Posts under the ‘Finland’ category

Studying, Exploring, Experiencing, and Blogging!

After surviving my winter break, and Russia for that matter, I have finally gotten settled in Sweden!

I will re-introduce myself, as my blog has recently changed locations from the MTU ParentNet Student Abroad, to the MTU IPS Student Abroad Blog. My name is Kassidy Yatso, and I have been the ‘student abroad’ blogger for the past 6 months while studying at the University of Helsinki, Finland, starting in late August 2010.

I received my B.Sc. in Applied Ecology and Environmental Science from Michigan Technological University’s (MTU) School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (SFRES) in December 2009, and chose to continue my education at MTU. I am currently part of an exchange program of American and European master’s students, leading to a dual (double) master’s degree, (in completion, I will obtain two MS diplomas, one from the US and one from an EU university). My Transatlantic Master’s Degree in Forest Resources requires a total of 2 years (4 semesters) across three universities in Finland, Sweden and the USA: 1 semester at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 1 semester at the University of Helsinki (UH), and 2 semesters (one study year) at MTU.

I have just completed my semester of graduate studies at the University of Helsinki, and am now attending SLU. I will be blogging about academics, culture, my travels, and much more! If you are just joining me, I am in transit between Helsinki, Finland, and Alnarp, Sweden, but my blogs from last semester are archived, so you can go back and read about Finland and last semester’s adventures

Map of SLU Alnarp Campus

After repacking all of my belongings in Helsinki for the move to Sweden, I realized I had some how accumulated more possessions that I thought. Luckily, one of my fellow classmates at UH was willing to drive me to the airport so I did not have to rangle my baggage on the Helsinki public buses. I will forever be grateful. A short hopper flight to Denmark, and I was in Copenhagen in less than two hours. Alone, attempting to navigate the airport, buy a train ticket to Malmö, and manage my baggage, I was taken back by the quiet, calmness and neatness of the Copenhagen Airport. Feeling a bit more relaxed, I caught the train to Malmö Central Station to meet up with other new SLU students and a ‘welcoming committee’. SLU had graciously offered to pick new students up at the railway station and bring us and our luggage to our new addresses, saving time, money, and inevitable frustration. I am currently living in Arlöv, Sweden, which is north of  Malmö, Sweden, and west of  Copenhagen, Denmark.

My Bike "Kermit"

I live in a student flat with two other forestry students; a Russian girl from the Moscow State University, and an Italian girl who is in the Erasmus Mundus  Programme. We all attend the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) this semester, taking part in the Euroforestry programme. I had one day to unpack, regroup, and reorganize before classes started for the Spring Semester. Luckily my roommates are in the same course programme and showed me around campus and the surrounding areas. I live about a 20 minute bike ride from the Alnarp campus, and about 5 minutes from the Burlöv Center (a large mall with a grocery store in it). I was fortunate enough to buy a bike upon my arrival to Sweden, from a fellow ATLANTIS student that was already at SLU. A bike is vital for survival here.

For the first half of the semester I will be taking a course titled “National and International Forestry Policy”. We have class Monday through Friday from nine to four, with an hour lunch break. It is much more reading intensive than my courses in Helsinki, with a more demanding schedule and course load. I think it will be easier to make friends here though, because it is the same 35 students every day, doing the same homework and field trips, with some of us living together as well. I am excited about the diversity of the class; there are students from Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Uruguay, and the United States. A very exciting mix indeed!

I have convinced my house mate to help me further my Russian linguistic skills, as I have just returned from Russia. In the upcoming weeks I will talk about my first week of class in Alnarp, and my adventures in Russia!

до свидания! (Do svidaniya pronounced duh svee-dah-nee-ye) which literally means in Russian, “Until (the next) meeting”

Kassidy

Questionable kebab...

I have always enjoyed cooking, and eating for that matter, and thought it would be interesting to write about the food in Finland this week. I was inspired by the other infamously popular question I get from my friends and family when I travel, about the food.  Starting with a brief ‘Finnish food history’, I put together a list of the the things I miss, wish I could afford, and some traditional Finnish foods I have tried. I also found some average Finnish prices (in Euros) of groceries, commonly bought items, and fast food, and converted U.S. dollars for a price comparison.

Finnish cuisine has been described as “generally simple, fresh and healthy”, thus, I wondered why I do not like most of it. I soon realized what I had been craving – spices! Spices are not common in traditional Finnish foods due to their historical unavailability. They are quite common in modern Finnish dishes though, influenced by Haute cuisine.

