summer course – Welcome to University of Helsinki

July 23, 2015June 21, 2017

A Smooth Start to My Studies at UH

Last year, when I was preparing and packing for my studies in Helsinki, I received an email from the University saying that I could join the Intensive Finnish language course at the Helsinki Summer School in August. The international Master’s students are a priority for the University since they are going to stay in Helsinki much longer, and it is always helpful to learn some basic communication in a foreign language, so I accepted. What a considerate arrangement!

It was later proved just how fun, productive and useful it was. The Finnish course at the Summer School was really intensive. The teaching methods and learning experience were great, although Finnish is not that easy. But there was a sense of satisfaction when I was later able to read the street signs and make simple conversations with locals while exploring the city.

More importantly, the time spent at the Summer School was a lot of fun and I was also able to make many good friends, with whom I have kept in touch afterwards. August is one of the best seasons in Finland and the activities and organized tours suggested by the Summer School covered so many aspects of the Finnish culture. In addition to traditional Finnish customs, there was also the Baltic Sea trip to Tallinn, sauna and swimming at a summer cottage, a city tour and so on. They were all great.

I have worked, studied and travelled in several different countries, and the Finnish people are one of the friendliest people in the world. The quality of the courses the Summer School offers is very high, just like their high reputation in education in general.

In short, courses at the Summer School in Helsinki will reward you in many ways. It gives you a great warm-up and acts as a safeguard when you are adapting to new environments. You will get to know the Finnish teaching style, become familiar with the city and the university campus, and settle down in a nice apartment. Then when the new term begins, you can focus solely on your studies.

Tong Xin
Master’s student in Public International Law

August 15, 2013June 21, 2017

First time in Helsinki

I am Aadhavan from India. I am going to pursue my masters in the university of Helsinki during this autumn. I just came to Helsinki summer school to attend intensive Finnish course to learn some language. This was first trip to a foreign country and i did not have any exposure towards the foreign culture and their activities. Since it is a new country, i was bit afraid how to ask someone if i need some help and i was having many questions in my mind. Moreover a new person cannot move as their wish in a new place and cannot find anything as soon as they expect. Here I would like to share my experiences, which i had in the Helsinki airport, summer school and in Finland. Continue reading “First time in Helsinki”

August 9, 2013June 21, 2017

Reflections on the HSS student lounge Kontti and Think Corner

Before the Summer School started, our HSS team went to the empty small “cube” in Porthania for decorating it. We put the world map on the empty wall, placed the Finnish comic books and played a little bit of table hockey. On the opening day, Tuesday the 6^th of August I went to look at the place again. The empty room had converted into students’ lounge Kontti and it was full of people: there were plenty of postcards and greetings from different countries and everybody was chatting with each other inside and outside. I was amazed; the place was lively and definitely intercultural. The idea of Helsinki Summer School as an interactive and international community had become true in Kontti! Continue reading “Reflections on the HSS student lounge Kontti and Think Corner”

August 7, 2013June 21, 2017

The Helsinki Summer School Kick-off!

Yesterday was a wonderfully hectic day for the Summer School staff. After registering and helping out dozens (if not hundreds?) of students, the staff, students, course coordinators and the Rector squeezed themselves into the Great Hall for the Opening Ceremony. The event was joyful and relaxed. It started with the speech of Programme Manager Pauliina Mikkonen, who talked shortly and then made the students stand up when their country was called out. The visibly largest country group were the Chinese, who stood up en masse, which seemed to cause a bit of a surprise in most people. Continue reading “The Helsinki Summer School Kick-off!”

August 5, 2013June 21, 2017

Helsinki Summer School – The learning experience of a lifetime.

The 14th annual Helsinki Summer School starts tomorrow! This year HSS programme includes 17 fully credited courses combined with a wide range of cultural and social activities. The courses are arranged by three universities: University of Helsinki, Aalto University and Hanken School of Economics. During the past few weeks the HSS team has worked very hard to get all the arrangements done and now we are finally ready to welcome our students to Helsinki. This year our courses have been extremely popular and we are expecting 400 participants from over 60 countries. I’m quite sure that the upcoming three weeks will offer us all a good deal of new experiences and unforgettable memories. Continue reading “Helsinki Summer School – The learning experience of a lifetime.”