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 Science / Department of Experimental Biology

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

Are your credits converted?no

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?The semester is divided into 4 periods in which the subjects are divided, so most subjects are taught twice a week (so you can complete it in about a month and a half) or even 4 times a week. There is a lot of independent preparation and completing a lot of assignments during the semester, mostly in the form of essays/journal clubs. But then the final exams are that much easier, as a lot of the work is done continuously. They're also generally used to having lectures in English since undergrad, so the level of language across the board is quite different from ours.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?Yes, in the first week there were orientation days, where the ESN group in particular was introduced, with a lot of events and activities. In general there is a lot of support for student life with many benefits, clubs, discounts...

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Psychological counseling
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:23000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?yes

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?I was going to Finland, so you had to invest a lot of your own money. And yes, prices are more expensive, e.g. transport (a monthly bus pass was 33 euro/month, in Helsinki it goes up to 50 euro), or accommodation was 330 euro/month (but it is standard to have your own room there, so the price is actually now the same as here, if not better, since the Finnish accommodation baseline is a bit different...) . On the other hand, they have incredible canteens where you can eat healthy and nutritious for 2,95 euro, or there is a season pass for sports for 55 euro for the whole semester. So some things are more expensive, some are comparable and some are a lot better value for money than here. But overall one has to count on higher expenses.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?It's good to have an ESN card, where you can get discounts on e.g. Ryanair, Flixbus or party tickets etc. It's also nice to have an app similar to our "Nesnězeno".

🗺 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?runs like clockwork

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?So google makes sure, however there is also a Föli app where you can find the exact location of buses (only those in Turku), connections and have your card uploaded (you can buy it in bulk during the first week of the orientation, which is nice, otherwise you would have no way to legitimize being a student).

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?Well, I guess that's hard. There's not much in Finnish cities in general :D, you have to go more to nature. I recommend the lake we had about half an hour walk from the dorms, which also had a beautiful sauna for a typical Finnish experience.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Lapland

Share your best experience:I would have liked to say seeing the Northern Lights, but somehow that didn't happen despite the trip north. So I guess for me, the opportunity to travel during the semester with a bunch of new people.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Train
Bus

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Weather. Unless you want to go on a suicide mission and freeze to death in -28 degrees on January 2nd.

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?Warm clothes. Not what you'd think of as warm. And vitamin D.

🥳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?Despite the cold and the darkness, Erasmus in Finland was a great experience that pushes you in many ways. I see the biggest plus in the language and the slightly different approach of the school system.