Category: Introducing Helsinki & Finland

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Be active, active and more active!

MA Qian
MA Qian is one of our International Student Ambassadors

Dear New students,

I can never forget the excitement that kept me up all night when I received the admission letter from University of Helsinki on 1st May, 2012. How I pictured what my student life would be, what my classmates and teachers would look like, how I could survive the Finnish winter, where I would be living… Now two and a half years have passed within a blink; I graduated from my master’s programme last December, and then moved away from Finland this January to start my new career in the UK. Being away from Finland makes me reflect on my time there. Constantly I am considering what were the most meaningful experiences I had at the University of Helsinki, and how differently I would perform if given a second chance to live my student life. I have summarized my thoughts below, hopefully it will give you some insights into planning your own student life, especially at this beginning moment when you are equally excited and lost. Continue reading “Be active, active and more active!”

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MEETING THE FINNS!

Giulia-Pernisi-ambassador_verkkoAre you ready to pack your stuff and move to this amazing country? New experiences, places and friends are waiting for you here! You’ll get to know this great university, you’ll become familiar with Helsinki, and you’ll surely meet other international students. But what about the locals?! This is actually a question that I’ve been asked pretty often during the last two years. How do you meet the locals?
I had the same question when I moved to Finland. In the end the answer came from another international girl – who then became my best friend – during a random Saturday night, and can be summed up in five words: go there and say “moi”! (Lesson number 1: “moi” means “hello”) Does it sound too easy? I thought exactly the same. However in the end I tried to put it in practice – and being the greatest introvert that I know, that was definitely hard for me! But you know what? It works! Continue reading “MEETING THE FINNS!”

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13 Sunken Years in the National Theatre – a Scottish take on Finnish drama.

For members of HYY student union: special price tickets to 13 Sunken Years in the National Theatre

Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY) has been co-operating with the National Theatre for several years offering special price tickets for HYY members for certain shows. This May HYY is happy to announce a very special offer of the month: 13 Sunken Years in the National Theatre – a Scottish take on Finnish drama.

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The play is English, subtitles are in Finnish. Continue reading “13 Sunken Years in the National Theatre – a Scottish take on Finnish drama.”

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Take out your sleds and sleighs, laskiainen is here!

Laskiaisrieha-10

Laskiainen is a Finnish celebration traditionally held on Shrove Tuesday. It is also associated with the Sunday preceding Shrove Tuesday, this year the 15th of February. In previous times, laskiainen was the last celebration before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, but these days it mainly means a day of sleigh-riding and eating laskiaispulla, a special type of bun made just for this occasion. Laskiainen is not a public holiday, however, so you’ll still have lectures! Continue reading “Take out your sleds and sleighs, laskiainen is here!”

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Celebrate the Finnish Independence Day: University Student’s Torch Procession on 6th December

soihtukulkue_blogiOn Saturday 6th December the student unions of the capital region (HYY, AYY, TaiYo and SHS) organise the traditional Independence Day torch procession of university students.

Academic youth from the capital region have celebrated the Finnish Independence Day together since 1951, the year when Marshal of Finland C.G.E. Mannerheim died. The route follows his funeral cortege route in opposite order, starting from the Hietaniemi cemetery and ending at the Senate square. Students follow their respective student organization flags with torches in their hands, and wear their white Finnish student caps for this celebration. Continue reading “Celebrate the Finnish Independence Day: University Student’s Torch Procession on 6th December”

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Finnish winter surprises

HThe Finnish way to survive the gloomy days of winter is to increase the consumption of coffee, but are there other ways to overcome the winter blues?

Gretchen Repasky“Avoid sitting inside waiting for summer. It will be a long time coming!” says Gretchen Repasky, employed at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM.

Originally from Alabama, USA, Repasky was used to winter temperatures before moving to Finland, but her first winter in Finland in 2010 still proved a memorable experience. It was the coldest winter in ages, with record amounts of snow.

“The most surprising thing to me was the excitement shown by most people to the snowy winter and the numbers of people outside all winter long. The snow provided a great environment for fun outdoor play,” Repasky reminisces.

Continue reading “Finnish winter surprises”

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Running in Finland: An International Student’s Perspective

bridge_austinMy name is Austin Sears and I am currently one of University of Helsinki’s International Student Ambassadors. Last year I checked out the Midnight Run on a whim after seeing the Facebook post about it and found myself cheering on the runners from the steps of the University’s Main Building in the Senate Square. I thought about participating, but I was recovering from an injury I got while running last summer.

This year is a bit different. Like Dina, who wrote this handy little guide, I am participating in the Midnight Run on August 30th and I am very excited about it! Continue reading “Running in Finland: An International Student’s Perspective”

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