Things I miss the most: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, dark chocolate M&M’s, Annie’s Naturals Organic Cowgirl Ranch Dressing, traditional, fresh guacamole, hummus,  Reggae Reggae Sauce, (decent) celery, and my family’s homemade tomato juice, pesto, pickles, and salsa.

Things I wish I could afford: Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, almonds, sushi, and in general, going out to eat. Even the late-night kebab stands (that are questionable in quality) are, at a minimum, 6 Euros (over $8)!

A Karelian Pie

Traditional Finnish foods I have tried: cloudberries, Karelian pies, Lingonberries, Graavilohi, traditional Western Finnish rye bread Reikäleipä, Villi, Salmiakki, moose meat (thanks to my hunting friends), and Pulla (which is also common in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan due to it’s large Finnish population).

What is in my pantry/fridge: soy milk, musili, pasta, quinoa, pesto, salsa, rice, zucchini, salad, orange juice, dark chocolate, hot cocoa mix, cheese, tomatoes, feta, green olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, bread, tortilla chips, oatmeal, oranges, potatoes, stir-fry vegetables, copious amounts of teas and yerba mate, and wild rice.

I would have to agree with French President, Jacques Chirac, in that Finland is second only to Britain, for the country with the worst food...and the worst prices!

Average Grocery Shopping Prices in $USD:

Average Prices for Going Out to Eat in $USD:

I will definitely be ready to get back to my fully equipped kitchen, and cannot wait to eat food grown and prepared by my family!

Cheers,

Kassidy

Vilnius

Vilnius is the vibrant capital of Lithuania. Though the city is small, Vilnius is a fiercely independent city that buzzes with an eccentric charm. It was named the European Capital of Culture in 2009. Its Old Town received World Heritage status in 1994 and attracts many visitors to its cobbled streets and buildings, many of which date from the 13th century.

I ended up staying at an amazing hostel named Jimmy Jumps, run by a Canadian from Alberta. I decided to try to travel as cheaply as possible, and ended up in a six-bed dorm…with a snorer! We are not talking about your typical snorer either; this was an industrial, chain-saw-like snore that penetrated my headphones, pillow, and even earplugs! I eventually gave up at about 5 in the morning, and stumbled to the common room to sleep on the couch. The staff were both surprised and entertained to find me there the next morning, and made me fresh waffles. With help from the staff, I mad my Vilnius ‘to do’ list. First, guns!

Jimmy Jumps offers a ‘Machine Gun Tour’, where for about 70 Euros you can shoot an AK47, M-4, UZI, Magnum revolver, Steyr Aug, MP5, Tommy Gun (WWII), MP-38 (WWII), and more! In total I got to shoot 12 assorted assault rifles, submachine guns and pistols, as well as relics from World War II. I am not your typical gun lover, and I do not even hunt, but I could not pass up this opportunity. I like to challenge myself to do new things, and I think it is important to understand how guns work. Our ‘guide’ was especially knowledgeable; we spent almost 5 hours underground in an abandon Russian bunker, not only shooting these weapons, but learning about their origins, historical use, and their ammunition. It was an interesting and entertaining day to say the least! You should have seen when I blew my nose the next day…black…gun powder gross!

Oldest Jewish ghetto in Vilnius. Notice the marking by the door.

The next day I got the rare opportunity to go on a walking tour. It is considered to be ‘off season’ right now, but our friendly hostel staff booked us a city sites walking tour (click this link to watch a neat little tour video). The tour guides are local students who offer their time in exchange for tips, to practice their English and tell about the amazing history of Vilnius. We went out on a bitterly cold day – about -7°F! The tour was extremely informative and even stopped at a local coffee shop to let the participants thaw. We started out at the City Centre and walked all around Vilnius’ infamous Old Town. There were many local historical sites to see including an unimaginable amount of churches – there are around 60 churches in the city! There were Jewish ghettos throughout Old Town due to World War II, with very touching memorials. The Jewish memorials had piles of stone on and around them, a Jewish tradition. I learned that Jewish tradition calls for placing a stone or pebble atop a headstone or grave during a visit. There are many different stories as to what the initial reason might have been, but now the gesture is a symbolic one to honor the memory of a dead loved one, friend or relative. Of the many possible explanations, one is that a pebble or stone is believed to signify a more permanent memory of the loved one that, unlike flowers, they will never fade, and stones were easier to find in arid regions. Another explanation is superstition. Shortly after death, souls were said to linger for an unspecified time in their graves. The rocky mounds over the dead person’s body kept the souls in check, preventing them from wandering away and causing trouble or confusion elsewhere. On a lighter note, we visited the artsy and independent state of Užupio (also known as Užupis), or the Republic of Angels as it has been dubbed.

welcome to the land of the free thinking hippies...

