My D is looking at study abroad options for spring 2018. She’s done a lot of research and narrowed her options and has a list, but she needs to order that list for her application.
As far as I can tell, the best ranked university on the list is University of Helsinki in Finland. Others are in the UK, Milan, Australia, the Netherlands, and maybe a couple of others.
Does anyone have any insight on life in Helsinki in the January-May months? Is the darkness and cold a hindrance? Have any of you CC’ers spent time in Finland, or had a kid study abroad there? Any suggestions for what she should think about? Just looking for some opinions or perspective.
Her major is economics, and she’s done some travel and just finished a study abroad in Argentina which she loved. She’s never been to Europe.
I’ve been to Finland a couple of times - once in the summer and once in the winter. It’s a very nice European country. The people are smart and friendly if perhaps a little quieter and more reserved than some other nationalities. In terms of personal hygiene the Finns are the cleanest people on earth. They not only bathe or shower daily but take a sauna (pronounced “sowna”) daily too. Everyone is polite and the crime rate is low.
The Finnish language is not part of the Indo-European family of languages that most European language belong to, and thus it is completely unintelligible to most Americans. But Swedish is an official second language, so most road signs, etc.will also be in Swedish which often bears some distant resemblance to English or German - enough that you can often figure out what the sign is talking about if not exactly what it said. Many people in Helsinki, especially younger or educated people, can speak perfect English as well or better than many Americans. But if you get off the beaten tourist path out in the countryside or in small towns you may find yourself unable to converse with the locals.
Finnish food is a little bland for my taste - a lot of things like pickled fish, cheeses and various breads, and lots of cold cuts. But there is a more international cuisine available in Helsinki too. But I don’t recommend you try food requiring a lot of skilled application of spices… For example if you love say Italian food, you can certainly find Italian restaurants in Helsinki, but you may be a little disappointed if you are expecting it to taste anything like Italian food you get in Italy or in large American cities. One thing I noticed is that Finns normally do not pick up and eat food with their hands. Even hamburgers are eaten with knife and fork. Probably part of their cleanliness etiquette.
The only negative I can recall is that it’s common in some parts of town to encounter drunks staggering down the sidewalk or passed out on the ground - even in the morning. Finland has a high alcoholism rate, which shows up as lots of drunken men in certain areas.
The winters are of course quite cold, but no worse in my experience than say winter in say Minneapolis. Overall, Finland is a fine place to study. I think your daughter will enjoy it.
We were in Helsinki last year for a day during a cruise. I think it would be awesome to be a student there. I would suggest that she take into account what type of housing each university will have available for her. If she’s on her own to find housing, that might be tricky and possibly more expensive.
You said she’s never been to Europe, and that one of the possible exchange programs is in the Netherlands. Since that’s the case, I highly recommend that she study abroad in the Netherlands. It is located smack in the middle of mainland Europe, with many other countries only a 2 to 4 hour train ride away, or even shorter flight. Because it is so centrally located, many global companies locate their European headquarters in the Netherlands. By being in NL an entire semester, she will have a chance to visit other countries on the weekends, including Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Germany and possibly also England. Just think – she’ll be able to go to the Hague where the International Court of Justice is located, and visit Brussels where the EU government is located (affecting the entire EU economy, which should be of interest to an economics major), and see the famous sites of Paris, at a minimum.
I don’t think anyone will care too much what the “ranking” is of any study abroad university. What will matter is the overall experience she gets abroad, and how that shapes her as a person, and affects her outlook. I think she will have a chance to discover more of Europe in the Netherlands than in Finland, and that can make a difference for someone who has never been to Europe before.
Many Dutch universities have huge percentages of international students attending from all over Europe and the world, and Amsterdam has more countries represented than New York City. I think she will get a great exposure to a wide range of cultures by choosing the study abroad program in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands is also a bigger player in international commerce and the global economy than Finland – both currently and historically. That fact alone should interest an economics major.
While I agree that the Netherlands would make a fine choice, I think it’s also worth going for “the road less traveled.” And Finland is very much a lesser tourist/expat/American magnet. It makes for a more unique and exotic experience, I think. Lots and lots of people go to the Netherlands, and far fewer make it up to Finland. I personally usually go for the less touristy option and have yet to regret it.
I have never been to Finland. I have been in Stockholm Sweden in July (twice), and in late November. It is like two entirely different worlds. I loved it in the summer. The dark and damp was tough in late November. I would expect a similar situation in Finland.
