Mobility specification

Country:Finland

Institution:Tampere University

City:Tampere

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Economics and Administration

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?they have tons

Are your credits converted?no

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?Extremely multicultural classes - people from all over the world, all speaking excellent English and ready to discuss. Teachers are often originally from other countries (Mexico, Iran...) and are therefore able to compare their lived experience with that of students and locals.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?Everything you can think of - orientation week, introductory lectures and courses to better engage with student life and introduce student activities, millions of student events (student life in Finland is extremely busy and something happens every day), hundreds of student societies that even international students can join, a buddy system...

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Psychological counseling
Barrier-free access to classrooms and dormitories
Interpretation services
Special aids and technologies (e.g., text-to-speech software, hearing aids)
Special examination conditions (e.g., extended time, quiet rooms)
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:25000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?no

Do you have any tips on how to find private accommodation?There is usually an advert for students directly on the university website where you can find good offers from students/staff.

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?Lots of upfront expenses - student association fees, equipment, expensive transportation.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Prices vary a lot depending on the type of shop (the cheapest is Lidl, Prisma, generally shops from S group). In S group they have discount stickers (30% discount usually), also after 8pm the discounts are even bigger. You can shop a lot in second-hand stores, bazaars, which are everywhere, or on Tori.fi. Finns like to buy second hand and it's wise to take advantage of it.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?perfectly

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?Connections via Google Maps, tickets always via local app (HSL, Nysse), intercity is VR for trains, Onnibus for buses, or possibly Matkahuolto for both. Beware of the higher price when buying at the last minute - if you buy tickets in advance (a month for example) the price is up to 70% lower.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?yes

How do you rate the availability of healthcare?mostly fine

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?Pyyniki Observation Tower, Moomin Museum (a bit overrated), Rauhaniemi Sauna (with an amazing avanto in the lake).

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Jyvaskyla - in my opinion the most beautiful city in Finland (beautiful university buildings by Aalvar Aalto, I recommend for example the Lozzi canteen), Rovaniemi for Santa Claus. Stockholm or Talinn by boat for a day trip is not a bad idea either.

Share your best experience:When we were singing Bohemian Rhapsody in a karaoke club (Finns love karaoke) and the whole club full of Finns aged 40+ sang the chorus with us. Core memory. And also when I found out that Finns love Mole and everyone used to watch him as a kid!

💅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

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Finding a good connection - for us it was cheapest to fly Air Baltic with a connection in Riga to Helsinki rather than the direct Finnair Prague-Helsinki. There's not much point in looking for flights to Tampere, it's perfectly fine to take the train from Helsinki.

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?Something typical from your country (clothes) - for student events, and sweets (because you can't really get JoJo candies or Highlanders here and you'll miss them after a few months :)) No need to overdo it with warm clothes - everything can be bought here for a similar price as in the Czech Republic and usually in better quality, plus tons of second-hand shops better than here. But definitely some basics with you, lots of layering!

🥳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?Best six months of my life. No kidding.