Užupis, which means ‘beyond the river’ is a logical name, considering that this small district rises up above a brook in the River Vilnele; comprises only 148 acres and around 120 residents. It has one main street, surrounded by lanes and courtyards full of art galleries. But generally, logic is not the preferred realm of the Užupians. They prefer good old-fashioned nonsense. Settled by artists in the 1980s, this tatty hive of stone and wooden cottages has a gritty and haunt charm, and is full of character. Užupis has not only its own constitution, but a national anthem, a bishop, and four flags (one for each season of the year). And of course, like any self-respecting state, Užupis has its own national holiday – (Užupis Independence Day, celebrated annually on April Fools Day), as well as its own Constitution.  While heartfelt, aloof, and absurd the constitution’s 41 points boldly assert that everyone has the right to be…well…human. For example, the constitution states that:

“Everyone has the right to love.”  - ”Everyone has the right to idle.” –

“Everyone has the right to be misunderstood.”

Frank Zappa Memorial

To add to the bizarre day, I visited a Frank Zappa Monument and ‘The Egg’. Frank Zappa has absolutely nothing to do with Lithuania, nor did he ever set foot in the country. Oddly enough, the Lithuanians love the ‘king of irreverence and remarkable moustaches’, and unveiled the bust of the pony-tailed rocker which was brought to life by some artists from Užupis in 1992. ‘The Egg’ is an oversized egg on a nest of real twigs resided on Užupis’ main square until it ‘hatched’ the Angel of Užupis in 2002 and moved to a grim square west of Old Town. (Click on the images for full pictures).

'The Egg'

After all of this ridiculousness it was time to get serious; my next stop, The Museum of Genocide Victims. The former KGB headquarters is now the Museum of Genocide Victims. It was established ten years ago. The Museum is unique because it is the only one of its kind in the Baltic States because it is established in the actual former KGB headquarters. I got goosebumps walking through the same building in which deportations and arrests were planned and carried out, and the persecutions and imprisonment of political opponents had taken place. Lithuania was occupied by the Soviets from 1940 until 1991. I was chilled to be standing in a cell where multiple people had been brutally beaten and murdered. One of the most horrifying cells was constructed in such a way that the prisoner would be forced to stand on a metal disk about the size of a dinner plate, which was erected in the center of the cell. The cell had a pool for a floor which was filled with water, and ice during the colder months. The museum was one of my favorite visits in Vilnius. As I left the building, I was reminded about Lithuania’s tragic history and losses, as the names of Lithuanian victims inscribed on the exterior building blocks. Unfortunately there are no cameras or pictures allowed inside the museum, but I did find an internet link that had some pictures for you to see. Truly tragic.

Tiger lose in the hostel with a Soviet gas mask!

As I prepared to leave Vilnius, and Lithuania for that matter I stumbled across a true treasure – a full-body tiger costume! For a mere 20 Lithuanian litas (about $7) I could not resist. The hostel staff and guests had a good laugh, and then laughed even harder when I could not fit my tiger costume into my luggage! I had to laugh to myself as I caught the bus, and many stares, to the Kaunas airport in a tiger costume. I can only imagine what the airport security was thinking when I came trotting up to the counter, but it was a midnight flight, and everyone just wanted to get on their plane. The adventure did not end there though! Upon my arrival to the Tampere airport I discovered their transport bus was running extremely behind schedule – I was going to miss my train. Luckily my tiger survival instincts kicked in, and I put on a smile and stuck out my thumb…well…paw. I successfully hitch-hiked to the downtown train station, and made it to my train with minutes to spare!

