Stereotypes and generalisations

Hello!

This time I would like to introduce you to a few of the Finnish stereotypes and maybe even prove them wrong for you.

• Finns are cold and unhelpful. 

Although Finns are not the ones to butt into somebody else's business, they are not actually unhelpful. One of the things I was faced with, as a new student in a foreign country was that I couldn't find some of the places and things that I wanted or needed. Finns tend to keep to themselves, but what surprised me was their helpfulness if you actually politely ask for it. They might not respond in English always, but they most definitely understand you or at least try to. Sometimes they will just point you the direction, but sometimes, what can be discovered, are incredibly friendly and even a little curious people that will go out of their way to try and help you with finding the place you are looking for.

• It's hard to make friends with a Finn. 

Perhaps making genuine friends with a Finn can be a little tricky if you come from a nation that has very different society rules regarding personal space or something similar. But, in fact, if you manage to get through the difficulties that might be caused by cultural differences, a Finn can make one of the best and most reliable friend that you will ever find.

• Small talk and Finns. 

In some cultures it is fairly common to talk in a group and the conversation often do not have much pauses in them. Especially in dinner parties and similar occasions, to have silence is usually not taken as a good sign. Well, for Finns it tends to be different. For one - Finns are usually not the ones for too much small talk, if they talk, they tend to try to get to the point right away. They are also good listeners, preferring to listen to what you have to say before continuing on with what they would want to contribute to the conversation. Of course, this can cause awkward moments for those used to more active conversations. When the other party is not responding, it can feel like they are not interested or are simply annoyed with the conversation.

• Finns all love sauna. 

A little bit of reminder of what can happen if you go to sauna with a Finn! :D

Although not entirely incorrect, as Finns sure seem to be very fond of sauna (even if they have saunas for common use in the apartment buildings where the students live), it's a very large generalization. Just like with any culture, to say that everyone loves something, is just a very bad generalization which shouldn't be referred to as a definite truth with everyone of that nation.

• Finns drink a lot. 

I cannot exactly say that they don't drink much, but this stereotype usually extends beyond the quantities and speaks also about the Finns being mean drunks that, most of the time, is actually fairly incorrect (Of course, it depends on the person/company). What one will find out is that when Finns do drink, they actually become very talkative and often the curious side of them shows exactly then. And, most importantly, most Finns that my friends and I have encountered have been very friendly as well! 

This list only covers the very few basic points of how the Finns tend to be perceived by the foreigners until actually encountering them, and it's in no way summarizing the whole nation. It's like with any nation out there - people might have assumptions that base on the experiences of others, but you will never know your own truth about these assumptions until you will encounter a Finn yourself.

If you happen to have heard of any other Finnish stereotypes, let me know! I will try to let you know of how correct or incorrect they are.

Until next time!

Liliāna

Finnish, the language of the North

A big part of going to study abroad is the language that you would be encountering during your stay in the country. Even if you study in English, the life still remains in the local language.

Sometimes it’s easy; perhaps you already know the language. Sometimes, however, that is much more challenging, and it’s truth that Finnish is not the easiest language, but in the same time is often required if you’d like to find a job right here, as you study and after graduating.

There are so many options on how to learn the language, but Laurea is not leaving you on your own.

Laurea offers its students elective Finnish language studies (Although the very first level of Basic Finnish is compulsory), helping you to feel more at home while staying here.

But who is in charge of these studies?

Well, to let you know more, I contacted one of the Finnish language teachers.

Hello and thank you for giving me some of your time.

To start with, what is your name?

Leena Saarikko.

If you don’t mind sharing, what is your age?

52 years.

Where do you originally come from? We know that a lot of teachers are from Finland but the international background of Laurea means that there are teachers from somewhere else in the world as well.

I come from Finland (Helsinki).

What is your educational background?

I have a B.A. from the University of Helsinki and Pedagogical degree from Haaga-Helia.

How long have you been teaching at Laurea?

14,5 Years.

Laurea has seven units,  Tikkurila, Leppävaara, Kerava, Hyvinkää, Porvoo, Otaniemi and Lohja. In which unit(s) do you teach?

In Leppävaara only.

What subjects are you teaching? And which degree programs include those subjects?

I teach Finnish in all English degree programs (BM, SM, BIT, FM and RE)

How would you describe the life and students of Laurea?

I can’t say much about studying, but it seems that the required tempo of studying is mainly suitable for the students, although, the fastest and most hard-working students find it a bit slow and the ‘’slowest’’ probably a bit too demanding.

I like the fact that especially the Leppävaara campus is genuinely international. I love my students and teaching here! The general atmosphere is good and as a work place Laurea (Leppävaara) is demanding (When it comes to work load), but rewarding.

