Mobility specification

Country:Finland

Institution:University of Jyväskylä

City:Jyväskylä

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Economics and Administration

Study level abroad:Bachelor

🎓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

Are your credits converted?no

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?I was surprised by how many courses are online, so I didn't have to be at school as much. At the same time they write a lot of seminars, often instead of exams, gosh you have to really understand the material and be able to discuss it and not just nitpick, but that's exactly what I really appreciated at the end!

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?The number of activities and programmes for international students was huge, Jyväskylä is truly a student city. Each faculty has its own school club who do activities not only for international students but also for local students, so you have the opportunity to meet Finnish students as well. Besides that, ESN organizes countless activities and great trips.

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
Special aids and technologies (e.g., text-to-speech software, hearing aids)
Special examination conditions (e.g., extended time, quiet rooms)
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?yes

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Definitely take advantage of the lunches in the school restaurants, the food is healthy, several options to choose from, salad bar, beautiful surroundings and most importantly the price only 2,7€! Otherwise definitely prepare your saved money too, Finland is incredible and there will be plenty of opportunities to travel around it or its surrounding countries, it's worth 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?runs like clockwork

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?Trains search on vr.fi and long-distance buses on onnibus. As for transport within the city, you can download the Linkki app to search for connections and buy tickets.

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?All the surrounding lakes! Whether in winter for skating or in summer for swimming. My favourites are Tuomiojärvi and then such a small lake in the conservation park, just type Huhtakarpalon laavu in the maps.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?For me, definitely Lapland and Norway, they are the most beautiful places I have ever seen. This is worth the money!

Share your best experience:My best experience was in Laposk, where we went snowmobiling during the day, saw a beautiful sunset and ended the evening with an absolutely unreal and indescribable aurora! My friends and I went to a frozen lake far from the lights near our village to see it as best we could, we were all packed like snowmen as it was -15 degrees, we lay down on the frozen lake and just talked and watched this beautiful phenomenon in the sky for about 2 hours.

💅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?When going from the airport to Jyväskylä be sure to buy an adult ticket, you won't have a student card yet and they don't take ISIC here.

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?Thermal underwear, swimwear, a small sauna towel, good quality gloves, but also some thin ones (I wore gloves sometimes back in May), a needle and thread! (this is a must have, in Finland they have a tradition of collecting patches on overalls and then sewing them themselves, I brought my overalls home full of patches and it's the best memory of all my trips and experiences!) oh and an eye mask around spring time it gets completely dark and in May we were walking outside at midnight with the lights on.

🥳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?An indescribable life experience that gave me a second family, a second home and many new experiences. Definitely go for it!