Mobility specification

Country:Finland

Institution:Åbo Akademi University

City:Turku

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Informatics

Study level abroad:Master

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?it's alright

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?In Finland, there are something called half-semesters - the courses don't run all the time, but only for a shorter period, for example from January to March. The courses I took were a lot more about independent work than at MU.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?Yes, we had orientation week and the opportunity to have a student mentor. There are a lot of student societies here, including ESN, which works really well.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Psychological counseling
Crisis intervention
Support for LGBTQ+ students (e.g., safe spaces, counseling services)

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:14000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?yes

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?Food prices here are higher than in the Czech Republic, but you can live quite well.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?I definitely recommend the canteens/student restaurants - lots of good food for three euros, including salad, pastries and drinks. They also offer a starter pack to borrow with blankets, crockery, cutlery etc.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?almost without problems

How does public transport work in the city?runs like clockwork

And what about transport outside the city?mostly fine

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?Public transport in Turku (Föli) offers a bus card for any period of time with a student discount. In addition, from spring onwards you can rent bike-share bikes for free with the card. Outside the city I took the train (VR), and buses (Matkahuolto) also work.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?Castle, centre, Ruissalo Island or Villa Järvelä with saunas and swimming in the lake.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Anywhere in the countryside!

Share your best experience:Sauna in Villa Järvelä followed by a ten-second "swim" in the ice lake. And then back to the sauna.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Plane
Train

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Arrange carefully to pick up the keys to the apartment. It cost me 50 euros and an hour of freezing outside before the security guard came with a master key.

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?Lots of warm clothes.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?I definitely recommend Finland! Turku is a student city just like Brno and the nature around is beautiful!