Mobility specification

Country:Finland

Institution:University of Turku

City:Turku

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2023/2024

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Arts / Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages - Ugro-Finnic languages

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?they have tons

Are your credits converted?no

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?As far as the teaching itself is concerned, probably not, but it was nice to use and share experiences and cultural differences with students from other countries.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?Yes, there are many student organizations within the university and even a program where an international student is assigned a native Finnish "buddy" with whom they get free admission to a museum and only have to meet a few times (and "buddies" can be anyone - families with children, students, seniors,...)

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Psychological counseling
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:8000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?yes

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?In the dorms, each student has their own room and key - but if they accidentally slam the key inside, it costs 50 euros to have the door opened with a spare. You can get the 50 euros back once, but not more than once.

🗺 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?mostly fine

And what about transport outside the city?mostly fine

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?Public transport tickets can be purchased prepaid for the entire stay, train or intercity bus tickets online.

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?- Posankka
- town library
- nature (e.g. in Varissuo)
- public sauna by the sea

What are the must-visit trip destinations?There are plenty of options - Tampere, Helsinki, Pori, Rauma, or even further afield, e.g. by boat to the Aland Islands, Sweden, Estonia...But even in Turku itself there are many ways to spend a day out (museums, open-air museum, boat to Ruissalo...).

Share your best experience:I guess when I started talking to the lady at the school in Swedish and Swedish I told her that I was learning Finnish as well, whereupon she started talking to me in Finnish :)

💅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
Bus

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?I flew to Helsinki, where it's easy to get from the airport to the city centre by metro.

Can you pay by card?in most places

What not to forget when packing?Waterproof boots and a warm jacket are most important.

🥳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?You won't get lost in Finland and you will discover a lot.