EVTEK School of Business Administration Vantaa - Erlebnisberichte

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1 Jahr 2008 EVTEK School of Business Administration Vantaa - Erlebnisberichte

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5 2008 Report of experiences A semester abroad in Helsinki at the Evtek University of Applied Sciences Vantaa by Daniela Bredemann I spent a semester in Finland from 29 January 2008 to 30 May During this time I studied Business Administration at EVTEK University of Applied Sciences Vantaa. The semester abroad was a great experience. I improved my English and became acquainted with an other culture. Therefore I became open-minded and overcame prejudice against stereotypes. Many people asked me why I chose Helsinki. Well I did not know a lot about the Finnish culture and history. I wanted to choose a country which is multicultural, unique and different. In addition I heard many opinions from former students who had spent a semester in Helsinki and they were enthusiastic. That is the reason why I wanted to spend my semester abroad in Helsinki. Preparation in Germany Flight There are different options to go to Helsinki. Firstly, you can go by ferry from Rostock. The trip takes about two days and is very expensive. Secondly, you can go by car to Helsinki which takes about three days. The third and fastest possibility is to go by plane with the airline AirBerlin. There is a direct connection from Berlin to Helsinki which is very cheap. I recommend booking the flight very early as AirBerlin offer very cheap prices one or two months before departure. I paid only 40 for the flight to Helsinki. Bank Account Before you go to Helsinki it is very important to open a bank account where you get a free Visa Card and may use online banking within the European Union. It is possible to pay for everything with a Visa Card in Finland. I would recommend comdirect bank as the account and transfer is free for students within the European Union. Application

6 The application for the Erasmus programm at the Evtek University of Applied Science Vantaa is very easy. You have to go to the international office to Mr. Hoffmann. He decide if you are appropriate for the program but normally there are no problems. You have to write a letter of motivation to get accepted at the University as well as complete the Learning Agreement so as to find the allowed courses. I had many problems with my course selection because the content of a few courses was totally different from my expectations. Therefore I had to choose new courses. It was not such a problem but the changes in the Learning Agreement have to be accepted and this was very difficult and took a pretty long time. For this reason I strongly recommend you fill in the Learning Agreement very carefully. Accommodation You have to apply for an apartment at HOAS which administers all halls of residence in Helsinki. You will find specific information about location and prices on the Internet page In any case you have no influence over the accommodation because it depends on the location of the university. There are two possibilities for habitation if you study in Vantaa. First there are student apartments close to the university and second you can live in Kannelmäki. I lived in Kannelmäki and from my point of view it was a disadvantage since the rent was much higher than in Vantaa. Furthermore you have to buy a train ticket which costs 80 a month whereas you can walk to school if you live in Vantaa. I lived with two other students in Kannelmäki. The flat consisted of a living room, a kitchen, bathroom and three rooms. All apartments have an internet connection, are furnished and there are enough dishes, pots and cutlery in the kitchen as well. Finally Helsinki Pick up Service When I arrived in Helsinki there was a big snowstorm. The landscape and all nature was white which was very beautiful. I was picked up from the airport by tutors of the university. They also showed me the apartment as well as gave me important and useful tips about daily life in Finland. You will obtain more information for this in the information package after successful application. Costs Living in Helsinki is very expensive. Beside the high prices for travelling and the high rent, which is about 339 a month, you have to spend a lot of money on food and leisure time activities as well alcohol. The prices for alcohol are much higher than in Germany. Furthermore you have to pay 4 for the night bus if you want to go home after 2 at night even if you have a month ticket. University The university is very nice and modern as well the architecture is unique. First and foremost I like the entrance hall which is very big, green and bright. As I already mentioned, the organisation at the EVTEK University of Applied Sciences is excellent. The contact person Eija Piiroinen takes care of the Erasmus students in a very good way. The first week is a welcome week in the Erasmus programme. During this week you will get acquainted with the equipment of the University, for example the library, computer labs as well the cafeteria. You can have lunch in the cafeteria which is quite cheap and eatable. The cafeteria offers two to three different meals for 2.35 which include a free drink, bread and salad. The first week is an orientation week which include an international dinner. This means that every Erasmus student has to bring traditional food of his home country. The University also organised an international day which is a really great event. Every Erasmus student has to represent his home country in the form of pictures and information material as well as presentations. Furthermore you have to prepare traditional food. The international day is

7 very famous because all the Finnish students get to know the Erasmus students, can try the food and ask questions about the country. Lectures The lecturers at the EVTEK University of Applied Sciences in Vantaa are quite different from the Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences. You have to be very active in nearly every lecture by discussing with other students, doing simulations as well as answering questions of the teacher. During the semester you have to deal with cases, read articles as well to do a lot of project work. At the end of the semester there are less final exams. Hence you have to do a lot of assignments and presentations. Beside the fact that it is a lot of work I prefer this type of study as the learning effect is much bigger than in the German method. If you are interested in Finnish culture I recommend choosing the course Finnish Culture and History. In this course you obtain some important facts about the history of Finland. You will also visit the most important places as well as all famous museums in Helsinki, for instance the Ateneum (art museum), Kiasma (new art museum), Suomelinna and the National Museum. It is a very good chance to get to know the Finnish culture. If you are interested in Marketing I advise you choose International Marketing by Mr. Simcoe. The course was very interesting, include very much work but was also effective. Trips During the Erasmus time you have the chance to take part in trips to Lapland or St. Petersburg which will be organised by the university. I went to Lapland and it was a very good tour. We went sledging with Huskies and reindeer as well as a snowmobile safari. St. Petersburg is also a beautiful city which is not comparable to other cities. It is a unique opportunity to go there. However you need a valid passport if you want to go to St. Petersburg or you cannot take part in this trip. The city Helsinki Helsinki is a very young city and therefore there are not so many sightseeings. The most important are the White Cathedral, Suomelinna, old market hall as well as lots of beautiful parks. As Helsinki is on the ocean can go by ferry to Stockholm and Tallinn. There are different tour operator for example Viking Line, SiljaLine as well as EcköLine. The Finns Before I went to Finland I tried to learn the Finish language which is a very complicated one. In my point of view it is not necessary to speak finish because nearly every one in Finland speaks English. The Finns are very nice and cheerful. Except that unfortunately they are sadly very often drunken. I never before seen so many drunken people in clubs as well on streets. Conclusion Unfortunately my expectations were not fulfilled. As I chose the spring for my semester abroad I expected a lot of snow the first month and after a beautiful spring. In fact the winter was without snow, cold and grey and comparable with the German one. The spring started in the end of April. Therefore I had only one month to enjoy the beautiful green nature of Finland. Nevertheless I had a great time here in Finland. I found many friends from other countries and learned a lot about the Finnish culture and history.

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