Tag: incoming student exchange
Incoming Student Story: Nina Schulz from Germany
“I did my exchange semester at Metropolia Business School in 2023. I was sure that I wanted to go to a Nordic country and I had the choice between universities in Finland and in Sweden. I had been in Finland once for one week for an exchange from school. In the end it was easy to choose Helsinki as it is a bigger city and there are a lot of things going on. It was clear that I wanted to choose Metropolia and luckily it worked out. I really liked my studies at Metropolia. I felt that everything was so structured from the beginning on and I had no questions. The Finnish course was my favorite. I tried to learn some Finnish word before arriving but that didn’t go so well so it was nice to learn the language. The course was also introducing us to the Finnish culture. Investment Portfolio Management was my second favorite course. We did a stock exchange game and I learned a lot in that course. I really liked that we had a lot of group works. There were no exam periods and it was not so stressful in the end of the semester. We had to work during the whole semester and had a lot of chances to get the points during the semester which took off a lot of pressure. I really liked the campus; everything was so modern and nice. There was a lot of spaces to work and sit with your friends. The student restaurant on campus is like a meeting point, you always met someone there. I also really liked the orientation days; they were very structured and we didn’t get lost in the first days. During my free-time I did a lot of small things in Helsinki. I went to a lot of cafés with my friend and also visited different places, such as Lammassaari which was one of my favorites. We also went for a lot of walks and did some hikes in the national park Nuuksio and even barbecued there. I went a lot to sauna, Sompasauna was an amazing place. There was also a lot of student parties and they were so nice with the overalls. I also did some special trips; they were the highlight of my time there. We went to Lapland where we stayed in a cottage, went to Norway, swam in the Arctic Ocean, saw Northern lights and went skiing. That was an amazing adventure! In the Easter weekend we rented a cottage in Varkaus for a few days. This was also so nice, we did a lot of chilling, hanging out and walks there. One highlight was the Vappu (May 1st) weekend. The city was full of people and there were a lot of traditions we got to participate into. Tutors were great. We had always someone to talk to and it felt like everyone wanted us to meet other people and connect. It was nice to have a lot of events going on and it was possible to get to know people easily. The Finnish culture was very similar to what I’m used to so I did not have major problems adjusting. At the beginning of the exchange, it was a big challenge to come to Finland alone. I was afraid that I wouldn’t find any people but we had such an intense time here together. It’s crazy that people that I met just five months ago are now so close to me. It was not a big problem to live in a different country with a different language. It just worked out somehow and all the fears turned to very good adventures. It has been good to have changes around you and doing the exchange gave me a lot of self-confidence. I got a lot of memories and friends, it’s hard to say goodbye to everyone. In the future I definitely want to do a Master’s degree and it would be nice to do the whole degree or a semester abroad. I would like to experience this kind of adventure again.” Tips from Nina: Be very open to everyone Do as many things as possible: experience the country! Don’t be afraid to make new contacts and talk to people, most of the time everyone is in the same boat
Incoming Student Story: Marie Lac from France
“I spent one whole academic year at Metropolia doing a double degree exchange. Metropolia and my home university Rennes School of Business have an agreement for this kind of exchange. One of the reasons I chose my home university was because I saw that there is a possibility to go to Finland. In France everybody says that the studies are very good and that life is better in the Nordic countries. I though I will just go to Finland myself and see if it’s true or not. I did a bit of basic research on Finland before my arrival and I found out things like there’s a lot of forest in Finland, it’s the happiest country and that people drink a lot of coffee. One reason to choose Metropolia was also the international dimension of the studies. Studying at Metropolia has been really nice and I’m really happy with my studies. The courses are very interactive and teachers are friendly so it has been easy to learn. Project group works and simulations are different than what I’m used to but at the same time perfect ways to learn. The best thing about my studies have been the people, teachers and students. I could always ask the teachers if I had any questions and they were very supportive. I met a lot of students from different countries and enjoyed how international it was. All of my studies