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.
Culture Denmark Electronics Erasmus exchange Exchange studies Feel Finland Finnish nature Germany Health care and social services HealthTech Hungary incoming student exchange Malawi MBS Double Degree MBS Exchange Mechanical engineering Media design Metropolia Business School Mexico Music Nursing occupational therapy Poland Service Design Short exchange SIngapore Student Stories Sustainability Technology