What an adventure! Safely back in Helsinki, it is now time to prepare for a finals week full of packing, sorting, presentations, papers, statistics, and exams. My semester officially ends on December 17th, with my final exam at noon. Wish me luck!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy winter break,

Kassidy

Finnish Santa Claus and Mother Christmas

Contrary to popular belief, Santa Claus lives in Finland, not the North Pole! Santa Claus lives in Korvatunturi with his wife, Mother Christmas, and the Elves. Lucky for me, Santa decided to come down and visit Helsinki! I even found out that you can send a letter to Santa Claus using this address: Santa Claus, Santa Claus Main Post Office, FI-96930 Arctic Circle!

Being immersed in Finnish Christmas culture, I began to get curious and I started to do some research. I discovered that the Finnish Christmas has its roots in the old pagan harvest feast called kekri, named after the ancient Finnish cattle protector and fertility god. Kekri was celebrated around the end of November, or the end of the harvest season, marking the end of the year in the old agrarian calendar. After Christianity reached Finland in the 12th century, the traditions and habits of kekri began to assimilate with Christian Christmas celebration.

Winter snow out my bedroom window.

Interestingly enough, Finns celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve on the 24th of December. Shops in Helsinki close for the 25th and the 26th of December, and Christmas in Finland officially ends 13 days after Christmas Day. On Christmas Eve, Christmas dinner is typically served between 5 and 7 in the evening in Finland, which traditionally consists of oven-baked ham, rutabaga casserole, beetroot salad, and similar holiday foods. Christmas Eve in Finland is on the also consists of joyful carols and local Christmas songs. The Christmas presents are usually given out in the evening during a personal visit from the local Santa Claus. Other essentials on Christmas Eve in Finland are Christmas mass, and a visit to a Finnish sauna, of course. Unlike on normal days, when going to sauna is in the evening, on Christmas Eve it is before sunset. This tradition is based on a pre-20th century belief that the spirits of the dead return and have a sauna at the usual sauna hours.

Aleksanterinkatu Christmas lights in November

Not for the faint-hearted, another popular Finnish wintertime activity is ice swimming. Hardy Finns drill a hole in the ice that covers most Finnish lakes and the Gulf of Finland outside Helsinki in winter, and after a session in a sauna, dip into the ice-cold water for a refreshing swim. Devoted Finns swear that ice-swimming “invigorates the mind and the body, improves circulation and keeps colds and flu’s away”, and in general leads to good health and longevity. This reminds me of the ‘Polar Plunge’ we have in Houghton every spring, where college students and locals run across the frozen Portage and plunge into a hole cut in the ice! Brrrrrr!

Christmas is the biggest festival of the year in Finland, and preparations start weeks in advance. Christmas events in Helsinki include Christmas markets, concerts and special events like outdoor ice skating. The Railway Square (Rautatientori) just outside the Helsinki Railway Station transforms into an Ice Park from November to March. Helsinki’s official Christmas street is Aleksanterinkatu in the centre of the city, and traditional Christmas lights decorate the street from the last week of November. I found out that the Christmas lights on Aleksanterinkatu are a Finnish tradition that dates back to the 1930s!

Where's your car?

In my opinion there could be no better, yet no worse place to be for Christmas. Although the holiday spirit is very alive in Finland and the festivities are wonderful, the outrageous snow is starting to remind me of the horrors of Houghton, and there are constants reminders that I will be spending this Christmas alone this year. To remedy my mood, I chose to make the most of my situation and go to Russia – which is conveniently Orthodox! They will not be celebrating Christmas until January 6th and 7th, making it a perfect time to travel and see Russia in all of its snowy, splendid glory.

I am now preparing for Russia, moving out of my flat in Helsinki, packing all of my belongings for Sweden, and celebrating another successful semester of graduate school!

“Merry Christmas!” or “Hyvää Joulua!” (in Finnish)

Until next year,

Kassidy

I took advantage of an opportunity to study abroad, while studying abroad this past week! I participated in a BOVA Intensive Masters level course in Economics and Management of Rural Development, at the Lithuania University of Agriculture. The coures took place in Kaunas, which is located in the center of Lithuania. Once again, I found myself in Tampere taking advantage of the ridiculously cheap flights offered through Ryanair.