took place on the Myyrmäki campus. I was really happy with the student restaurant: warm meals were really good, healthy and cheap. Also, the campus library is really nice, there are lots of books and also silent rooms which I used for writing my bachelor thesis. In my free-time I did some traveling in Finland and abroad. I went couple of times to Estonia and in Finland I visited some bigger cities. I was going often outside to walk and see the architecture of the city but also the nature and the forest. I went a lot to the forest and I feel like in Finland I reached a better connection with the environment and I felt always safe. I lived in an Airbnb apartment and was able to walk to school. We were also able to barbecue in the forest barbecue place, that was very fun even though the fire was hard to start. The weather in the winter was a bit hard but if you have good clothes, it’s fine. It was not hard to adapt to the culture but it’s a bit different and you have to understand that some things are done differently. I was surprised in a good way about the Finnish people. On the Internet it says that Finnish people are cold and reserved. In fact, when I came here, I found them really open and people were willing to help in English. Everyone is living their own life: you won’t be disturbed but if you need, you’re supported. During my exchange something changed in my mind and I would like to live in the future somewhere else than in France. During the exchange you learn to see the world from a different angle.” Tips from Marie: Buy winter clothes second-hand in Finland. There are a lot of second-hand stores in Finland and you can buy warm enough winter clothes from them without having to spend a lot of money. Get to know what kind of things are around you and ask people what they like to do and where they like to go. Don’t be afraid of talking to people. Helsinki is a really international city and you will find help everywhere.
Incoming Student Story: Chiara Galvani from Italy
“I spent one academic year at Metropolia doing my exchange in the field of culture, degree programme in Music. Finland was just my third option as I am a warm weather person but I got accepted to Metropolia and I decided to go anyway. It was a chance to do an experience in a place where I did not expect going. I had been dreaming of going abroad since I was a kid so I backed a few jumpers and came to Finland. Metropolia was the only option for me that had pop and jazz in their selection and that’s why I chose Metropolia. In the end I’m super glad that I ended up here. I started to prepare by trying to learn the language a bit. I studied pop and jazz performance and voice. Teaching and techniques at Metropolia are very different from my own conservatory in Italy. In Italy, conservatories are very theoretical. As Metropolia is a university of applied sciences, I felt difference from the beginning on. Students are helped more and we got concrete exercises. You get homework and it’s checked if you’re doing it. I think it’s good to be guided because it helps me. I noticed from the beginning on that level of people in Finland was higher than at home. We had a lot of possibilities to practice at school, we could book rooms and stay in the evenings to practice. The rooms were well equipped. It was mind-blowing that every room had everything, such as guitar amps and drums. We had a lot of performances during the whole academic year. That is the right way to do it, that’s how people learn to perform. I had two concerts during the first semester and a couple of concerts in the second semester. I went to see UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra in a concert and thought it would be so nice to perform with them. I did an audition at Metropolia and got in, I was really honored to have that opportunity. I really see a difference in how I perform, I grew up a lot. The level and preparation in Finland was much higher and kicked me, it was what I needed actually. I used a lot of my free-time to practice, like most musicians. I did have time to do other things as well. I went to the city center to shop and to cafés with friends. Everything went so quick, I wish I would have gone out more to do things. I visited some cities in Finland and had nice pizza and pasta nights with the other Italian exchange students. I also went to Stockholm to Beyoncé’s concert, wow! My biggest challenge was being independent. I have always been living with my parents but I never had the chance to live on my own and I needed that to grow up. Now I feel like I have grown up and I’m proud of it. Also, I’m able to handle myself and my emotions better on my own. I had a small positive culture shock. As soon as I came here I noticed everything was more relaxed than in Italy. It made me realize how important well-being is here in Finland, that was one of the reasons I wanted to stay in Finland for a second semester.” Tips from Chiara: Even if the exchange destination was not first on your list, go! You never know what you can find. Trust yourself, you are able to do whatever you want. Taking risks sometimes pays off.
