It’s been two months since I moved to Helsinki for my study abroad year, so I thought I’d share some of the biggest cultural shocks I’ve experienced so far.
Let’s start with the academic side (mostly so that the university is happy I’ve written something educational first!). In Helsinki, I only have one or two lectures per class a week, and attendance is very strict; some of my classes fail you if you miss more than one lecture, and most require at least 75% attendance to pass. Despite having fewer lectures, the workload feels heavier thanks to the extensive readings and the fact that some of my classes are entirely self-study with weekly essays to submit online.
Not only are the lectures different, but the way we are graded is as well. Here, it's common for part of ourgrade to come from class participation, meaning how well you engage in discussions directly affects your grade. It’s made me a more disciplined student, because there’s no chance of coasting through or improvising on the spot. You really need to understand the readings to contribute meaningfully, or else your grade can take a hit.
One difference that has stood out to me is the fact that the library isn’t open late; the main campus library is only open until 8pm. If you want to study late, you have to apply for a key to give you late-night access to a separate building that's open until 1am. The University of Helsinki doesn’t have a designated law library; instead, it has its own floor within the main library, within the library there’s not just tables and booths to study at, there’s also comfy armchair sections looking out of windows, a balcony on the top floor looking out to the cathedral with tables to study outside when the weather is good. Other buildings are popular for studying around the city centre campus. I personally enjoy the vibes at the Think Corner building right next to the Law Building. There’s also a famous library that's not owned by the university, just a ten-minute walk away, called the Oodi library, which is amazing. I often study there, it has robots that carry books around, comfy beanbag’s and a great view.
Now onto the fun part: the party culture, and wow, Finnish students do not mess around. All students across the nation wear overalls called haalarit, and each different faculty has its own colour. Law students like me wear dark burgundy ones. Most people wear the haalarit as trousers and tie the arms around the waist. These overalls are basically our uniforms for anything social: day trips, events, hangouts, appro (bar/pub crawls), clubbing and “sitsits” which are traditional student dinners filled with drinking and singing. As you attend events, you collect badges that you sew onto your haalarit; essentially, they are badges of honour for questionable life choices. There are also certain rules for the haalarit: you are not allowed to wash them unless you are wearing them whilst they get washed. You cannot glue the badges on; they must be sewn. You must not cover the sponsor logos with the patches; it’s considered rude.
Another cool aspect about student life is that some societies have their own clubhouses around the city, where they host events. The Law Society Pykälä has its clubhouse, which is amazing for having parties at, funnily enough, I was there just last night after an appro. The Finnish students love their drinking games, especially beer pong, flip cup and my personal favourite, flunkyball.
All in all, my time in Helsinki so far has been incredible, I’ve made friends from all around the world, travelled, partied and discovered new ways of learning. The lifestyle is so different that it’s pushed me out of my comfort zone and to embrace change. I can’t wait to write my next piece, probably on how to survive the depths of Finnish winter!