Lithuanian 'breakfast'

I arrived to Tampere just in time to catch the bus to the Tampere airport! I arrived in Kaunas in the late evening, and met up with some other exchange students to split a taxi fare to the University campus. The program arranged for us to stay in a ‘hostel’ on the campus for the week. I shared a room with two other girls (dorm style) from the University of Helsinki. All three of our daily meals were included in the course fee, and we ate in a small cafeteria all week. I felt like I was a first year student again at Michigan Tech! The foods we were served were quite, well, interesting. It is very common to put a runny sour cream substance on and in everything – even soup! We also found ourselves eating a variety of unidentifiable meats throughout the week as well. As a student though, free food is free food

This course had a distance learning aspect which ran from October 25 to November 21, in which we were assigned a substantial amount of reading as well as a presentation assignment pertaining to our home country. My specific assignment was to prepare a Powerpoint presentation about:

• The sources of finance of agriculture and rural development in the United States.
• The methods of investment projects’ market-based and social discount rates calculation or estimation in agriculture and rural development in the United States.

I was also asked to express my opinion towards the problems of agriculture and rural development financing and discount rates calculation or estimation. Not having much of a background in economics, this was a huge undertaking – but I was up to the challenge, and learned a lot in the process. We were in class about eight hours a day, every day for the entire week. Both students and professors gave presentations throughout the week about EU policy and their home countries. Students participating in this course came from all over: Canada, United States, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Brazil, Germany, China, Spain, Slovakia, and even Russia! The comparisons and contrasts between EU, United States., Russian, Chinese and Canadian agriculture and rural development were especially interesting. The course was intense, but very educational. At the end of the week the University put on an extravagant social dinner for us to socialize with teachers and fellow students. I had a wonderful time and met some amazing people during this course.

My new Lithuanian friends and roommate from China.

The local Lithuanian girls were especially welcoming, and offered to drive my new friends and I around Kaunas. We explored their city and visited the infamous Kaunas AKROPOLIS - the largest mall in the Baltics. Oddly enough, Kaunas has a plethora of excellent, and inexpensive sushi restaurants. In Helsinki, bad grocery store sushi will cost around 20 euros for six small pieces; in Lithuania I ate about 20 pieces of freshly prepared sushi for about 10 Euros (converted from Lithuanian litas). One lita equals 0.385178 U.S. dollars, or 0.289629295 Euros. Since these two currencies are worth more than the lita, it was very cheap to travel and eat in Lithuania – I loved it! I even managed to translate enough Lithuanian to get a haircut while in Kaunas  for about 10 Euros – which would have cost me at least 50 Euros in Helsinki.

Making things even cheaper, I have an ISIC (International Student Identity Card) which gives me student discounts on things like food, transportation and museums, all over Europe. I would highly suggest getting one to any student studying abroad – especially if you plan on traveling. It saves a lot of money, and it is internationally recognized, giving you a ‘world’ student ID. I came across some places during my travels that would not accept my MTU student ID for a valid student discount.

Finally the course was complete, we received our grades, a certificate of participation, a gift of chocolate, and it was time to head to the train station. I had a few days reserved to explore the rest of Lithuania, and I was  headed to the capital city of Vilnius. I was originally going to take the bus, but it is only bit cheaper, takes longer, and the roads and weather were terrible. I bought my train ticket and hunkered down for the hour or so evening train ride to Vilnius.

I did so many interesting and fun things while in Vilnius, I have decided to dedicate my entire next blog to my capital adventures. As promised, the infamous KGB museum and much more!

Kassidy

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Being an American holiday, Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Europe. I really missed seeing my family, and gorging myself on homemade delicacies this year! I was in class all week and had an extremely busy week in general. There are only a few weeks of class left, and many things to do, including obtaining a Swedish residency permit!

In order to study in Sweden next semester I must apply for a Swedish residency permit. Luckily, there is a Swedish embassy in Helsinki. This makes the paperwork, payment, pictures, and passport issues much easier to deal with in person.

A few items are required in order to apply for a Swedish residency:

Swedish Embassy

• an official residence permit application
• two color passport photos
• an acceptance letter from the University I will be studying (SLU)
• a copy of and proof of health insurance
• a copy of my United Sates passport
• a copy of my Finnish residency permit
• my physical passport
• an additional letter stating my intentions while in, and after I leave Sweden (entitled ‘Appendix A’)
• 109 Euros to be paid in cash upon applying

The Swedish Embassy is only open from 9:00 in the morning until noon, Monday through Friday. It is located on Pohjoisesplanadi, near downtown Helsinki. Apparently the process of applying for a residency permit can take anywhere from 20 minutes, to 2 hours – unfortunately, I ended up spending about 2 hours at the embassy. There were only two people ahead of me in line, but they were having some extreme issues with their permits, and their tempers. Finally, it was my turn.