Incoming Student Story: Márton Eke from Hungary
“I did my exchange semester at Metropolia in autumn semester 2022. I studied mechanical engineering. Back in my home university Óbuda University in Hungary I study industrial product design. I had heard that Metropolia is very modern and new university and I thought it would be a great place for me. Studying at Metropolia was a bit different to how it is in my home university. The classrooms were modern and it was noticeable that every technology that we could need was available. The teachers were also very flexible and supportive. I did altogether five courses out of which one was Advanced 3D-modeling and Optimization. That class was amazing, we had every software we could need for it. From one course we also did a trip for an exhibition in Tampere for Mechanical Engineering. However, the best thing about my studies was the course Innovation Project. We got a real-life project from a company and got to see how they work. We were talking with the CEOs about the budget and their needs and got to see how everything works in the industry. We had support from the teacher and the company and it felt like proper work for the first time in my life. We were treated like engineers. Library on campus was very convenient and the student restaurant and food were amazing. I love that we could get milk for free and even freshly made hamburgers from there! In Finland card is used a lot for paying and it was only possible to pay for food with cash in the cafeteria. In Finland everybody knew English and it was wonderful. I did a Finnish course and learned some basics. Finnish people were very welcoming. Student union METKA organizes a lot of parties for students and participated to some events. This kind of student culture does not exist in Hungary. Overalls and badges are very nice and create a culture and tradition. I had a bit trouble finding an apartment as HOAS did not work out for me. In the end I found something and Erasmus+ grant was helping with the costs. I did a lot of things within Helsinki and traveled also to cities of Tampere and Porvoo. I also did a trip to Estonia. As a Hungarian who has never seen the sea it was a huge experience to on the sea. I went also to bars to play billiards. A lot of Finnish people seem to love that and singing karaoke. During the exchange I learned to live by myself and take care of myself. I got a lot of Finnish friends. Before this I didn’t have international friends so this really opened my eyes. Everybody has different opinions. Exchange also shaped my future plans. It was good for me to break out of my comfort zone and see all the possibilities. Altogether it was a life-changing experience. Tips from Márton: Plan everything beforehand! Apply for a flat early enough Watch for your financials, price level in Finland is much higher
Incoming Student Story: Tudor Suciu-Gheorghita from Romania
“I studied at Metropolia Business School for the full academic year. At first I came to Finland to do an exchange for one semester but after three days of being in Finland I decided to extend my exchange for the whole academic year as I felt at home from the beginning on. I studied one year in my home university Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi in Romania and could basically choose my exchange destination from all the countries. My dream had been to live in a Nordic country and Finland was my first choice. I wanted to see if I could live here and move permanently. I was interested in the Nordic way of living. Before arriving, I did research on the country and the systems. I chose Metropolia because it is a University of Applied Sciences and I wanted to experience a more practical training as my home university is quite theoretical. Studying at Metropolia has been different but very effective. It feels like I have learned in Metropolia more in one year than in 12 years in Greece and Romania. The difference that Metropolia has made for me professionally and personally is huge. When I look at my CV now and then, it’s a massive step. Teachers are very friendly and they really understand your point of view. They don’t tell you to do more and more but you have certain assignments and you can do them at your own pace before the deadline. You can ask the teacher and they will happily respond. A communication course I took probably made the biggest difference to me. The teacher of the course, Louise Stansfield, is an exceptional teacher with a lot of experience. She has upgraded my CV and my professionalism to a new level. The courses related to HR were also very relevant for me, especially a hotel simulation game was super awesome. The only exams I had were for the language courses I took. I also want to mention that it’s great how Finnish education system cares about its students and their mental health, this is overlooked in Balkan. Myyrmäki campus is also really amazing, it’s technologically advanced and my favorite thing was to be able to reserve rooms to be able to study in a stimulating environment. Best thing about coming here was definitely the people that I have met. Finland is the perfect place for traditional party people and also for more introverted people. I really liked traveling around Finland and also went to Tallinn and Stockholm. There is a lot of traditional student things and a lot of events. You will meet a lot of new people that are mostly like you and like to do the same things. I applied for HOAS apartment very early and was lucky to get an apartment that was 10 minutes from campus. Public transportation is also phenomenal. Having communities and clubs, such as METES (Metropolia Entrepreneur Society) and the student union METKA was completely new for me. It was a great experience and there were a lot of networking events. Tutoring programme was great and the tutors were friendly and nice people. I was surprised how open they were. Metropolia has given me a huge push to my professional portfolio and has boosted my chance to get a job. The exchange year has helped me to understand how the world really is by being in contact with people form all over the world. It has helped me to open my horizons and develop personally. Tips from Tudor Apply as early as possible for HOAS apartment. Talk to new people, get to know others. Don’t overpack. Be ready to learn a lot of new things. Be active in the academic stuff but also outside world. Focus on the studies and give it 110%, you won’t find the experiences you get at Metropolia anywhere else. Don’t be afraid of the cold and dark, it really is not so bad.
