French student in Erasmus in Finland

ESN TRAVEL During my stay in Finland I went one week in Lapland with ESN. Erasmus Student Network or ESN is a European-wide student organisation whose aim is the reception and integration of international students during an Erasmus-type exchange as well as the promotion of international mobility.  ESN organise several travels during the year in Lapland, Russia, Norway... You can to all of them. ABOUT LAPLAND Lapland is a region straddling the territories of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, whose indigenous people are the Sami. It is located largely beyond the Arctic Circle. The climate there, as you might expect, is very cold in winter, if you go there, so make sure you are well equipped beforehand. The temperature in Lapland can vary from -40 °C in winter to +27 °C in summer. The local vegetation consists mainly of taiga and tundra. The region is bordered by the North Atlantic and the icy Arctic Ocean and "intersected" by the Baltic Sea.  ...

SUPERFICIE Finland has a surface area of 338,000 km2, with 10% lake and 66% forest. It is the seventh largest country in Europe, with ⅓. The countries bordering Finland are Russia, Norway and Sweden. And it is bordered by the Baltic Sea, or more precisely by the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. POPULATION Finland has a population of about 5.52 million and is one of the European countries with the lowest density: 16 inhabitants/km2. Its capital is Helsinki with about 642,000 inhabitants. The Finnish territory also includes an autonomous archipelago and part of the Åland Islands, the other part belonging to Sweden. CLIMATE As far as Finnish climate is concerned, temperatures in Helsinki do not exceed 17°C in summer and do not fall below -5°C in winter. Temperatures in northern Finland are much colder in the Article Circle. In winter it is the polar night, when the sun does not rise, and in summer it is the midnight sun. 

ACTUAL REPUBLIC In order to understand Finland today, one must first discover the history of Finland and its neighbouring countries such as Sweden and Russia. Finland is a republic with a president elected by universal suffrage, unlike its neighbouring countries such as Sweden, Norway and Denmark, which are constitutional monarchies. Moreover, I did not even know who the president was until not very long ago, and it was while talking with friends that I realized that I had forgotten. The current president has been Sauli Niinistö since 1 March 2012. FINLAND AND SWEDEN Until the 11th century, people living on Finnish territory were at peace and had no political cohesion. But at the beginning of the 12th century, Finland became a strategic gateway to the East for the new kingdoms of Sweden and Denmark. As a result, Finland became part of the Kingdom of Sweden. During its rule, Sweden tried to convert Finland to Catholicism.  TURKU In 1229 Turku (Åbo in Swedish, the ci...

STORY OF TURKU Turku, or Åbo in Swedish, is the city where I spend one year for my study.  The city lost its status as capital in 1812 to Helsinki after two and a half centuries of hegemony over the Duchy of Finland. Tsar Alexander I, master of the country after Russia's victory over Sweden in 1809, considered the city much too close to Stockholm. Helsinki therefore emerged as the new administrative and political centre. Nicknamed "Finland's little Paris", the city is built on seven hills linked by wide avenues and is also considered the culinary capital of the country. With 187,637 inhabitants in 2017, Turku is the fifth largest city in the country. Active, culturally dynamic (it was the European Capital of Culture in 2011!) and very student oriented (about 1/5 of the population), Turku is still very much oriented towards Sweden. The cathedral (Tuomiokirkko) and Turku castle (Turunlinna) in particular both date from the 13th century. The very orthogonal aspect of...

BACKGROUND Finland is aware of its isolated geographical location and its very little-known language, which is why it has implemented a very effective education policy over the long term. This policy affirms the will to ensure equal access to education for all citizens of all ages. Indeed, Finnish education can be followed at any time of life and continuing education for adults is highly developed.  PISA TEST According to the OECD's 2018 Pisa survey, Finland scores very high. Indeed, Finland ranks third and scores well above the OECD average in all dimensions of learning: in science 522, mathematics 507, or reading literacy 520. GROUP WORK Finland also scores very well in group problem solving and is once again at the top of the ranking. This is a very big advantage as this ability is becoming more and more demanded by employers. Having spent a year studying there myself, I realized that there is so much more group work there than in France. THE GRADING  ...

THE ATMOSPHERE   I participated to a "seat dinner" with the University of Turku. It was on the evening and every student from Turku could enroll and pay to come and participated to this typical event of Finland. You eat typical food and at the same time there is a typical show with song in  Finnish. The atmosphere was really fun and really nice, because you are exchange students mixed with Finnish people and they learn you there traditions during the dinner. THE ENTRANCE For the  entrance  I ate what we call in Finnish "karjalanpirrakka", which are the unavoidable gourmet specialties of Finland. In the Finnish cuisine, they are often found, and often at breakfast or appetizer as for the dinner of that evening. They are rye tarts topped with rice porridge.  They are often found with egg butter. With a small slice of smoked salmon on Archipelago bread. If you come to Finland, you should not miss to try the smoked salmon. Compa...

A COLD COUNTRY First of all, it should be noted that Finland is a country where the climate is cold in winter. And you have to be prepare for it ! Mentally and physically. Because I was prepare physically with hot clothes but I was not prepare mentally. The annual cycle generates the most visible contrast. The lakes where you swim and sail in summer become an equally extensive skating rink or cross-country ski area in winter. The bright and warm summer nights give way to snowy scenery topped by a blanket of darkness.  In the middle of winter, the average temperature of the coldest month, February, is about -7oC in the south and -13oC in the north. A VARIETY OF LANDSCAPES Finland's landscapes are very changing. The forest, fields and water, closely intertwined, are the main elements. I'm from the south of France, Montpellier so I have to say I was not use to see this kind of landscapes. Finland's landscapes are very changing. The forest, fie...