2. - 1 -
Table of contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................................- 2 -
I. Presentation: Finland and TAMK.................................................................... - 3 -
1) Finland: ‘The land of a thousand lakes’.............................................................. - 3 -
Finland............................................................................................................- 3 -
Tampere.........................................................................................................- 4 -
2) Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) ...............................................- 4 -
3) Material conditions ..............................................................................................- 5 -
Budget (four months) .....................................................................................- 5 -
Accommodation .............................................................................................- 5 -
II. Description and analyze of one semester at TAMK.......................................- 6 -
1) Chosen courses...................................................................................................- 6 -
Tools for Organizational Change (5 credits ECTS) .....................................- 6 -
Business Development (5 credits ECTS) ......................................................- 6 -
Human Resource Management (5 credits ECTS) ........................................- 6 -
International Business (5 credits ECTS) .......................................................- 6 -
Advanced topics in International Business (5 credits ECTS) ........................- 7 -
Team Leadership (3 credits ECTS) ..............................................................- 7 -
Each One Teach One (2 credits ECTS) ........................................................- 7 -
2) Difficulties and results achieved..........................................................................- 7 -
3) Critical and relevant approach.............................................................................- 8 -
III. Reflection about my academic and personal knowledge .............................- 9 -
1) Academic and linguistic knowledge.....................................................................- 9 -
The academic level ........................................................................................- 9 -
The linguistic level ........................................................................................- 10 -
2) Which links with my classes at IPAG Business School?.................................. - 10 -
3) Personal and cultural knowledge ......................................................................- 11 -
Personal side................................................................................................- 11 -
Cultural side .................................................................................................- 11 -
4) Discovery report ................................................................................................- 12 -
Conclusion....................................................................................................................- 13 -
3. - 2 -
Introduction
Saturday, August 13th 2016, 4:30 am. The beginning of an extraordinary adventure in my life,
but I did not know it yet. This Saturday was stressful because I did not know what to expect in Finland
for the next four months. I knew I was going to study at TAMK (on the picture below) and live in the
center of Tampere, but what else? What kind of person was I going to meet? When will the snow come,
and when will the sun disappear? How to live in these conditions? Many questions have arisen in my
head before I left, even though they may seem stupid now! This morning of August 13th, I was very
excited because I knew it was a great opportunity, offered by IPAG Business School, to go abroad.
Indeed in my school, the third year is entirely devoted to expatriation. We have the opportunity
to spend a year in internship and / or University. There are numerous choices: from Nice to Australia,
the adventure will be exceptional. For my part, I chose to study in a University in the first semester, and
to do my internship in the second semester because I want to improve my English level before working
directly in a company. It is in the South of Finland, at Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK),
that I spent my first four months of expatriation, from August 13th to December 23th. I am even happier
that it was my first choice and that it had only two places! The purpose of this semester abroad: to
discover, meet, get used to a new way of live, learn in a different way than in France, and finally live a
unique experience! In the pre-expatriation report I had written before I leave, I explained why I chose
Tampere and all the reasons for the choice of this expatriation so I will not develop them here again.
In this report, you will discover a part of my semester in Finland. Keep in mind that ten pages is
not enough to describe this amazing adventure and all the things I did. It is easy to tell you what I
experienced, but impossible for you to feel what I felt there. A dream! We will start with a small
presentation of Finland and my University there, then we will talk about my semester at TAMK, and
finally we will approach what I learned from this unique experience abroad with an academic and
personal point of view.
4. - 3 -
I. Presentation: Finland and TAMK
1) Finland: ‘The land of a thousand lakes’
Finland
Nordic country, Finland is a State of
Northern Europe member of the European Union
since 1995 (the euro was introduced on January
1st, 2002). It is composed of more than 187.888
lakes, countless islands and well extended forest
covering three-quarters of the country. Its capital,
Helsinki, is located on the South coast.
Finland has an area of more than
338.145 square kilometers to approximatively
5.463.860 inhabitants (2014’s data), which made
it one of the countries with the lowest population
density in the world. It is good to know that there
is only 16.1 inhabitants per square kilometer in
Finland, whereas in France the density of population is 98.8 persons per square kilometer.