Incoming Student Story: Roos Popkema from the Netherlands
“I did my exchange semester at Metropolia in the field of culture, in media design. I had heard lots of things about Finnish education and that it’s a good place for studying and doing your exchange. I’m half Finnish from my mom’s side and because of my background I was interested in learning more about the country and it’s culture. I also wanted to experience the Finnish winter and learn more about cultures and meet different people. Studying at Metropolia has been very nice and pretty chill. The orientation days in the beginning of the exchange were very nice, it was nice to learn a little bit about the campus and get to know other students. Way of teaching has been different than I’m used to. In my home university teachers are more critical and here they will help you if you ask for it. You need take more initiative here to get feedback as well. I think it’s very nice you can plan things yourself for your studies here, so it’s pretty flexible. My favorite course, Media and Culture, contained a lot of visits to different places in the city that were related to our studies, such as the news and radio stations. It’s cool that the teachers brought us there and showed how a Finnish news station does their job. One teacher also brought us to a forest close by, we were walking around and had a potluck lunch. My studies took place on Arabia campus and I met there also often with my project groups and had lunch together. It took time to get used to a different way of teaching at Metropolia. I realized after finishing my courses that it feels like I have learned a lot but it happened differently than it would in my home country. During my free time I have visited a lot of museums and discovered parks - it’s nice to be outside now in the spring when the weather is better. I went to the city for shopping and visiting cafés. I visited also some cities in Finland, went to Tallinn and went to some parties. In the beginning of my exchange it was a bit hard for me to fit to the group. Everyone was really nice and after a while I found some friends that are also living close to me. I did not have a culture shock but I found out some things about the culture, such as that people bring their dogs everywhere and people really like coffee. I have also been learning to appreciate coffee more. I really enjoyed thrift shopping here and the overall way of thinking about sustainability which is seen in daily life in different ways. There are for example lots of vegan and vegetarian options which is great! During the dark winter I learned to appreciate the sun, I was so happy to see some sun during those dark months. Another thing that I loved are those big city rabbits that are just chilling in front of places where people live. It has been really nice to meet new people and I have a lot of new experiences. By being on your own in a new place you discover so much of yourself, what you like, what you don’t like and what you want to do in your life and how to develop in that direction. After this experience I might want to continue living on my own, I’m now so used to it and having so much freedom. Big part of the Finnish culture is being relaxed and chill, in the Netherlands life is pretty rushed and crowded. I learned to appreciate little things, being on your own, nature and developing yourself.”
