3. 2
Introduction
If you’re reading this then I assume you’re considering spending either a year or semester
studying in Helsinki, at Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. This Study guide
will give you all the relevant information that will hopefully help you make a decision as to
whether Helsinki is the place for you. It’ll also provide relevant information for you, if you
have chosen it as your destination.
Obviously I will cover the boring
bits such as pre planning, subject
and course planning and all the
admin stuff. However, I will talk
more about important things to do
upon arrival, the daily student life,
nightlife, things to see and do, and
the trips and excursions in more
detail, as I feel they greater
represent what life is like as an
exchange student in Helsinki.
Pre-planning
Throughout the application process and in the weeks and months prior to your arrival to
Finland, I found that Metropolia are very helpful, willing, and very punctual with replying to
any questions or queries you may have about the process. Your home university and
particularly Metropolia guide you through the process well, but here I willoutline some of the
main things to consider and get done before you arrive in Finland.
Learning Agreement. After receiving a welcome pack from Metropolia, you have to
fill out a learning agreement, a form basically saying what modules/courses you will
study during your time abroad. Don’t worry too much about which modules to pick,
as they are very flexible to changes in the learning agreement, if for example you go
to a lesson and decide it’s not for you. (I personally changed about 3 of my courses
within a few weeks of arriving).
Registration with Metropolia. You receive details of this in the welcome pack, and if
I remember correctly they send you emails regarding this. You have to enter details
and register on their online System. This is done through their online registration
system called “Mobility Online”. This is a must as they will allocate a tutor who will
meet you at the airport, and create your Tuubi account (their version of Blackboard).
Accommodation. Student Accommodation in Finland is all handled by a private
company calledHOAS. You have to apply online through their website, and then they
will offer you an apartment around a month before your arrival date, which you then
accept and pay the deposit.
Finances. You need to apply for your student loan as normal through student finance.
In this process you have to select the options that you will be studying in Europe, so
that you will be entitled to receive you Erasmus grant (Something which you will be
4. 3
very grateful for when a large sum of money enters your account sometime during
your stay!).
Finally, it is a good idea to tie up any loose ends you may have in England, things such as
cancelling phone contracts, and investigating any charges to use your bank card abroad are
good places to start. I personally would not recommend taking with you any thick winter
clothes (ie, big winter boots and a big thick coat etc.) as they take up too much room in your
suitcase(s) and can easily be found when you are here for a prices that isn’t too much more
expensive than the UK.
Travel
Flights to Helsinki from England are from Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester. It is generally
cheaper to fly from one of the London Airports as you can fly with Norwegian - they are
cheaper that the Finnair/British Airways operated Manchester flights. But this is for you to
judge depending on where you live, and for your convenience etc. I won’t put on estimates
of flight pieces as these are liable to change, especially if you are reading this years from now!
All it takes to find flight prices is a quick search on Google or SkyScanner!
Arrival at destination
If you have filled out the right form and ticked the correct boxes, you should be met by your
tutor at the airport. Your tutor is a student already studying at the university, and they are a
big help and source of information in the first few weeks of living there. Your tutor should
have already picked up your apartment keys and a welcome pack for you. My tutor then took
me to my apartment. My flat mates were all very welcoming, and within about 2 hours of
landing I was sat drinking beer in the sunshine at a park in the centre, meeting a lot of other
exchange students.
In the following days and weeks my tutor helped a lot, taking me to IKEA to buy things for my
flatand helping me with my phone contract. You are alsosupposed to register with the police,
and at the Magistratii in the centre within 3 months of arriving, to officially say you’re now a
resident of Finland. However, this costs around 40 Euros, and if you leave the country at any
point within those 3 months, they reset. So many exchange students (including myself) never
got round to doing this so don’t worry too much about this.
In your orientation week at university you will be given lots of information about Helsinki life
and the university and courses etc. During your orientation week you should also be going to
HSL office to get your public transport travel card. This is essential as you will be using a lot of
public transport when here, whether it be going to university or into town, and fines for
getting caught without a ticket can be up to 100 euros.
5. 4
Accommodation
As saidearlier, allstudent accommodation in Finland is organized through aprivate company,
HOAS. You can look for your own accommodation but I recommend going through HOAS for
a number of reasons. It is a lot cheaper than private accommodation, more convenient for
you, the locations are good, and you will be with all the other exchange students. The
locations for the Two main areas of exchange student accommodation can be seen below.