Finland is divided into nineteen regions and seventy sub regions. The city in which my University
is located, Tampere, is located in the Pirkanmaa area, in the North of Helsinki. Northern Finland is
sparsely populated because it is a very cold weather zone and covered with a forest, so it is more difficult
to live there. The jet lag is only one hour with France throughout the year (Finland also carries out the
shift to summer time / winter time, as in France).
Finally, in the North of Finland, Lapland makes me dream with the snow, its splendid
landscapes, a lot of reindeers and huskies, and its famous “Santa Claus’ village”.
Two official languages are spoken in Finland: Finnish and Swedish. English is also widely
spoken by the new generations.
Finnish culture is different from that in neighboring countries. Swedish and German influences
are stronger than those of Russia. Musically, the folk music is very popular. The traditional cuisine is
inspired at the same time by Russia, Sweden and Germany. The meals are taken earlier than in France:
around 11:30 am for the lunch which is not formal and fast, and around 5:30 pm for the dinner.
Sport is a pastime which has a great place in Finland. Baseball is the national sport, but we can
also note that ice hockey, football and formula 1 are very popular. As regards the daily life, a rather
surprising thing is that saunas are present in almost all the Finnish houses which is not common at all
in France. In this northern country, the inhabitants have developed a real friendly indoor life.
Tampere
5. - 4 -
The Republic of Finland (official name of the State) is a parliamentary democracy whose
president is Mr. Sauli Niinistö (since 2012). It is based on the Constitution of the year 2000 and is a
model of the European Union. Finland takes an active part in peacekeeping missions and those of
security and common defense.
Tampere
It is the student city of Finland with three major universities, and also the second city in terms of
area. It is located between two lakes (Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi – but the names are unpronounceable
even after four months of practice), about 170 km north of Helsinki and offers many shows and events
throughout the year (such as the festival of folk dance in Pispala in September for example, and the
opening ceremony of December).
Tampere is one of the cities with the most students in Finland. Indeed, there are many
universities like TAMK, the University of Tampere and the University of Technology for example which
are the three main ones. Let us talk about the sun because we are in the north so it is not as present as
in France. Indeed, in December in Tampere, the sun rises about 10 o'clock and sets around 3 pm. Yes
it is true! I am writing this report today on December 19th at 3:30 pm and outside it is completely dark.
Sources : GLOAGUEN, Philippe and al. Finlande - Le Routard 2015/2016. Hachette, 2015, 400 pages. ;
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlande ; http://monipag.com/e-zerbib/2015/11/10/tamk-piramk-university/ ;
http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/finlande/presentation-de-la-finlande/
2) Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK)
TAMK is a University located in the East of Tampere, at
less than ten minutes by bus from the city center. It is a University
of applied sciences, as its name indicates, which offers several
disciplines in International business, Tourism, Engineering, Environment, Media, Music, Art and
Medicine. It welcomes more ten thousand students with a majority of Finnish, but also almost two
hundred international students per semester. Among these international students, we were only three
French people this semester which is very little and so perfect to improve my English level.
TAMK is a modern, colorful and spacious University approaching more than an American
University than a French University. Workspaces are nice and comfortable which encourages the
students to study. This University thinks about the wellbeing of its students and their integration. Many
computers and printers are available everywhere in the school. There are also three cafeterias, a library,
lounges and a gym. The intranet of TAMK is called 'TABULA' and an email address has been attributed
to me when I arrived to facilitate the communication with the coordination of the school and the teachers.
When I was accepted at TAMK, a tutor has been awarded to me. His role was to prepare my
arrival and to help me with the administrative documents and all the practical issues (key of my
accommodation, bus card and telephone subscription for example). My tutor was Aleksi and he really
helped me when I arrived in Finland.
6. - 5 -
TAMK proposed one orientation week at the beginning of the semester for the exchange
students. It enabled me to discover the different parts of the University, to learn how it works and to use
my IDs as well as Tabula. All the students were present so I had the opportunity to meet a lot of persons.
In the middle of the integration week, we spent one day on an island with activities, traditional dance,
sauna and swimming in a lake.
