, so I also started the preparations for it early, which I can also highly recommend. I submitted my application, including a letter of motivation, to the FSU's International Office. All the formalities and the organization went smoothly, so that I soon had a coordinator in the corresponding faculty at the University of Oulu, with whom I was already in contact before my arrival in Finland, who was also always available for questions and problems. Despite the fact that I belonged to the chemical-geoscientific faculty, my semester abroad went through the biological-phamaceutical faculty, as well as in Oulu. Still in Germany, I created my learning agreement, in which you specify the courses you will take. These must then be approved by the examination board of the corresponding faculty in Germany.

Before your stay in Finland, you should think carefully about whether you should still take out an international health insurance. The University of Oulu offers a health service as soon as you have a student card, but this does not cover all costs. You will receive more detailed information about this with the acceptance confirmation from the university.

Furthermore, you should keep in mind that Oulu is located very far in the north of Finland. If the semester abroad takes place in winter, you should take warm clothes with you, even in October (so don't wait until November to get a warm winter jacket;)). The first snow can fall in mid-October, even if it was still very warm before. The weather change usually comes very suddenly. However, since the winters are very dry, it doesn't seem very cold at all. I often froze more in German winters than in Finland (actually, I didn't freeze at all in Finland). Winter in Finland is definitely a lot of fun!

Arrival

The best way to travel is by plane, either directly to Oulu, which is much more expensive, or with a stop in Helsinki. I flew from Berlin to Helsinki by plane and continued the next morning by train. This takes much longer, but I deliberately wanted to experience this trip across Finland. Since Oulu is located very far north, the train ride from Helsinki to Oulu also took about 6 hours. For me, this way of traveling was especially nice, because it allowed me to adjust to Finland and my semester abroad even more.

Yliopistokatu - die Studentenwohnheime in Linnanmaa
Image: Corinna Höhl

Housing

Yliopistokatu - the student dormitories in Linnanmaa

In Oulu, most exchange students are accommodated in dormitories right next to the university, in the Linnanmaa district. The placement of the rooms is done by PSOAS (http://www.psoas.fi/en/). You simply apply online for a room or apartment and PSOAS will reserve one. However, it can take a long time for a room to be confirmed, even until shortly before departure. At this point you should show a lot of patience and trust that you will not be out on the street in Oulu. When requesting a room, you have the choice between single and double rooms. Here I can really only advise everyone to invest the few dollars more for a single room. I have had bad experiences with a double room, as they are quite small and you quickly get on each other's nerves. Otherwise, the rooms in all dorms are nicely furnished with standard furniture (bed, small nightstand, closet, desk, chair) and cost between €170 and €230 per month; if you're lucky, you'll find yourself in a dorm with a sauna under the roof.

A very large part of the students are housed in Linnanmaa, some also in Alpilla, which is located between the university and the city center. Life in the dorms in Linnanmaa is very nice, because all the exchange students are more or less in one place. So you get in contact with many quickly and life in the Nordic winter becomes easier. In Linnanmaa you can reach the university in 5 minutes by foot, in Alpilla by bike in 10 minutes. The city center is 15 minutes by bike from Linnanmaa. So all this is not a big distance. Right next to the dorms there are 3 supermarkets and a student pub with billiards.

Kummi

There is perhaps no other country where everything is so perfectly organized and where it is so easy for exchange students as it is in Finland. Even during the organization and preparation in Germany, the university in Oulu assigns a so-called "Kummi" student. This person is supposed to help the newly arriving student to find his/her way around and to make it easier for him/her to get started in everyday life at the university. The Kummi students really take you by the hand, since most of them are only responsible for 2 or 3 exchange students. I was picked up from the train station by my Kummi, she had the keys for the dormitory with her and took me there right away. The Kummis are also open for every question and concern.

Oulun Yliopisto - die Universität von Oulu
Image: Corinna Höhl

Study

Oulun Yliopisto - the University of Oulu

In the first week there is a so called 3-day "Orientation", during which you get different information (university, city, culture, living, food, leisure activities) and also have the opportunity to do organizational things (sign rental contract with PSOAS, computer log in, student ID).

When choosing a course, it is important to consider whether the courses in Oulu are also recognized at the chem.-geow. Faculty in Jena. This has to be clarified in advance with the examination board. It was a bit difficult for me to find enough suitable modules in the direction of biogeosciences in English, which could then be credited to me to a sufficient extent in Jena. So in the end I was missing about 3 credits. I was able to make up for the missing credits in Jena, which delayed my studies a bit, but the experience abroad was worth it. But this has to be decided individually. In Oulu, I was able to attend very different courses in English, which were very valuable and enriching for my own level of knowledge, such as Scandinavian Studies. The range of English-language courses is very large in Finland and the semester is structured much differently than in Germany. It starts at the beginning of September and ends before Christmas. These four months are divided into two periods, the courses are more intensive block courses, all of very high quality. The professors are very friendly and cooperative towards the exchange students. I also took a Finnish survival course, which I can only highly recommend, as it gives an insight into the culture and also teaches simple basics for everyday life in Finland. However, Finnish is a very difficult and complex language, for which you need much more time and effort than what a semester abroad brings with it.

Recreation and culture

The ESN is an association of Finnish students who organize excursions, parties and events of all kinds for the exchange students. In any case, you will not get bored in Oulu. If you want, you can participate in something every weekend in Oulu. From rubber boot throwing to ice hole swimming and international dinner parties, there is always something going on in Linnanmaa. There are a lot of great excursions in the beautiful surroundings around Oulu and if you want you can dive deep into the Finnish culture. This is not least possible through the "Kummi-Family" program. Here you can sign up for a family that ideally fits well with you, with whom you can then spend time as well. A nice thing to do if you're lucky enough to have a family.

The ESN also plans many city trips, for example to St. Petersburg, Lapland or Stockholm. These should not be missed in any case. I have very often gone to Stockholm on my own, which works wonderfully from Turku by ferry. Finland is a great country to travel, there are great cities to see and a fascinatingly beautiful landscape. You can also rent small cabins everywhere, great fun with several people together. Train travel in Finland is also quite affordable, special offers for students abound.

Linnanmaa im Dezember
Image: Corinna Höhl

Conclusion

Linnanmaa in December

My semester abroad in Finland was a great experience that I wouldn't want to miss. I met a lot of great people, a different culture and despite the good organization on the part of the university, I was able to develop my own organizational skills and gain in openness and independence. The Finns are quite a hard nut to crack, but you should also not go to Finland expecting to make deep friendships with many Finns.

Many are afraid of the dark, I can only say it was great! A unique experience, magical and fascinating. Certainly, in December it gets light only max. 3 hours, but it has something very magical. And since there is continuous snow from the beginning of November, everything seems a bit brighter again. The saunas on all corners ease the darkness again.
I can also only say, travel as much as possible! Take as much of Scandinavia as you can. It is dreamlike there:)!

Kontakt: Corinna Höhl