The red marker is where the larger area of
student apartments is, in Kannelmäki. The
blue dot is where a smaller amount of
exchange students live, including myself, in
Pasila. You don’t a get a choice where you
live between these two locations, it’s just
where HOAS decide to put you.
Pasila is extremely well located. The large
train station has commuter trains running
to the centre every 2 mins or so, and all
trains leaving the centre stop there. There
are also well connected bus routes. The
walk to and from the centre is nice (if not
long) in the summer. But I would
recommend against it as it is around 45
mins!
I would have put pictures of my flat in this
guide, but it is getting renovated as soon as I move out so there’s not much point. However,
I can say that mine is pretty much the last building to get renovated, so the chances are very
good that you’ll be given a nice new apartment.
1A pic I took on the walk home one evening
6. 5
Shopping, food and prices
The food in Helsinki and Finland is very similar to that in the UK, all the supermarkets have
everything you could want. The only thing I haven’t been able to find are hash browns, but I
have been reliably informed they do have them, they’re called Rӧstiperunat.
Finland like all Nordic countries is an expensive place to live, however the price difference is
offset somewhat by the exchange rate. Even so, you will still be hard pressed to find a beer
for less than 5 euros in the centre.
It is asimilar story with clothes, they have familiar brands and many shops and largeshopping
centers. The main ones being Kampii and Forum. The Stockmann department store is also up
there with the biggest stores I’ve been in. The first time you go in it’s almost a given you’ll get
lost. But yet againyou can find almost anything you want there. The cheapest shop for clothes
is probably H&M.
Important: As alcohol is so expensive in Finland, many Finnish
people and exchange student go to Tallinn in nearby Estonia to
by their Alcohol (seems crazy I know). The ferry is 2 ½ hours and
you can get tickets from about 15 euros return. You go in the
morning, spend the afternoon there, and then before leaving I
recommend spending as much on spirits as you can carry (take
a big rucksack). People spend easily over 100 euros at a time
when they go, but it saves so much money in the long term. I
went about a month ago and still have all this lot left! (And yes,
that blue box at the back contains 5L of vodka and only cost
around 50 euros).
7. 6
The host institution
As you can see from the map, the business
campus at Myyrmäki is quite a way out of the
centre, however it is but a 2/3-minute train
from Kannelmäki, and a 10-minute train ride
from Pasila.
The university itself is very new and modern,
founded in 2007. It has 15,000 students spread
across it’s 20 campuses around the city.
However, in the next few years this number
will be vastly reduced.
The lecturers are from all over the world, and
all speak excellent English. They are also very
quick to respond to emails, and more than
willing to help if needed.
Classes lastfor around 3 hours (either allmorning or allafternoon) with a break in the middle.
At first I found this a bit of a shock but, now I am used to it, I quite like it. Classes are larger
than the seminars we have in England, ranging in size from around 15 students up to 30/35
students. Active participation is encouraged by most teachers. In almost every single module,
there is an element of group work that counts towards your final grade, whether this be a
presentation, report, or whatever. So if you enjoy doing group work, you’ll be inyour element.
Many of the students are international and there is a largeamount of fellow Erasmus students
going each semester, so you will have no problem making new friends. All students speak
English very well, as all classes are taught in English.
8. 7
Course Registration
You have to choose and register for your courses here, as opposed to that getting done for
you in England. You will be emailed links to the list of courses after you have been accepted
into the university. You then register for the courses you want on the systemthey have called
WinhaWille. When you have done this, your teacher will then enroll you onto the course.
However, don’t worry too much about dong this before you arrive, because it’s a complicated
system that doesn’t make sense for newcomers, and you have sessions and opportunities to
sort all of this out in your orientation week, along with your learning agreement.
Contacts
Your tutor. You tutor will be a vital source of information especially during the first
few weeks, and is an excellent source of local knowledge.
Terhi Topi.Terhi is the International Coordinator for the business schoolat Metropolia.