At TAMK, associations are quite present and organize many events. The two main ones are
TAMKO (the Finnish BDE) and CLINT (travel organization). When I arrived in Finland, I joined TAMKO
which in order to have many student discounts throughout the semester. And with CLINT, I had the
opportunity to go to Stockholm, Sweden for a very low price.
3) Material conditions
Budget (four months)
Here you can find a table to have an idea of my expenses.
Per month For the semester
Flight both ways - 300 €
Facilities (survival kit + TAMKO) - 40 €
Gym - 30 €
Accommodation (five months) 395 € 1.975 €
Bus 34 € 136 €
Telephone (internet contract) 16 € 64 €
Food 130 € 520 €
Trip (Stockholm, Tallinn,
Lapland, Helsinki)
200 € 800 €
Extras 30 € 120 €
TOTAL 805 € 3.985 €
Accommodation
The University does not propose on-campus housing, so I found my accommodation with the
organism TOAS which is most used by students. I applied for a single room with my own bathroom and
a shared kitchen in a student residence in the city center. All my wishes were respected and I lived for
four months in ‘TOAS Pinja’. It was a hotel that has been transformed into student residence this year
so the facilities are modern and spacious. We were about sixty students in TOAS Pinja (whereas there
are about one or two hundred students in the other residences) which allowed me to know quite well
most of them and have very good friends.
To share one kitchen with sixty students can be difficult but is in fact an advantage. Indeed, all
the students do not use it and we were well organized so it keeps clean and nice. We had also a sauna
and three washing machines which was convenient for us.
7. - 6 -
II. Description and analyze of one
semester at TAMK
1) Chosen courses
I chose seven courses for my semester at TAMK, for a total of thirty credits ECTS. Some courses
were available the first half of the semester, some of them the second half, and some others for the full
semester.
Tools for Organizational Change (5 credits ECTS)
This subject was available only the first part of the semester (the first two months approximately).
It related to individual and group changes in a company. We studied how to deal with these changes
and sometimes how to deal with the conflicts which emerge from these changes. This subject has been
one of my favorites. We did a lot of case studies in order to better understand and analyze different
situations. The final exam was a written exam in group.
Business Development (5 credits ECTS)
This course took place only for one week (the week of holidays so I did not have it, but it was
my choice). It was an intensive week which was quite similar to the Business Game of IPAG Business
School. We were in contact with a start-up of chocolate and we had to create something new or to
improve something for it. With my team, we reworked the packaging and at the end of the week, we
presented our idea to the manager of the company.
Human Resource Management (5 credits ECTS)
This course was similar to the Human Resources class at IPAG Business School. By group of
two students (I was with a German girl), we wrote a report about a company of our choice in order to
understand how its human resources department works. We also had a written exam at the end of the
semester. Individual homework was regular.
International Business (5 credits ECTS)
During this course, which took place in the second period only, we worked on the opening of an
existing company in a new country. With my team (two Finnish girls and a Hungarian boy), we thought
about how Hesburger can open new stores in France (because Hesburger does not exist in France).
This course is similar to the marketing class of IPAG Business School. The final exam was a
presentation of our final project to the teacher.
8. - 7 -
Advanced topics in International Business (5 credits ECTS)
This course was relatively similar to International Business. The teacher was the same and
some of the exercises as well. For this course also the evaluation was a presentation of our subject and
our reflection about digitization. With my team, we analyzed how companies were digitalized by using
Facebook. It was a quite interesting problem.
Team Leadership (3 credits ECTS)
This course was done directly on an online website. Every week, we had to write an essay on a
specific topic. Every week, my team (four students) connected itself to talk online and make a mind map
on the subject. A leader was appointed at each class to animate the course. The teacher intervened
barely to let us learn how to work in team.
Each One Teach One (2 credits ECTS)
This course was based on the meeting of exchange students from another country. I discovered
two Hungarian students who wanted to learn more about France. I made them discover my culture and
vice versa. The meetings were done in an autonomous way. We had to organize the meetings by
ourselves in an original way. After each appointment (one per week approximatively), we had to write
an article on our blog to talk about what we did. It was really interesting to discover these two Hungarian
students and I am going to do an internship in Budapest next semester so I hope that I will see them
again. At least I know them and they can guide me in the city.