Thank you!

I hope that you have gained a little more from this interview!

Näkemisiin!/See you for now!

- Liliana

Look out for more interviews in the future, if you’d like to get to know the teachers of Laurea UAS better!

Finding the new home

For every student, me too, it was a big worry to come to a foreign country to study.

Many questions plagued mine, and many other student’s minds.

Where would I live? How much it would cost me? How can I make sure that I will be able to understand the studies? Will there be any problems with me staying in this new country? And so many other more.

I will try to aid at least some of your worries!

Let’s begin with living.

The one thing about studying in Finland that made me feel concerned was the lack of dormitories. However, the housing style is completely different here, that’s why dorms are not exactly available.

 

Most of the international students look for aid from HOAS (Can be found here: HOAS). After filling out the form, a type of an apartment is supplied to the company’s best ability.

Not only that, but they try to make sure that where you live is either in close proximity of the study unit you are going to attend or close to a transportation that would make it ease for you to reach your campus.

But it’s not that you must rent a whole apartment to yourself. The option of shared apartment is like a completely new type of dorm life experience!

With a secure room of your own, you still have the chance to interact with Finns and foreigners, learn more of their culture and even make friends even without the need to go out of your way somewhere in the city.

There are also other companies where you can search for housing, but HOAS is the first one you should contact, as it’s a specialized and reliable company.

Just don’t forget – the wait for a response can be a little nerve wrecking, so remember to apply in advance!

-Liliana

Fresh 'n' Fun

Hello again!

Events are a large part of the student life in any university. Not only the private parties thrown by friends and classmates, but also the parties set up by the university and its student union! And, honestly, what would Laurea be without having those as well?

One of the most interesting events of the year is the Fresher’s event, where the new students, upon their own free will, can participate. Tutors provide a bunch of fun tasks and the new students work their way through all of them as a team.

Fresher's 2014

To make the event even more fun, a topic is also provided; this year it was Superheroes, where the groups of students had to put in their creativity and become an awesome band of caped justice-bringers. The year before the topic was a bit more different, the green and red of Irish stereotype accompanying the four-leaved clovers.

Personally, I have enjoyed both, my own and the most recent Fresher’s, as it’s not limited only for those just starting the studies. Of course, the tasks are mainly for them, but that’s how you build the team spirit, almost like in a proper work place.

It may even rain, but never has the mood suffered because of a mere drizzle!

Fresher's 2013

A thing that makes the student life in Finnish universities even if only a bit more unique, is that every university sports their own colour overall. As a part of the university spirit, people wear them, decorating the arms, legs, chest and back with badges that can be bought or won, but the accessorizing does not stop there. It’s always easy to tell when something interesting is happening in student life when you see people around the town, dressed in their overalls.

All in all though, it’s not about the weather, nor what you are wearing. Instead, it’s all about having fun, and, rest assured, you will definitely have a great time and will bond with your new classmates, and will make some awesome memories!

-Liliana

New meetings and introductions.

Hello visitor and welcome to this blog!

I am here to tell you about the life in Southern Finland as a student and, more specifically, the life of a student in Laurea UAS. Hopefully, you will find this blog informative and engaging enough to maybe pick Laurea, or Finland itself, to continue your education in.

So let's begin, shall we?

What is Laurea UAS?

Laurea University of Applied Sciences was founded in 1992 and is one of the Finnish universities located in Helsinki region. With its 7 campuses, it has become a fairly popular UAS, offering different kind of programs for both - Bachelor and Masters degree studies. And who can blame the popularity of this university? What Laurea UAS is famous for is the study model - Learning by Developing (LbD), allowing the students to have a lot of practical knowledge by the graduation, not only the theoretical. Obviously, there are more pros to that education model than just that. The average employment rate of graduates is roughly 97%.

But what else is so great about Laurea?

The international environment has a positive impact on everyone. Not only the students, but also the staff is multi-cultural thus allowing everyone to gain more experience when working with different culture people. Student life is also quite active, with events and in-school activities, projects and, of course, the studies. 

And it doesn't end there. That's why I am writing this blog, to let you know of the opportunities in Laurea and to help you, if you decide to come to study here.

Finally, some of you might also be wondering - ''Who is writing this? Is it a teacher? A reviewer? Just a random person who had nothing more interesting to do?''. Well, for those interested, none of those are correct. My name is Liliana and I am a second year Business Information Technology student of this same university. As I originally have come to Finland to study from abroad, I hope to be able to help you learn more about the student life in Laurea and Finland.

So let's have a good trip in learning more and, perhaps, I'll meet you some day in the halls of Laurea.

Liliana