She will be the one who contacts you throughout the application and registration
process and will also be a present figure in your orientation week. She can be
contacted via email at Terhi.Topi@metropolia.fi
Anu Luoma. Anu is the woman you contact if you have any trouble with your course
registration, changing a course or you timetable, get in touch with her at
anu.v.luoma@metropolia.fi
Language and cultural issues
The Finnish language is notorious for being one of the most difficult to learn in the world. It is not
similar to anything else out there, I can barely say half of the names of places even now! However,
thisisnot a massive issue,asalmosteveryone speaksfluentEnglish.If someone triestotalkto youin
Finnish,justsay“Sorry I onlyspeakEnglish”or “Sorry I don’t speakFinnish”orthe like,andtheywill
switchtoEnglishnoproblem.There isthe optiontochoose aFinnishlanguage moduleatUniversity –
if you dare! But obviously living here you pick up various bits and pieces anyway.
Culturally, Finland is very similar to England. There are no major differences. The Fins are a very
reserved people however, and like to keep to themselves on things like public transport even more
than us Brits.
Furthermore, in England you will be used to going out clubbing on any weeknight and not having
trouble finding somewhere busy and where you’ll have a good time. While the nightlife here is very
good,andvariedforall tastes,itispredominantlyactive on FridayandSaturdaynights.Iwilltalkmore
about the nightlife later on.
A final note,one thingthattookme bysurprise whenmovinghere,wasthe extenttowhicheveryone
lovesthe Englishaccent.Itmaysoundstrange,butI’ve beensatwithanother Englishguyonthe train
or bus talking,andoccasionallywe have caughtpeoplestaringatus.It may soundarrogant,but even
thingssuchasorderingdrinkorfoodhasmade the employees(especiallythe women)take aninterest
in us. Use this to your advantage!
9. 8
Things to see and do
Suomenlina.Thisisan islandoff the coast of Helsinki thatwasoriginallyusedbythe Swedish
Kingdom as a fortress and then by the Russian Empire. It is a 10-minute ferry ride from
Helsinki,and Ferries run every20 minutes or so. It is a beautiful place to explore, and in the
opening weeks there is a massive student gathering there, where students sit and drink and
have a laugh watch the sunset, and some even have a barbeque. This goes on late into the
night, with an after party at a club in the centre somewhere.
Seurasaari. This is an Island just out the centre,
it’s is actually an open air museum with historic
Finnish buildings. However, its nickname,
Squirrel Island, allows you to guess the real
reason tourists head there. The Island is home to
hundreds of Red Squirrels, who are relatively
tame and will happily come and take nuts out of
your hand if you are patient and quiet enough.
The Island is accessible over a bridge, and is well
worth a visit, as it is a nice walk around, too.
The Churches/Cathedrals. One of the iconic pictures on Helsinki is the Lutheran White
Cathedral. However, there are other beautiful and interesting building to see. There is the
Rock Church, The silent Church, and Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral.
10. 9
Sports. The National Sport in Finland is Ice
Hockey,andthe Finsall love it.There are twoMain
teamsin Helsinki,Jokeritwhoplayinwhatusedto
be called the Russian Super League,and HIFK who
play in the Finnish league. The Finnish football
seasonruns from April throughto October,due to
the cold and often very snowy winters. So upon
arrival youwill be able tosee the lastfew gamesof
the season.
Nuuksio National Park.Located not far out from Helsinki, this beautiful national park is very
popular especially in the summer, with open fire pits for barbeques, and the “every man’s
right”lawinFinlandallowspeople tocampwherevertheylike.It’sexcellenttogowalkingand
camping it is easily accessible via a train and then bus.
Finally,there isHelsinki zoo,whichIpersonallyhaven’tbeento,butIhave heard it’samazing
inthe summer.There are alsoartmuseums,Cinema’s,endlesscoffeeshops,andloadsof bars
restaurants and pubs.
Nightlife
Asyouwouldexpectfromacapital city,the nightlifeandmusic
scene is incredibly varied.However, like I previously said,it is
predominantly active during Friday and Saturday nights.
There are two mainareas to go for nightsout: the city centre
or a district called Kallio. Kallio (outlined on the map with the
circle) isverypopularwithlocalsandstudentsalike due tothe
comparativelycheapprices,andhuge selectionof cheapbars.
The bars inKalliioall close at1.30am, howeveritis alsohome
to two excellentclubs,Kaikuand KuudesLinja.These are two
of the mostpopularclubsinHelsinki forfansof trance,techno,
edm and grime.
The city centre is also home to a large selection of clubs and
bars. The most popular ones include, Aussie Club, Le Bonk,
11. 10
Capital and Kaivohuone for your standard club kind of music. Ville Wӓinӧ and Tavastia have a very
Finnishflavortothemand are extremelypopularamongthe locals.Ihave heardTavastia has a bit of
a rock feel toit, but I haven’tbeenso cannotcomment.Roska is a very small andcosy place,playing
a mixture of Finnish music, classic rock and indie music.