I have been in Holland many times in many seasons. I have always loved it. The thought of doing a semester abroad there will definitely be on the top of my “todo” list for my next life. I have also loved Australia in my two trips there (one to Melbourne, one to Sydney – both have very good universities).
The Finnish education system is the envy of the world and the University of Helsinki is a top international university. The academics will be very, very difficult. English is widely spoken in almost every city and town, so communicating will not be an issue. The 2016 Nobel Prize in economics was awarded to a U Helsinki economics grad ( Bengt Holmstrom, now at MIT) so for an economics major that would be of interest. Finland is a EU member in excellent financial standing, so it’s very involved in the current economic issues affecting member nations.
The culture, history and architecture is fascinating. It’s a very safe country. As Finland celebrated its 100 year anniversary of independence from Russia this year, the country will be full of pride and special celebrations Great time to visit.
It will be cold in January- it’s Finland!
It’s a cosmopolitan city with lots to do and see. Sibelius, sauna and Sisu! I highly recommend visiting and studying in my home country.
That is where my family is from and where my relatives live. It’s a beautiful country - but I lived most of my life in Michigan and Minnesota so there you go. Obviously I love winters. There are many Swede-Finns and yes Swedish is commonly spoken and if you speak any Germanic language you can muddle through. Most people speak multiple languages. My cousins are fluent in 4 or 5 and my uncle is a university prof. All are fluent in English - young and old. It will definitely be a path less trod but a lifelong experience. Spring is glorious. Lake homes (small generally) are a favorite retreat in summer. The benefit to the Netherlands is weekend trips to just about anywhere in mainland Europe. Finns in general are reserved and calm but warm up as they build friendships.
Thank you for all your comments and the PM’s! Very helpful all of you. She has some good options and Finland sounds fantastic! She’s reading over my shoulder. She’s an excellent student and I’m not worried about her not putting in the effort academically, wherever she ends up. Hard choices ahead!
She’s born and raised in Arizona so the winter experience is both appealing and a bit intimidating. She hasn’t spent much time in snow.
Probably depends on your daughter. My daughter spent a semester in St. Petersburg and loved every moment there – but she did a little bit of local traveling, visited Helsinki for a day, and was underwhelmed. But my D is a city girl – she attended college in NYC – still lives and works there – and probably would have been unhappy attending any school away from a major urban center. But the point is - it’s not just a matter of climate, it is also important to consider what the lifestyle would be there – especially given the fact that in winter there’s only about 6 hours of daylight.
Very jealous. My D is dying to go to Finland. A good friend of hers went all over Scandinavaia and Helsinki was her favorite city. Not really good advice on my part, but I like what @katliamom said. The road less travelled is always better, IMO. In my many travels all over the world (not to Finland yet, though) I have discovered that going off the beaten path is always more interesting. Finland isn’t exactly a backwater, but compared to the Netherlands, I think it will be the more interesting of the two.
Europe is pretty small, but a cool advantage of Finland is easy access to Estonia, Latvia, Russia, and Lithuania, which are still inexpensive and relatively undiscovered by Americans. Tons of neat stuff to see there.
I have family in Scandinavia and visited Helsinki last summer. It is a beautiful, clean city and their education system is excellent. The city is rather sedate in comparison to Stockholm, but she can easily take the ferry to Stockholm, Tallinn and St. Petersburg, which are all wonderful sightseeing opportunities. English is spoken by many in the Baltic region, especially among younger generations. There are many immigrants in Helsinki so she will have the opportunity to have authentic Asian foods. Public transportation in Helsinki is also safe and excellent.
The only thing she may not be prepared for is the darkness, which can be weighing, The long winter months take a toll, which leads to excessive drinking.
I think “sedate” is why my D. was not enamored of Helsinki.
But again, it really depends on the individual and lifestyle preferences. It’s just somethng that needs to be factored in.
I understand the “road less traveled” point of view, as my kids certainly have followed that – but a semester is a long time, and it really shouldn’t be the only factor. I’m a litle concerned that the OP looked at the “best ranked” university,as study abroad opportunies at the undergraduate level should really focus on other factors than ranking.
I think the Netherlands is very appealing for a first experience in Europe. There are residences there for students that are very attractive and provide everything needed except for what is in the suitcase (furniture, pots and pans etc.). I wish I could remember the name. I understand that that might not be the most adventurous option but it is reassuring for a first timer.
Scandinavia (including Iceland) does have a special call for some. But for a kid from Arizona I would be wary of Finland as an intro to winter, not so much because of cold and snow but the dark.
