Bianca Petrone – International Hospitality & Tourism Management – Level 3
Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Finland
I chose Finland because I don’t like snow.
Going on an exchange to Finland, I was not sure what to expect from it. I knew very little about Finland other than that statistically it is the happiest country in the world, and that it’s a country of reindeers, lakes and salmon. During my exchange I have asked a fair amount of people what the secret of Finnish happiness is, and I think I cracked the system, but more about that later.
I had the opportunity to overcome a series of different challenges, like for instance how to reach my university campus while it’s minus ten degrees outside and the pedestrian path is as frozen as an ice hockey rink. Or seeing tiny bunnies crossing the road on my way back from the club and wondering why they are not in hibernation. Worrying about becoming addicted to saunas or whether I’m simply behaving like a local. Understanding why most people do sauna naked and getting used to seeing other people walk around naked, being as content as they can be.
Also asking myself and the people around me about the reason behind the snowstorm of April, my birthday month, as I grew up thinking that April was a spring month. I guess I was wrong. In short, I did have the opportunity to really live the Finnish life with its ups and downs, I fell deeply in love with saunas and cinnamon buns and learned how to drink five cups of coffee per day, just like the locals.
From the financial point of view, I managed to finance myself thanks to the Erasmus funding that was covering part of my rent, and I also had some saving on the side. On top of that, I had a part-time job and worked as a substitute nursery teacher at an English-speaking kindergarten. I’m glad that I did, as it gave me the opportunity to get a deeper understanding of Finnish culture and during Finnish holidays it allowed me to get a lot of nice sweets (I may or may not have a sweet tooth). Communicating with Finnish kids has been a funny experience and I got to work a lot on body language, as my level of Finnish was very very basic. I also got to meet a lot of local people and expats; it gave me a feeling for the real life in Finland with its pros and cons.
Regarding the host institution, Laurea University of Applied Sciences offered hands-on assignments. Most of them were projects based on the learning-by-doing approach, where group work is essential. I felt the amount of work required was just right, as it gave me the opportunity to broaden my interests as well as have a part-time job. During the first period, a lot of classes took place online, which was a bit of a downside as an exchange student wanting to experience a different educational approach. But I do understand that it was a consequence of the pandemic and just hope that the next exchange students can get the full study experience.
Travelling has been a big part of my exchange and I have to say: I’m really happy about the trips that I managed to take part in. Every month I was going somewhere new. My first destination was Rovaniemi, Lapland, where I did all the touristy jazz. Jumped on a husky ride, on a reindeer ride and met Santa Claus, or Christmas man like the Belgian guys called him. I trusted one of my German friends with directions and ended up in the middle of nowhere on a frozen lake in Lapland. I saw the Northern lights as we grilled sausages in a national park, and much much more.
Besides visiting Finland, I took the chance to travel to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. I got to see the amazing sceneries of the Norwegian fjords, the cool Södermalm district of Stockholm, or the Tivoli Garden of Copenhagen. These were only a few of the breath-taking places that I have visited. I did get the chance to understand why people fall in love with Stockholm and Copenhagen. Or the reasons behind the happiness of these cities. It has been a lot of learning and I have met so many amazing people with so many stories, it really showed me how many ways of life can be lived, and how many different meanings happiness can have to all of us. I could write pages describing what I have lived during my travel experiences, but this will do for now.
In short, going on an exchange semester made me realize how fun it is to be in a new city by yourself, knowing that you can be whoever you want to be with endless levels of possibility. It was truly an opportunity to learn, to travel, to go back to my passions, to meet people from everywhere, and to discover new hobbies. It reminded me of how we as people are so different and yet so like each other. I would recommend to anyone to jump on an exchange opportunity, at the end you have nothing to lose. You don’t know what a new country could bring you, even when you end up in one of the coldest countries in Europe and don’t even like snow. It’s always worth it.