WithRegardsto barsin the centre,we tendtonotreallygotothemall thatoftenbecause theyare so
expensive.However,weare bigfansof Henry’sPub,andMollyMalone’sIrishpub.SteamBarHelsinki
I’ve heardisalso reallynice,butthe age limitis22. That is anotherthingto watchout for, depending
on how busy places are, they are sometimes liable to increase the age limit to 21 or even 22, so if
you’re 20 like Iam thenyoumay get turnedawayoccasionallyif yougetthere toolate etc. However,
Ihave onlyeverbeenturnedawayfromaclubonce because ofthisandI’vebeenhere about6months
now.
Finally, something to watch out for, is the policy with coats and jackets. In England we are used to
queuing up in freezing conditions in just a shirt, t shirt or a dress. Here, while that is okay in the
summer, once the temperature drops below a certain point (sometime in October usually),you will
not get let into a club if you do not have a coat or jacket with you. This is because the clubs have a
legal liabilitytonot letpeople leave if theyare notwearingsuitable clothingbecause of the extreme
temperatures.Icantell youfromexperience,queueingforaclubin-20degreesisauniqueexperience.
Trips and Excursions
One of the mainpullingreasonsthat attractedme to Helsinki wasthe opportunityof beingable to
participate ina huge numberof visitstocountriesandplacesotherthanHelsinki andFinland.In
Chronological orderI’ll brieflyoutline whatI’ve beenupto:
Like previouslytalkedabout,goingtoTallinnisamust,if onlyto buyalcohol. The TallinnOld
Townis beautiful,full of old14th
and15th
centurybuildingsandnarrow windingcobbled
streets.Andwithitbeingsoeasilyaccessible fromHelsinki,it’samustdoday trip.
12. 11
In OctoberI wenttoVisita friendfromuniversitywhowasdoinghisErasmusin Oslo.It’s
one of the nicestplacesI’ve everbeen,verymodernandstylish.Nottomentionthe
incredibleviewsonoffer,justa10-minute trainride outfromthe city.
At the Start of Novemberthere isthe opportunitytogoonan overnightpartycruise from
Helsinki toStockholm.Youthenhave aday inStockholmandthendo the same comingback.
I can’t recommenddoingthisenough,it’sabsolutechaosandso muchfun andtotallyworth
the 2-day hangoverthatfollows.
13. 12
At the endof November,I visitedthe Russiancityof St.Petersburg.Itwasanovernightferry
fromHelsinki andwe spent3 full daysthere.Russiaisadifficultcountrytogo if youare a UK
citizenwhatwiththe complicatedprocess of gettingavisa,sothese 72-hourvisa-free trips
are well worthit.It’sone of the most amazingplacesI’ve everbeen,absolutelymental,itis
nicknamedthe Venice of the north,withamaze of canals andriversacross the city.Coupled
withbeautiful buildingsandthe crazyRussianculture,itmakesforan incredibletrip.
In Decembercame arguablymyfavorite thingthatI’ve done here,Visiting Levi Ski resortin
Lapland. It isand expensive trip, andit’salong12 hour or so busjourneyuphere,butitis
well worthit.A true once ina lifetime experience.Snowmobile driving,Huskysledding,
skiing,outdoorJacuzzi’s,saunas,reindeersledding,ice cartdriving,andclubbing.One of the
bestweeksof mylife.
14. 13
SecondsemesterIhave bookedatripto go and visitPrague andthenRigain March witha
friend.I goingto PortoinPortugal,inApril,tovisit anotherfriendthatImade out here.I
have alsousedthe Erasmus moneytohelpfunda tripto IcelandinSeptemberaswell!I
cannot waitforall of these.
I justwant to sayas well,thatall the photo’susedinthisguide were takenbymyself (apartfromthe
overheadshotof the university).Sothathopefullygivesyouamore realisticfeel of whattoexpect.
Because obviouslyanybodycansearchforsomethingongoogle images.
Furthermore,if youare consideringspendingyoutime abroadinHelsinki,andhave anyquestionsor
concerns,please feelfree togetintouchwithme on Facebook(Matt Fell) orsendme andemail at
matt.fell11@gmail.com I’dbe happytohelp.