2) Difficulties and results achieved
The first difficulty I met was my English level. Fortunately, most of the courses were only
dedicated to the exchange students so the level was appropriate. The difference of the English level
between French students and other students is obvious. Indeed, in France we do a lot of theory during
the class but we do not practice enough. So facing this reality by speaking only in English was an
important step to overcome, especially with the famous French accent! In addition, I need to assimilate
a lot of specifics term for each subject. To solve this problem, I avoided to meet with French people in
order to speak English as much as possible and progress quickly.
The second difficulty was the differences of cultures between different the exchange students.
I thought that it was going to be a difficulty but final, it was quite interesting to discover different lifestyles.
The problem was that certain behaviors or reflections may seem abusive in certain countries and, on
the contrary, perfectly normal in others countries. Then we have all become friends and we have laughed
about our different cultures. We even organized an international dinner with all the people of the
residence and each country represented made a speciality from their own country. It is in this kind of
moments that I realized how lucky I am to have the opportunity to go on Erasmus!
9. - 8 -
Finally, the last problem to which I had to face was to distinguish the university life and the
leisure. Indeed, it is not always easy to remain studious when you live with sixty students and share
everything. This year of expatriation gives us an access to the discovery of many cultures and also to
adventures through neighboring countries. The trips had been part of my Erasmus. I had the opportunity
to admire beautiful landscapes through various cities and countries with my new friends. We all wanted
to travel and discover the north of Europe. However, the different classes had to be followed and
understood in order to validate the required thirty credits ECTS.
3) Critical and relevant approach
Let us start by talking about the Finnish education system which is quite different from the one
in France. Indeed, it is known for its excellent results. During this semester, I also studied that Finland
is a country with very few inequalities and where students have a more positive outlook on the studies
than in France. It is good to know that pupils do not pass any evaluation during their first nine years of
school. The first test they pass is when they are 16 years old. More than 65% of the pupils start university
studies which is one of the highest rates of Europe.
Firstly, each course lasts about three hours which requires some concentration. For some
teachers, the class will rather be between two hours and two and a half hours. Moreover, breaks can
last up to thirty minutes and in the same course, there may be two or three of them. Each teacher adapts
his course as he wishes. During the course, the teacher often gives us a task to do for an hour, for
example, then he leaves and comes back an hour after. There is a large part of autonomy. I noticed a
certain freedom given to students during the class. They can arrive and leave the class at any timee.
The outputs for various reasons are permitted without justification.
In addition, all the students are free for the organization of their courses. They have the choice
between different subjects and can choose those which interest them the most. It is the same for their
timetables. Therefore, there is no subject for which they do not have any interest because they choose
them by themselves.
In Finland, the grades are from 0 to 5. Finnish education promotes participation and group
presentations. Presentation can be considerate as the final exam for 100% of the grade which is less
the case in France. Moreover, there are almost twenty students in a class which so we can be more
proactive and dynamic. It is also rare to see students taking notes in class because all the supports are
published on Tabula. Students are at school to participate and practice which is not necessarily the case
with all the teachers in France.
10. - 9 -
III. Reflection about my academic and
personal knowledge
1) Academic and linguistic knowledge
The academic level
On the academic level, Finland has been incredibly worthwhile for me. The working method is
really different from ours and I worked in a different way. I learned other methods to collect information,
to develop a case and especially to write in English. I did not regret any of the course that I have chosen
for this semester at TAMK. They were all useful. Studying some of the same concepts as in France but
with a completely different method of teaching really helped me to better understand and assimilate
everything.
Throughout the semester, I have developed my knowledge in Human Resources and in the
management of team work, which is a broad topic. I also developed my general knowledge because I
was for four months into relationship with people from the four corners of the world (from Belgium to
Australia). The course of Human Resource Management required more personal involvement and
resolution of real situations.
With the International Business and Advanced Topic in International Business classes, I
discovered how a real company can start in a new market and how its operation adapts to technologies.
In these two courses, I really learned how to work in team and how to write in English for long reports.
They allowed me to have a direct approach of the business and commercial world in connection with
the news.
In addition, during the Business Development, I learned how to find an innovative idea, which is
difficult, and how to work on the same idea in an intensive and continuous way while being in a
relationship with a real company.
