Mobility specification

Country:Finland

Institution:University of Helsinki

City:Helsinki

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?Lectures are several times a week and require more preparation. Teaching is more interactive, often involving group projects.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?I haven’t noticed

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:15000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?yes

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Ticket prices for trains and buses are not uniform, but vary depending on the time of travel, but also on the time you buy the ticket. Sometimes there can be a difference of tens or hundreds of euros (for example, the Helsinki - Rovaniemi trip cost me about 25 euros, but if I had gone on a different day I would have paid 320 euros). So if you want to travel around Finland, it's definitely worth checking when tickets are at their best :)

🗺 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?For public transport in Helsinki, I recommend the HSL app. It's easy to find connections and buy tickets. However, you can't buy a monthly ticket with a student discount on the app, you can buy it in person at R-kioski, for example.
For train travel outside Helsinki I recommend the VR Matkalla app. For bus travel, I would recommend Onnibus, for example.

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?The centre with its cathedrals, Suomenlinna and certainly the Nuuksio National Park, which is accessible by public transport.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Lapland, Tallinn, Porvoo, Stockholm. Various trips are organized by student organization ESN, I went to Lapland with them and it was great :)

Share your best experience:Tracking the Northern Lights from a frozen lake near Finland's northern border. And also frying lettu (Finnish pancakes) outside on the fire :)

💅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

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?Snow spikes for shoes, vitamin D and B-complex.

🥳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?Erasmus was one of the best experiences of my life and if you have the desire and the opportunity, definitely go to Erasmus too!