To my surprise, when I went to apply for my permit, they informed me that the 109 Euro fee was being waived because I was invited to be a student at a Swedish institution – I was elated! I found it extremely convenient that they have a photo system/booth set up at the embassy so you are not required to bring your own passport-sized pictures; they take your picture, and it is automatically entered into their online/computerized system. This not only saved me money, but time. After turning in my paperwork, I was given a receipt with a tracking number so I can check the status of my application online. Hopefully it will not take very long for my application to get approved and processed. They told me it can take a few weeks or even a few months. From my understanding the embassy just handles your paperwork, the processing and approval does not happen there. They send the paperwork to the Swedish Migration department in Sweden, and then return it to Finland after processing. I will have to go back to the embassy to get my residency permit placed in my passport pending approval. Thus far, there has been no progress on my application according to their online tracking.

I was the first of the ATLANTIS students in my group to apply for a residency permit, and passed on my knowledge to help the other students with their applications. Hopefully we all get our permits in time to move to Sweden!

My next stop was the Russian Embassy! I am planning to spend Christmas in Russia this year and need to get a tourist VISA in order to enter Russia. Unlike the Swedish application, I found out that I needed to leave my physical passport with the Russian Embassy while my application was being processed. Because I am an American citizen, legally, they have to hold my passport for at least ten days. I was unable to leave my passport at this time because I was traveling to the Baltics the following day. I was accepted to ‘study abroad’ while studying abroad in Kaunus, Lithuania! I will have to go back to the Russian Embassy upon my return from Lithuania.

Join me next week as I talk about EU economics and rural development, Lithuanian cuisine, the historic KGB museum, and my explorations in the capital city of Vilnius.

Kassidy

On a side note, Finnish Independence Day is celebrated on December 6th. Finland declared independence from Bolshevik Russia on December 6, 1917. We did not have classes on Monday, and everything in the city was closed.

This blog was sparked by an interesting question I received from one of my professors at the University of Helsinki. In general, he asked: “How is the college education system different in the United States?” Naturally, I responded with a sarcastic comment, something along the lines of the prices in Helsinki (figures just released by UBS revealed that Helsinki is among the top 10 most expensive cities in the world to live in!). Being the only native English speaker in a class of about 35 students, was I to be honest, polite, brutally honest? Where do I begin? What exactly did he mean? I had no idea if I was being targeted, or used as a spokeswoman for the US education system – this question began to rankle me the more and more I thought about it. Thus, this blog was born!

While studying at the University of Helsinki, I have been introduced to a very different education system; course schedules, extremely flexible learning, inconsistent class times, four period years, a numbered grading system (5 to 0 rather than A to F), and ‘ECTS’  European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System are just a few of the differences I have had to get used to. The most surprising discovery for me though, has been that education in Finland is free. You read that correctly, FREE – and not just for Finns!

'Free Education' Poster at University of Helsinki

I was amazed to find out that public Finish tuition is either free or a few hundred Euros a year! I was especially intrigued when I passed a poster at UH that stated “tuition-free, equal higher education is the cornerstone of the Finnish welfare state,” and that “free education makes societies prosper.” These posters were protesting Finland introducing tuition fees and/or increasing existing fees, which is now becoming popular all over Europe. I explored further, and found that the FINLAND Union of Students (SYL) and the Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences – SAMOK were involved with these posters.  They state that “equal access to higher education is a human right and it should progressively be made free of charge”. (For more interesting information, visit their webpage http://www.maksutonkoulutus.fi/). They have some very engrossing information on the subject of ‘Free Education’. To my knowledge, currently, there are little or no charges for college education in Finland and most other European countries. There are some student fees that cover health insurance, school activities, social events, and give student discounts, but these fees are generally less than 100 Euros per year. Interestingly enough, the neighboring country of Sweden has started a trend this year by charging international and exchange students tuition fees. I believe that Finland is starting to feel pressure to do the same, hence the controversy, backlash, and protesting.

Scheduling courses has been interesting in Finland, as many of the course times overlap. The scheduling system seemed a bit disorganized to me at first, but the professors are wonderfully understanding and creative if you need to skip classes to attend other courses. Another tricky part for me, was determining exactly when class starts or ends; the course rubric may say one thing, but the class will usually tend to start 15 to 20 minutes later and end at different times each class period. In my experience in the United States, the class times are strictly followed to ensure a sufficient amount of time for students to travel between classes amongst other things. It is easy to see who the exchange students are though, because we always show up to class early!