Incoming Student Story: Dakota Daenen from Belgium
“I did my exchange semester at Metropolia in the autumn semester 2022, in the field of Health Care and Social Work. I study occupation therapy back at my home university PXL university College. We had a lot of countries to choose from and most of my fellow students wanted to go to Africa but Finland was the number one destination for me. I love Nordic countries but I had never been there before so I wanted to explore the country. I’m also a rower and there are a lot of lakes in Finland so I thought I could keep doing my hobby in a very cool environment. Before I even applied to Metropolia I downloaded Duolingo and practiced a lot of Finnish. I did a placement internship at Metropolia, so I didn’t do actual courses. First two months of being in Finland I had a lot of free time and I was writing my thesis. In October my internship started at the HyMy Village on Metropolia’s Myllypuro campus. The concept is really great and we were also given the chance to work on our own ideas. I’m used to having one placement at a time but here we had like five different projects and the variation during the placement was very nice. I got to work with Finnish students and Finnish patients and in the end learned a lot of Finnish. Teachers were very nice and approached us as colleagues. During my free time I went to the gym and to rowing practice. I also participated to events organized by tutors and did different activities with other exchange students, such as playing board games in Oodi and went for a dinner. I also got very close with my tutor, we were meeting weekly to do winter swimming. I’m so thankful for her! Unfortunately, I missed the HOAS apartment application deadline so I had to search an apartment on my own. I lived together with two other people and was very happy about the accommodation. I made a lot of new friends from around the world and learned a bit of the Finnish mindset. People in Finland are more relaxed and take more time for coffee, sauna, walking and being in the nature. I feel connected to Finland and could imagine living here in the future! Maybe in the future I could become and entrepreneur and return to Finland through that. I loved everything in here!” Tips from Dakota: Be flexible: you will go out of your comfort zone and not everything will be nice. Being flexible makes it easier. Explore the nature and the surroundings in Finland Visit Lapland
Incoming Student Story: Ben Caufield from Canada
“I spent autumn semester 2022 in Metropolia doing my exchange semester. I studied in the field of Culture, in the Degree Programme in Music. I had a couple of friends who had done their exchange earlier at Metropolia. They spoke really highly of the program, country and the city so it was no-brainer for me. My home university MacEwan University has a fantastic team of international coordinators and they gave me a bunch of things to look up for, such as weather, political situation, cultural norms and language. It was very helpful in preparation for coming to Finland. Studying at Metropolia has been a good experience overall. Teachers have good knowledge to share and the atmosphere is very open. Arabia campus for the field of culture is new and it was nice to study in such a nice facility. There were a lot of rooms for students to work with what they want. Some of the courses at Metropolia were a bit different than what I’m used to. One course focused on clinics and people such as composers were brought from outside to Metropolia and we worked with them. I participated in an ensemble and that was made into a course. The best thing about my studies at Metropolia was for sure the private lessons with my instructor Tommi Rautiainen. He is a great musician a I learned a lot from him. Music students could also apply for access to the campus outside the normal opening hours which was great in order to have time for practicing. In addition, I ate at the student restaurant every day, the food was very good and also cheap. As I was a music student there were jams pretty much every day, so I was often in jams in the evenings. I was also walking a lot around the city especially before the snow fell. There were lots of events going on. I went camping in Porkkala with another international student in November and also traveled to Tallinn with a ship. Tallinn’s old city was fantastic. I didn’t really have a culture shock but I noticed that people in Finland are generally a bit more reserved than in Canada and I had to get used to that. I got to know Finnish students through jams. Teachers in Metropolia were also pretty relaxed. During my exchange I learned to live in a different culture as an outsider, that was a very valuable experience. I have to be grateful for people speaking English and dealing with misunderstandings. I would recommend the future exchange students to do as much planning as they can while they’re still at home. Stuff will go wrong and luckily, I had all the necessary information on my phone or on paper. This way you can enjoy your experience and don’t have to worry about things. In the future I would love to do more traveling, in exchange or otherwise. I would also really encourage others to do exchanges like this as it was a life-changing experience.”