My Team Leadership course was one of the most interesting because I realized that it is not so
easy to manage a discussion via Skype with a group of people. It requires to be well organized. I also
realized that being the leader requires to have prepared a topic and its questions. This is not a role
which can be invented.
Finally, my Each One Teach One course was perfect to experience the culture of a country, I
do not know. And also to meet two outstanding Hungarian students with whom I spent nice time and I
want to review thereafter.
11. - 10 -
The linguistic level
The linguistic plan is the most important for me. The objective of this year abroad is to make
progress as much as possible in English and to be comfortable speaking with others. During these four
months, my English level improved day by day. My French accent is still present and it is one that I really
do not like. But finally, everyone says that my accent is my personality so I figured it out.
About learning Finnish, I know some basics words but I did not take the ‘Introduction to Finnish’
class. Indeed, another subject interested me more for the same number of credit so I made the choice
not to learn Finnish.
2) Which links with my classes at IPAG Business School?
This semester in Finland is a continuity of my studies at IPAG Business School. It includes
courses that I appreciated these past two years in France. TAMK’s courses were quite similar to those
proposed by the IPAG Business School. One difference is that at IPAG Business School, we have more
general studies than at TAMK, with about twelve imposed subjects by semester. In Finland, students
can take at least six subjects per semester and they can choose them. Thus, it was interesting to
discover these two types of studies.
In the subjects that I chose for my university semester in Tampere, only Human Resource
Management and Business Development were really similar between TAMK and IPAG Business
School. Let us say that the theory was the same but not the method of working. For the other subjects,
they were rather new for me.
With regard to the used supports, they are quite similar to those that we have in France. Tabula
truly represents our iAgora for students. However, I think that students are more in interaction with their
teachers than we are in IPAG Business School.
In Finland, students are less followed than in France. Delays and absences do not have
importance. While in France, with a minute late we may not be accepted in the class. I think that there
is more freedom and autonomy in the Finnish education than in the French education. Rules are not the
same.
My teaching followed at IPAG Business School, which was very general in the first and second
years, allowed me to have many bases and concepts in a lot of new areas of study.
12. - 11 -
3) Personal and cultural knowledge
Personal side
Finland has been an amazing and extraordinary adventure for me. It is a beautiful country with
many surprises which made me grow up on all plans.
To begin with, this semester abroad enabled me to expand my network all over the world thanks
to all the people I have met. I realize that studying abroad is a major asset in my personal life. I changed
and discovered a part of me that I did not know before. Indeed, as in any expatriation I think, there is a
huge gain in maturity. Thanks to this new experience, I have become more autonomous, independent
and confident in my actions. I realize that an experience like this brings a lot in terms of organization. It
is also important to be able to adapt myself to different situations which is not always obvious. In
Tampere, I have leaved independently while in Paris, I am used to live with my parents. Thus, I learned
how to manage on my own.
In addition, I acquired independence to manage myself. I am talking here about the costs for
example with the management of my budget. I arrived lost in Finland, then I discovered, I learned, I
adapted myself and now I am attached and I do not want to go home. I also managed my courses and
my leisure in order to fully enjoy while being studious.
Cultural side
On a cultural level, I learned a lot about Finland which is a very different country compared to
France. Indeed, stereotypes say that Finnish people are cold and not very cordial; however I had
evidence of the contrary. Even if I was surrounded by exchange students in everything I did, I had the
chance to meet a real Finn with whom I became good friend. He introduced his country from another
angle so and it was very interesting.
Finnish people are very quiet and honest. If a ticket falls out of my pocket, I am sure that a Finn
will stop me to give it back to me, contrary to France. With the same idea, a bag can remain in a park
several hours before being stolen. And it is true! Honesty is registered in their value and in their
education. Cheating in Finland is unimaginable for all students, even the most rebellious. It is a country
where I felt completely safe.
I also discovered that there is a culture of the distance. For example, if a Finn step on me feet,
he will not apologize after. Indeed, a Finn assume that he already annoyed me once by walking on my
feet and to apologize he should talk to me which would annoy me a second time. So he will not apologize
to not annoy me twice. It is amazing because in France we take this behavior for rudeness but while
thinking, they are right to not apologize in this type of situation.
