Stay abroad 2011/2012 in Finland in the 5th semester of the bachelor studies

In the 5th/6th semester of my bachelor studies in Biogeosciences I was at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) in Joensuu (http://www.uef.fi/en).Joensuu is located in Eastern Finland in the region of Karelia, only about 80 km from the Russian border. Finland, the land of a thousand lakes, is definitely a must for all nature lovers. Thus, it is just the right place for students of biogeosciences, especially for those interested in limnology and forestry. 

Fortunately, I was able to go to UEF Joensuu as an Erasmus student, which certainly made a lot of things easier. I also had the opportunity to participate in a four-week Erasmus Intensive Language Course (EILC) in Rovaniemi, Lapland before moving to Joensuu. I recommend anyone who wants to go to Finland as an Erasmus student to apply for an EILC. Apart from the fact that I think it is natural to try to learn the local language, I think it is the best way to start your stay abroad. Not only do you get to know the country and its people, as well as their language and culture, but you can also make friends with other European exchange students who will also study at one of the Finnish universities in the following semester.

The program "Environmental Science and Forestry" at UEF Joensuu offers many courses in English from which you can choose. It is not necessary to pass an English language test. For everyday university life, a knowledge of English is sufficient, while for leisure activities, a basic knowledge of Finnish is helpful, but not absolutely necessary. During my stay abroad, I took the following courses, among others:

• "Environmental Monitoring of Large Lakes"
• "Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment"
• "Sustainable Water Management

In addition to the lectures, there were accompanying seminars and excursions for almost every course, where the newly gained knowledge could be applied right away. For example, there were day trips with the research vessel "Muikku" to Lake Pyhäselkä, on whose shore Joensuu is located. During the trips, current measurements were carried out and water and phytoplankton samples were taken. Furthermore, I was able to complete an internship organized by the university at the Fisheries Research Institute (www.rktl.fi/english/) in Enonkoski, which is subordinate to the Finnish Environment Agency. Among other things, I helped with the daily feeding of the fish on the associated fish farm, the collection of salmon eggs, as well as the selection of suitable eggs for the broodstock, and the recording of the natural fish population in an adjacent lake.

After a project work in the "Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology" at the UEF Joensuu, I had the opportunity to write my bachelor thesis with the title "Identification of Oxidative Stress in Chironomus riparius Larvae Exposed to Fullerene Nanoparticles (C60)". This extended my study abroad, initially planned for one semester, by another semester. Fortunately, all the courses I took at the UEF Joensuu were credited towards my bachelor's degree in biogeosciences at the FSU Jena, so that I was able to complete my bachelor's degree in the standard period of study despite my stay abroad. In general, I recommend every student to go abroad for at least one semester if possible. For those interested in limnology and forestry who do not shy away from winters of up to -30°C, Finland, especially the UEF Joensuu, is ideally suited.