I miss many things about the start of the school year in Finland. So many things. I have had the pleasure of experiencing three back-to-school seasons in Finland. One in Tampere and two in Oulu. As you may have gathered from previous blog posts, I have really enjoyed getting to live in Finland and study there. Here are 5 of the things I miss the most about back-to-school season in Tampere and Oulu:

5. Looking forward to delicious lunches at the University cafeterias

Cafeteria food at Finnish universities is delicious. Especially the variety of veggies one can get. Also, lunch time can be anytime after 10a. In order for a little nostaligia trip today, I ate at 10:30a. I was ready. The cost of the food for students is also extremely reasonable for what is on offer. I didn’t go to the cafeteria every day, but when I went, it was an extra chance to socialize with my classmates.

4. End of summer / beginning of fall celebrations

My first summer in Oulu, there was a lot to take in. When I arrived, there was a rose festival going on in the downtown area, which meant that the streets were filled with roses of all colors and varieties. It was a special art installation by Kaisa Salmi and consisted of about 34 000 roses! At the end of the week, people who wanted got to take a rose bush with them for free. Now that is what I call a celebration! That week as well, I attended the spectacle that is the Air Guitar World Championships. This annual competion brings international competitors to Oulu and is conducted in the main city square. Anyone can attend for free and it seemed that people of all ages attended. A very well-known Finnish musician performed and the atmosphere was delightful! This festival is only one of several pretty eccentric events that Finland hosts throughout the year (including wife carrying, cellphone throwing, etc.).

3. Seeing fruit, berries, and mushrooms everywhere!

In late summer / early fall, there are berries and mushrooms everywhere! There are also plums and apples. So many delicious things and jokamiehenoikeus makes it possible to pick things that are edible in most places! I could pick berries on my way to almost anywhere and remember getting a lot of lingonberries and bilberries from the forests near my student apartments. It was so fun to participate in this Finnish rite-of-passage while settling into the school year each fall.

2. Decent housing and affordable utilies, subsidized to support student life and the complete lack of need for a car of one’s own

Life in Finland as a student just seems a bit easier to pull off. Housing is offered by housing foundations that work in conjunction with the student unions. Housing is rarely right on campus, but there are usually several options very near by, so that a short walk or bike ride is all that is needed to get there. Although someone could choose to not live in the student housing while studying in Finland, I do not know any international student (or many Finns for that matter) that would choose to do this unless they were independently wealthy, as the housing is convenient, affordable, and perfectly adequate. I had access to many amenities that would be considered only a luxury here, like sauna access (which could be reserved for private or group use), one of my apartments had a balcony, and apartments were in areas near forest and walking/biking trails and bus stops. It was nice to live in student housing. I would live in any of the apartments I stayed in as a student. They were, in my opinion, way above adequate, although my parents thought that from the outside my second apartment in Oulu looked like Soviet Era housing (well, because, it kind of was — we Millennials call that vintage).

Not having a car was actually quite freeing. I did benefit from other people (namely, my kummi families) having a car and taking me on adventures, but for my day-to-day living, a car was completely unnecessary. The used bike I got served me really well in navigating the various wide paths throughout the city, when I didn’t choose to just walk. I was told when I moved to Oulu that it was very much so a city for bikers and so I was happy to take part in this instead of relying on the buses or having to deal with the expenses and responsibility of car ownership.

1. Getting to meet lots of other international students and instructors, as well as many Finnish classmates and instructors - many of whom I am still friends with today!

Building international friendships with Finns and non-Finns was one of the most rewarding parts of studying in Finland. I was able to study with people from over 20 different countries throughout my time in the program in Oulu. The relationship building started during the first fall and grew from there. Outside the classroom, we went on little adventures around the area (including a hockey game or two — Go Kärpät!). The second fall there, I was a tutor for the incoming bunch of students and it was fun to show them around the city, since it had been my home for nearly a year at that point! Getting to study with people who grew up in different cultural contexts than you is awesome, because it ensures you are getting perspectives that are not too familiar, but also help you identify some larger life commonalities, no matter where you are from. For Americans, I think this is essential experience.

Have you studied in Finland before? If so, what do you miss about this time of year there? Do you hope to study in Finland one day? Where do you hope to go? Studying in Finland has been instrumental to shaping who I am today. Let me know in the comments or send an email about your experiences or plans for studying abroad. I love talking about living abroad in general and studying in Finland in particular!