13. - 12 -
4) Discovery report
Finland is a magic country full of mysteries. So many things have surprised me during this
semester that maybe I will forget some of them. But at least, you will have an idea of the main things
that struck me.
One first thing that surprised me is the climate. I thought that the weather would be colder, that
in December the snow would recover the streets and that it would be around - 15°C. But it is in November
that it got the coldest (down to - 13°C) and here we are in December and there is no snow outside
because it is + 2°C. I would not have imagined that in winter we can reach above 0°C. In addition, the
change of temperature can be sudden and the summer/winter transition obvious. In November, I already
went to - 13°C to + 2° C in twenty four hours. Let us finally talk about the sun which rises at 10:00 am
and sets at 15:00 pm in winter. When I did not put an alarm clock the morning, the day was quite short.
Another thing that surprised me is the tolerance of the teachers. In France, drinking during the
class for example is a sign of disrespect and they can make us reproach it. While in Finland, is perfectly
allowed and not bad considered. It is just normal. In the same idea, mobile phones are allowed in class.
It is also possible to slip away the class at any time of the course to go to the bathroom or to answer a
phone call. No justification is requested. Mutual trust is registered in the Finnish education, and it is the
same for their sense of respect and good faith in all circumstances.
The Finns really pay attention to the environment. Many of them moves by bike, even in winter.
There is no paper or cigarette on the ground and the beer cans are collected and brought back in stores
against vouchers or currency. This last point was completely new to me because this concept does not
exist in France. I think it is the system that best fits the way of thinking of the Finns and their respect for
the environment.
Another thing that really surprised me when I arrived in Finland is the respect for the traffic
regulations. As a pedestrian, cars always stop to let me pass, without exception! The Finns also wait
for the green light to cross the street even if it is a small street and that no car comes. Which is really
not the case in France. They are very careful on the road. In addition, there is never traffic in the city
and transit work much better than in France (the buses are really on time).
Lastly, I was surprised to feel a quick and deep attachment to my exchange student friends and
my flat mates. This experience in Tampere lasted only four months but I have learned how to live with
people with a completely different culture, habits and attitudes that I have. I was immediately integrated
into the group of exchange students and we made several trips together.
14. - 13 -
Conclusion
When I went to study in another country, I did not know at all what was going to happen and
what I was going to live. Many students told me that I was going to have a lot of good times, but also
more difficult moments because four months is long. They told me that I should not worry about being
'homesick' for example because it was normal. Thus, maybe my semester in Finland was not
normal...because I still try to find something that I did not like or that did not happened well, but I really
cannot. You will tell me that it is impossible! Well, I have told you, this semester was a dream. With this
report, you can roughly understand what I studied and what I lived in Tampere; but all the feelings by
which I went through are indescribable. Every day, I discovered something new. I was never bored,
never. All the people I met were interesting and nice. I have got very good friends in my student flat and
it is thanks to them that my semester was a dream. I do not know how to explain how this semester was
extraordinary, but I will never forget it, for sure!
Tampere University of Applied Sciences is a university that really appealed to me and I do not
regret this choice. The courses I have chosen taught me a new way of working. I also discovered how
to live in a country where the days are shortened by half, and where the climate is very different. This
experiment in Finland was, for me, an opportunity that I benefitted as much as possible from an
academic and personal point of view. Overall, I think that the selected courses and the contributions of
this expatriation are an added-value to my curriculum and they are in relation with my career plan and
my professional goals.
I can affirm that this semester abroad has been a unique, wonderful and rewarding experience.
I was integrated into the school, and it is with regret that I left TAMK. I get home from this expatriation
more grown up and mature. I developed a certain sense of independence and I gained confidence in
myself. I thank IPAG Business School from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to live this experience
whereas I am only 20 years old. I could develop my international network.
Finland, it is over for me. It was unforgettable, I will never say it enough. I have memories which
will remain engraved in my memory forever. Now, I open towards a new horizon. Indeed, in one week I
fly to Budapest, Hungary, to a four month internship at European Chamber. The next semester will be
as rich in encounters and discoveries as this semester in Finland.