At Michigan Tech, we function on a semester basis; this means that there are two semesters in an academic school year (Fall and Spring). In Finland, they function on a period system, with four periods in a year: Periods 1 and 2 in the Fall, and Periods 3 and 4 in the Spring.  Thus, the courses in Finland run for shorter periods of time, but are in larger blocks. For example, a class may only meet 8 times during a period, but the class periods are 4 to 5 hours long.

All EU course credits transferred to Michigan Tech will have a US passing grade of B or better based on the following grade equivalency between US and EU transcripts as shown above.

The grading system in Finland is number based, with 5 equaling an A,  and so on, with a zero failing the course completely. The credit system here is not like US college credits; most European countries use ECTS, or European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. It has been determined by the ATLANTIS program that 3.3 ECTS in the EU University will be equal to 1 US credit; therefore, the typical US graduate credit load of 9 credits per semester equates to 30 ECTS. This can seem terrifying at first glance, and makes transferring fractions of courses back to MTU very interesting indeed! When I continue my education in Sweden this Spring, I will change back to a letter-based grading scale, though it is still different than what I am used to. The figure to the right does a wonderful job contrasting the grading systems of Michigan Tech, the University of Helsinki, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).

The most common questions I have been asked while studying abroad  have been about US education, second only to US politics. I hope you learned something new from this more informational style blog; I was unaware of most of these systems and topics before I came to Finland. Being a student abroad is a life-changing experience, and I think it is especially important to remember that while we are students, we are also teachers.

Kassidy

This week I got to experience one of the world’s most infamous rivalries: Finland versus Russia. Finland and Russia have a tumultuous history together, and hockey is no exception.

Graph of the evolution of the top ten men's nations (2003-2010), IIHF World Ranking, Wikipedia.

I was lucky enough to attend the opening match between the Men’s National teams from Russia and Finland for the Karjala Cup. In short, this was the Finnish-hosted first round of the Euro Hockey Tour annual ice hockey championships, held since 1996. Finland’s Men’s National  ice hockey team has dominated this tournament, winning nine times since 1996 (1996, 1998-2005). The Finnish hockey team won bronze in the 2010, and silver in the 2006 Winter Olympics. Finland is considered a member of the “Big Seven” in hockey, which consists of: Canada, Russia, the USA, Slovakia, Sweden, and the Czech Republic. The Russian men’s national ice hockey team is currently rated number one in the IIHF World Ranking (see figure to the left). The team follows a long tradition of Soviet teams, which are mostly composed of Russian players.

Men's National Hockey: Russia vs. Finland

The atmosphere and attitude of European hockey is much different that American hockey, though many European players play in the NHL. The first major difference I noticed was that while fighting, checking, and violence in general is applauded in the US, it is looked down upon by most Finns. The game was quite clean with very few penalties, no fights, and barely any checking. There were a surprising amount of Russian fans attending this game, with Russian flags and the “Россия” (Russia) chant dominating the evening.The game was actually quite uneventful, with no goals scored until the end of the third period; with just two minutes left, the Russians scored an extremely lucky goal, and ended up winning the game 1 to 0. The crowd went wild! Horns were blowing, people were screaming, and someone even unveiled a giant Russian flag that covered an entire seating section of the arena!

Nine other international students went to the game as well. We had great tickets located center ice, in the first row of the upper deck. For some of the students, this was the first hockey game they had ever attended – very exciting indeed! One of the students with us was Russian; we were good friends and celebrated the Russian win, though most of us were routing for Finland.

For those not familiar with Finnish and Russian history, there have been countless territorial disputes, battles, and even wars between these to bordering countries. This rivalry has been described to me by Finns as boldly as: “David and Golliath, good and evil, democracy and totalitarianism, freedom and slavery.” I would highly suggest doing some personal research about the history of Finland and Russia, and forming your own opinions. I will say that it is very interesting from a historical perspective. Click here for video clips from the documentary aired on PBS entitled: Fire and Ice: The Winter War of Finland and Russia.

Kassidy

Pyhäinpäivä tradition, candles in a Finnish cemetery.

Saturday, November 6th, 2010.

