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Robin Lesemann wanted to experience winter in the far north and decided to spend a winter semester at the University of Tampere. In this interview, the Master's student (Industrial Engineering and Management) explains what he experienced there and what is special about Finnish student culture.
How did you hear about the opportunity to study abroad?
Friends have spent a semester abroad as part of the Erasmus+ program and have always spoken positively about it. On the homepage of the International Center (IZC), I found information about stays abroad and partner universities of Clausthal University of Technology, which motivated me to take part in a group consultation at the IZC and start planning my adventure.
Why did you choose a university in Finland?
I definitely wanted a partner university with a large selection of English-language courses in both engineering and economics. I chose the University of Tampere because I find the Nordic countries interesting in a winter semester, Finland is known for its good education system and has an exceptional student culture.
Did you need any previous language skills?
I didn't need to learn the national language to study and communicate in Finland. All my courses were offered in English and the Finns speak comparatively good English. The semester definitely helped me to significantly improve my language skills. Especially English, but I also learned a few bits of Finnish.
How long were you there?
The semester dates in Finland are different to those in Germany. The fall semester runs from August to December inclusive. I traveled to Finland in August a few days before the start of Welcome Week and flew back to Germany just before Christmas.
How did the first week on site go?
I was contacted by one of my Finnish tutors before I arrived. It was helpful to be able to ask students questions in advance. When I arrived in Tampere, a tutor picked me up and took me to my apartment. During Welcome Week, we met up with our tutor group (around 15 students and three tutors) on campus and then went to a lecture hall, a canteen, a lake, a sauna, the city or bars together. These were good opportunities to get to know a few of the 400 or so other exchange students and to familiarize ourselves with the campus and the city.
Were there any differences to your studies at TU Clausthal?
Three key differences are the types of exams, the flexibility of exams and the frequency of group work. I wasn't able to successfully complete any of my six courses with just one exam. Instead, there are assignments throughout the semester. In the course "Turning Circular Economy into Business", for example, we had to develop a business plan as a group for a real company to strengthen the circular economy in its business activities and also had to pass a written exam on the theoretical principles.
And what similarities did you notice?
One thing we had in common with Clausthal was the student-to-staff ratio. Although there are 20,000 students at Tampere University, the lecturers were always available to answer questions. And in some lectures there were barely a dozen students.
Where did you live during your stay?
The campus for the technical courses is in the Hervanta district. I lived there in a shared flat with 3 other students. The apartments are rented out by the Tampere Student Housing Foundation (TOAS) at reasonable prices and are perfectly suited for exchange students thanks to their furnishings.
What do you find unusual about Finnish student culture?
Student life in Finland is active and has its own culture, which positively surprised me. Every degree course is organized in a guild. It has an elected board, a guild room on campus, a mascot, a logo and a color.
The guild for exchange students on my campus is called INTO. Students in Finland wear overalls in the color of their guild at various events. Patches are sewn onto the overalls, for example for participation in events. I got my overalls in November and have loved wearing them ever since.
All first-year students in Finland are called "Fuksis". The term comes from the German word "Fuchs", which is the term for new members in some student fraternities. At the beginning of their studies, students on technical courses receive a "Fuksipassport", in which they can collect points by participating in student life. Those who can show at least 300 points can be dipped (plunged into cold water) on May 1st and thus be promoted from "Fuksi" to "Teekkari" (technical student). Another tradition is that at some student events, the lights and music go out at midnight and the Teekkari anthem is sung together. There is also a songbook called "Rasputin", which is sung together at "sitsits" (academic dinners with cold drinks).
What did you do in your free time?
Tampere offers many bars, museums, nature and cultural events. We, the foreign students, liked to meet at a lake at night and hope for the northern lights. This wasn't always successful, but luck favors the brave and I was able to marvel at the green lights in the sky several times.
I often took part in events organized by INTO for exchange students, such as excursions or sauna parties. I particularly enjoyed the food exchanges, where everyone brings a dish from their home country. I really liked the Asian food. The Asians, on the other hand, loved German stick bread, which I often made at one of the public fireplaces by a lake.
I also wanted to see as much as possible outside Tampere. I visited Helsinki and Turku, went hiking in three national parks and traveled to the Baltic States. My highlight was a trip to Lapland. Three coaches full of exchange students from my campus spent four nights in a village at the three-country corner. During that time, we drove snowmobiles and husky sledges in temperatures as low as -18 degrees, fed reindeer, went to the sauna and swam in a Norwegian fjord and made the most of the winter landscape.
Do you have any leisure tips?
That's difficult because the possibilities are so varied. You should definitely visit a Finnish sauna, because the difference to Germany is huge. Most people wear swimwear and talk loudly in the sauna, the infusion is done by visitors and after the sauna session you go into a lake - regardless of the weather. In winter, this is cleared if necessary.
Looking out for the Northern Lights at night is also highly recommended, as is watching an ice hockey match in Finland.
Did you make any friendships that still exist?
During the four months I met interesting people and made friends. It's interesting how similar we were sometimes, even though we come from completely different countries. In general, I am pleased to have made contacts throughout Europe and Asia and perhaps I will be able to see one or two people again in their home country.
What do you particularly remember?
The whole time. "Special" is probably something that's hard to put into words: the feeling of freedom, internationality, being surrounded by enterprising, well-meaning people.
Do you miss anything from your time abroad?
What I miss most is the international atmosphere and the many excursions. You could also do a lot in Germany, but as the opportunity is always there and time is much less limited than during the semester abroad, I am slower to implement these plans. And I would love to go out again with my overall.
3 tips for other students:
- Take the opportunity to do semesters abroad.
- Abroad: Build up an international circle of friends. You can grow incredibly from discussions with young people from all over the world.
- For a semester abroad: It's worth taking care of organizational matters such as local accommodation early on.