Incoming Student Story: Benedikt Rothe from Germany
“I’m studying international industrial management as a dual study back at my home university HWR Berlin. I did my exchange semester at Metropolia Business School during autumn 2022. The Finnish education system has a good reputation and I wanted to check it out myself. Also, the courses that Metropolia offered for business students matched quite well with my home university’s requirements and the semester dates were fitting for the schedule of the dual study program. Studying at Metropolia has been quite different from home. I would say that studying in Finland works better for me than in Germany. I didn’t have any exams in the end of each course, but graded assignments during the semester. Being a University of Applied Sciences, Metropolia brings in the practical connection: We were not just working with the theoretical frameworks, but instead worked on case studies with connections to real companies. For me, the best thing about studying at Metropolia was the atmosphere: It’s quite informal but still respectful. This feels very friendly and open and takes away a bit of the pressure. It was also nice to work together with my classmates in different projects. I had some online classes and the organization was a bit challenging in the beginning. But throughout the semester I learned that everybody at Metropolia is always happy to help you out. In the beginning, the course enrolments were a bit of a challenge. It was not clear if I would be able to get in all the courses I wanted to. But luckily, it all worked out in the end. The campus is very well designed for the sense of community. I always used the student restaurant and sometimes came to campus just for lunch with friends. Everything is very digital and it’s easy to book rooms in the library, for example. Usually, my classes started around eleven, so I had quite relaxing mornings. Unfortunately, I was not able to take the Finnish course for exchange students, but I did try to learn some Finnish through Duolingo. It was very easy to manage with English in Finland, especially at school it worked very well. In my free-time I did a lot of different things. In the beginning of the semester the student union METKA organized a lot of events, parties, and trips. This made it easy for me to connect to many other students naturally. I became friends with my neighbors – a lot of other exchange students lived at the same place with me. We also travelled together, for example to Iceland and Lapland. I also went to the sauna in my building very often, which was new to me but I really enjoyed it! Helsinki has a lot to offer – such as the Oodi library, restaurants, and several tourist attractions. I also went to the nearby Nuuksio national park quite often. And I can say, Finland changed me a little: Before coming to Helsinki, I didn’t drink coffee at all. But studying in Finland can really make you a coffee person – The Finns love coffee! During the exchange I also learned a lot about myself and about what I want to do in life. I was able to take a step back and see which parts of my everyday life in Finland I want to include in my life back in Germany. Talking to other students who were a bit older than me, also showed me new perspectives. Seeing all the different paths that everybody had taken, encouraged me to try something new after finishing my degree and start studying landscape architecture, which has been a big interest of mine. I probably wouldn’t have made this decision without the exchange experience at Metropolia. I also learned a lot about different countries and cultures and made very good friends from all over the world. I am sure, I will take this new network with me into the future.” Tips from Benedikt: Trust your tutors – they are experts in making the most out of studying in Finland! Try to get a HOAS apartment. It’s affordable and a nice experience to live with the other exchange students. Try to connect with your neighbors – it makes organizing activities and trips so easy! Enjoy your time in Finland and don’t worry about uni too much – it will all work out in the end.
Incoming Student Story: Assumpta Siamangaba from Zambia
“My home university Lusaka College of Nursing and Midwifery and Metropolia have an agreement for an exchange programme. Students are selected based on the results and grades and I was very excited that I was one of the selected students. I had never flown in my life so traveling to Finland was very exciting. I didn’t know much about Finland beforehand but a friend of mine who had been in Finland before told me a lot of different things. Before arriving to Finland, I figured out what the time difference is and where Finland is located. I knew it’s going to be very cold and that I should prepare for that. I studied in the field of Health Care and Social Sciences and took courses from the degree programme of nursing at Metropolia. One of the courses I chose was Gerontological Nursing which was a good experience as back home we don’t learn so much about gerontology. In the courses we did simulations where we got to practice procedures in different situations. You learn a lot during the simulations and observing them! Everything related to the studies was clearly organized in the intranet OMA. There I was able to see what I’m supposed to do for my assignments, what to do before classes and all the presentations. Myllypuro campus is very big and the labs have a lot of equipment. I ate lunch in the student restaurant and tasted different kinds of food. In the beginning it was difficult because there were a lot of different apps to use for different things but I managed! In my free-time I went outside to walk. I also did trips to Porvoo and Joensuu. In Joensuu I got to try ice swimming and skiing. It has been amazing to see a lot of snow, this has been the first time for me seeing it. My tutor was very helpful, he also showed me a second-hand store where I could get more warm clothes. It gets dark here very early in the winter so vitamin D is important, in Zambia it’s not necessary. I would advise the future exchange students to be active: take part in class activities and in-school program. It will help to interact and to make friends and to feel like you belong.”
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