We are currently on our semester abroad at the University of Jyväskylä. Jyväskylä is a city in central Finland with around 145,000 inhabitants and is located around 300 kilometres north of Helsinki. The Finnish Lake District offers vast landscapes, kilometres of lakes, and forests as far as the eye can see. Several excursions and trips have taken us to impressive landscapes, such as the Koli National Park, and cities all over Finland.
We attend courses at the University of Jyväskylä, which usually take place in small groups of a maximum of 15 people. The very personal relationship between students and professors regularly invites exciting discussions, and we particularly benefit from the multicultural and international environment that the university offers. During the week, we spend almost every day in the university library, which invites us to linger thanks to its open design and numerous leisure activities away from everyday university life and serves as a meeting place for students from all degree programs. We were also particularly impressed by the many different canteens that are spread throughout the city and offer lunch plates for students for just €2.95.
Apart from the many trips you can take during the semester, the city also offers many opportunities to keep yourself busy. Whether it's hiking, ice hockey matches, canoe trips, barbecues at the many barbecue sites around the lakes, or evening sauna sessions – we never get bored here! As our semester started in the summer, we experience three seasons and have the opportunity to try out different leisure activities.
It is very easy to communicate in English in Finland, and although many Finns often seem distant at the beginning, we have only met warm and open people so far. We are still very excited to see what experiences await us in the coming months and are looking forward to new impressions. We are very happy to have had this experience and can only recommend a semester abroad at the University of Jyväskylä!
Vicky and Johanna at the University of Jyväskylä ©Albertini/Bruckner
Koli National Park © Albertini/Bruckner
Great atmosphere at the ice hockey match of the local first division team JYP © Albertini/Bruckner
View of the Vuorilampi © Albertini/Bruckner
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