We both wanted to go to a place that we probably wouldn't visit as tourists. Kokkola promised not only that, but also a new culture, beautiful scenery, and an excellent education system. The small town in the west of Finland has a lot to offer, in addition to several sandy beaches, there are also volleyball courts, endless forests, and a beautiful city center with a variety of things to do. We cannot confirm the preconceptions that describe the Finns as closed and taciturn. For example, in one of Finland's three million saunas, we have had some surprisingly profound conversations with the locals, who all speak very good English.
The university itself is quite small, as are the study groups. We usually only sit in a lecture with 10 to 20 other students. This creates a pleasant learning atmosphere with plenty of room for questions. The lecturers here are always addressed by their first names and their offices are easy to reach. They are therefore very accessible should you need anything from them. In addition, there are numerous offers at the university where you can get support for any problems. We were introduced to these during the Welcome Days, which lasted a whole three days.
There was a small problem at the beginning when registering for lectures, as many students' courses sometimes overlapped considerably. However, this was usually resolved quickly. The lectures themselves are very interesting. There is always a clear structure and the lecturers are extremely competent and can convey their knowledge very well. Most of them have already worked in the private sector and can prove or compare various concepts and theories with practical examples.
There are also many activities offered by the university or the local student association COPSA outside of the lectures. There is an event organized by COPSA almost every week, for example a welcome party for all new students at the university or a scavenger hunt through the city. In October, the university invited us exchange students to a reindeer farm, including dinner, and organized a soccer tournament against other universities, which we were also invited to play in.
Day trip to Oulu with other exchange students © MCI / Summer
First sighting of northern lights over Kokkola © MCI / Summer
Visit to a reindeer farm in Kokkola © MCI / Summer
Sunset on the beach outside Kokkola © MCI / Summer
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