I’ve been to Helsinki a couple of times, once in the fall, once in late spring—but never in winter. However, I have been to Sweden in winter, and it’s comparable. Winters aren’t as cold as many Americans assume. It’s winter alright, but winter temperatures are pretty comparable to Madison, Wisconsin, and Helsinki gets about half as much snow as Madison. Due to its high latitude, however, spring comes a little later in Helsinki. I think the big thing that would bother some people is the limited amount of daylight in winter. For people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), this can be a serious problem. People in Sweden told me it really helps when it snows because the city lights and/or moonlight reflect off the snow, making everything much brighter and cheerier. I was skeptical at first, but I found this to be quite true.
Helsinki is a great city—a comfortable city with many urban amenities, though as others have said, a bit “sedate.” The plus side of this is that it’s a very safe city with a low crime rate. The cuisine isn’t exciting—lots of meat and potatoes, fish, and root vegetables, but they do some very nice things with salmon, wild berries, mushrooms, and baked goods, both breads and sweet rolls and coffee cakes. The K-12 education system in Finland is arguably the best in the world, and the universities are also quite strong, with the University of Helsinki leading the pack. I think it would be an excellent place to do study abroad.
Nor is Helsinki as isolated as some here have suggested. Besides ferries to Stockholm, Tallinn, and St. Petersburg, you can usually find cheap flights on a number of cut-rate European airlines to other major European cities. My daughter did a study abroad in Prague and managed weekend trips to Berlin, Helsinki, Vienna, and Copenhagen, plus a longer trip to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam during her spring break—all on a limited budget using cheap airfares, inexpensive hostels, and sometimes buses which are generally cheaper than trains.
From what I have read recently, Finland’s education system, while still much better than the US, has not been performing as well on recent testing. Still one of the top 10 I think.
I’ve been to Helsinki several times, mainly en route to Estonia (by plane or boat). As the immediately prior poster says, Helsinki gives you easy access to several northern European cities. It’s an “international city” in that you can get around using English, and challenge yourself to learn Finnish (which is related to Estonian, another “Finnic” language).
To me, this would be an intriguing country and city for study abroad. As a resident of Michigan, Finland’s winter didn’t bother me. Helsinki’s temperatures are moderated a bit by its location on the Baltic Sea. You do get a different slant on things, however, because of the northern location. Walk down the street at NOON in Helsinki in the Winter: the sun could be directly in your eyes, sort of at a 10 AM level. The days are short. But this bias shifts in summer, when it gets dark around 11 PM!!!
I agree that the University of Helsinki is a very fine university. I’ve known some faculty there, and visited there as well.
I’ve lived in The Hague for 4 or 5 months, I’ve lived and gone to school in England, and I’m half Finnish and have relatives there but have never been to Finland. Some parts of Holland are very picturesque, other seem to combine the drabness of Calvinism and Socialism.
There is no doubt that Holland is a great base from which to travel to the rest of Europe. Finland is certainly interesting, but the days are very, very short in the winter. Speaking as someone who lives in a place where it can be dark by 4:30 in early December–Maine–I know that many people find that difficult to deal with. The same can be said of Scotland, of course. On the other hand, the days to begin to lengthen as of the Winter Solstice, and by June the days are extremely long, and the lengthy, light evenings are enchanting. (Think A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Smiles of a Summer Night )
Where would she be in the UK and in the Netherlands?
@Calmom I understand the concern, but don’t worry about us basing a decision on university rankings. D has spent a lot of time researching this and has a short list of schools now. I don’t think she’s looked at rankings at all, and I only checked the schools she’s considering yesterday, just because I know nothing of European universities. The fact that Helsinki has a strong program in her major and is highly regarded helps, but she’s looking at this from many angles.
She can prioritize studying in her major and likes some particular course offerings that are less available at her LAC. She could also take general ed requirements and spend more time exploring Europe at some of the other schools. The northern darkness when she first arrives would be intimidating. But the possibility of Northern Lights? Too much fish in the diet is intimidating, but boy does she love baked goods. The country less travelled is appealing. It will be interesting to see how she orders her choices as well as where she ends up. Exciting times. I wish I’d had all these opportunities at her age.
@Consolation the UK schools is in the north of England I forget the name of the city. Nijmegen is the city in the Netherlands, so over to the east side. It looks far from cities I recognize. It also appears to have a term that stretches into July, which makes summer internships difficult. So much to consider.