In Finland, Pyhäinpäivä, (All Saint’s Day or Hallowmas in English), is celebrated at the turning of October to November. There may be some of you who wonder why this holiday was not celebrated on November 1, seeing as how Halloween is celebrated on the 31st of October in the United States; apparently, there is a Finnish habit of celebrating some religious festivals on “the closest Saturday”, which happens in this case to be November 6. This prominent festival, important to Finnish culture, is celebrated by commemorating the departed. According to Finnish history, All Saint’s Day traditionally has two meanings: to honor all saints and to remember those passed over. In turn, All Saint’s Day was originally brought together from two successive celebrations.

In Finland All Saint’s Day is a considered a devout and quiet celebration. All Saints’ Day is typically celebrated by bringing flowers to , and lighting candles on the graves of close relatives. To my surprise, the custom of decorating headstones with candles and flowers was not started until after the Second World War. It was recommended to pay a visit to the churchyard in the evening on All Saints’ Day, as it is supposed to be a beautiful experience.  Most Finnish families will visit the churchyard during this day. It is also a popular tradition to attend a church service. All Saints’ Day is the fifth most popular day for Finns to attend religious services.

Lucky for myself and fellow international students, I heard a rumor in class to go to the store right away and buy anything you might need for the weekend. The people that told me were other international students, and had no idea why this was happening, but were frantically passing on this advice. I casually told my friends, and one of my fellow ATLANTIS students told me it was due to All Saint’s Day. Indeed, the next day, All Saint’s Day, shops in Finland were closed. I even found out that the local and regional buses ran on “irregular” timetables.

In Finland there is not a tradition for children going door-to-door for tricks or treats on All Hallows Eve, such as Halloween in the United States. During my research, I discovered  that the closest holiday tradition in Finland, to an American Halloween, is when children dress up like witches on Palm Sunday, and go from door-to-door collecting sweets – very interesting! In asking around, I have also discovered that the businesses have started to cater to the traditional Halloween interests of the local and international students; you can go to most large department stores and find stereotypical costumes, decorations, and party favors. Halloween parties have also become popular in Finland, though I think most people will find any excuse to get dressed up and throw a good party – or eat a ton of candy!

Tampere is a well-known Finnish city about 180 kilometers northwest of Helsinki. It is known for its industrial past, college, and active cultural life. I decided to visit Tampere after completing my first period of studies at the University of Helsinki. I took a public transit bus from downtown Helsinki to Tampere which took about 3 hours, but only cost 12 Euros. To my surprise, a friend-of-a-friend who lives in Tampere, came to meet me at the bus station. I was not only invited to a professional floorball match, but received a personal tour of the Tampere as well!

The Tammerkoski in Downtown Tampere

The afternoon and evening were spent wandering around the historic downtown area of Tampere. Many old buildings have been or are currently being renovated to preserve the historic architecture and classic beauty of the buildings, while making them modern and functional on the inside. Many of the buildings are now used for trendy housing, restaurants, and offices. The downtown area itself is quiet, quaint, and pretty, with parks and walkways winding throughout town. Tampere is is situated between two important lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. Amazingly, these two lakes differ in level by almost 18 metres (59 feet), with a rapids-like loch system draining the cold northern Näsijärvi into the smaller, warmer Pyhäjärvi! These rapids are known as the  Tammerkoski rapids, and have been used as a major power source throughout Tampere’s history. As the Tammerkoski runs through the center of the city, one can see the remnants of Tampere’s industrial past.

Floorball match in Tampere, Finland.

My new friend ended up surprising me with VIP tickets to the floorball match in Tampere that evening. This was my first exposure to floorball, now my new favorite sport. In my opinion, floorball resembles a mix between floor hockey, ice hockey, and soccer. I was informed that floorball is extremely popular in the Scandinavian countries, and that many people play casually or in leagues. I especially like watching floorball because of the high scoring and its fast paced nature. Between periods, the children’s league played on the field. It was absolutely adorable to watch the children running around in neon jerseys and protective goggles – trying their hardest just to keep control of the ball. Many children, both boys and girls, play floorball growing up. It is particularly popular with girls, due to its lack of physical contact. I also found out that the infamous rivals, Finland and Sweden, played each other in the World Floorball Championship Finals in 2008, with Finland winning. What an exciting match!

After the match, I grabbed some local food, and met up with some other local Finnish students. Surprisingly enough, the evening ended with some very entertaining Karaoke! I had a great time in Tampere and plan to take a weekend to go back soon.

Kassidy