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See OULU, page 11
Vappu parade in Oulu.
How to adjust to Finland Here
See AALTO, page 14
you are now, safe and secure in your exchange environment. Everything is taken care of, you get your courses and your credits, found a place to stay, and ESN will enrich your social life. But don’t make the mistake and just stick to your exchange group, try to adjust to some Finnish oddities! Approach a Finn: Finns are naturally very shy people. If you roam around in large groups only, you might never get to see one in their natural environment. Be brave and explore something all by yourself! Join a club (there are a lot for any kind of interest at Finnish universities), or a sports course, or engage in the “Kummi” (Godparents) program. Talk to a Finn: They probably won’t start talking to you first, but if you ask for help, and you are friendly, no one will let you down. Humble Finns might think they don’t know English well enough to have a conversation with you, but surprisingly (mostly for themselves) their standard is way above the average. No matter if you talk to a shop assistant or ask someone on the street for the way, they will try everything to help you. If not in English, then with hands and feet. ;-) Get a bike: Any kind of outdoor activity is actually good to meet Finns. Whether it is biking, or hiking, or cross-country skiing, playing Kyykkä in the hardest weather conditions, going fishing/ ice hole fishing – in Finland you will get attached to nature more than ever before probably. And that’s where you’ll also find the Finnish population. Get them when they are tipsy: Finns may not be talkative, but when they go out, they might even tell you their whole life story without being asked. And the friendships that start over a beer are mostly the best ones, right? Good luck! Text: Bianca Beyer