“I will cherish that feeling of belonging for a long time” Anna’s Erasmus+ Experience in Finland

Group trip to Helsinki

 

Anna Hrda studied abroad in Finland as part of her undergraduate degree at South East Technological University (SETU), Carlow campus.

During my third year at SETU in Carlow, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to undertake an Erasmus+ exchange at Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland, from January until May 2025. 

What did you study and why did you choose it?
In Turku, I continued to expand my studies in cybersecurity. I took courses focused on ethical hacking, the practical application of standards, and network security in real-world settings. Additionally, I attended a course on multicultural and international competence, which helped me better understand the challenges associated with international and multicultural environments. 

What motivated you to do it?
I had previously visited Finland during a short-term Erasmus+ exchange when I was fifteen. It was a week-long trip to the area around Kuopio, and to be honest, I had already fallen in love with the country at that time. I not only wanted to experience Finland during my primary education but also during my university years.

Helsinki Cathedral

How did you make friends and network? 
I met some of my friends through the common modules for Erasmus+ students provided by the university: ‘multicultural and international competence’ and ‘Finnish for exchange students’. I met more people by attending events organised by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), which is very active in Finland. There were friendship nights, traditional Finnish sitz events, and trips around Finland and to the Baltics.  

Taken during an ESN trip to Tampere, Finland

I also made Finnish friends – one of them was my student tutor, assigned to me at the start of the semester. I met my classmate (now basically my best friend) and her student tutors, and collaborated with others on a project.  

The city of Turku also supports an initiative called the Friendship Programme, which pairs international residents with Finnish locals. I was lucky to be paired with a fantastic person who is now my friend. 

Posankka – a statue located near the campus area of the University of Turku and the Turku Student Village

What about the language barrier? Do you have a favourite word or phrase in your host country’s native language?
Finland’s official languages are Finnish and Swedish, but the Finns speak English very well. I was fortunate that the university offers classes in Finnish; these classes were one of the places that I met other international students, and we had a fun time chatting (well, at least trying to chat) in our slightly broken Finnish. We were taught how to introduce ourselves and navigate conversations in public places, such as cafés, restaurants, and when buying a movie ticket. Now I can successfully order coffee in Finnish, which is frankly very satisfying. 

My favourite phrase in Finnish must be “No niin!” 

What does it mean? It has no direct English translation, but it can basically mean anything, depending on the context and the way it’s said. It can be used to start a sentence or conversation, much like “well …” in English, and can even sum up a full discussion. It can be heard everywhere, all the time, and it’s just a phrase you have to love. No need to understand what is said – just say “no niin” and everything is solved. 

What were the highlights of your Erasmus+ adventure? 
Many of my highlights are connected with ESN Uni Turku. Through the friendship night, ice skating afternoon, traditional Finnish sitz, trip to Tampere, hiking, and many other events, the work of ESN greatly enhanced my experience. 

Ice hockey game: Turku vs Tampere

But if I had to point out one key highlight of my Erasmus+, it must be the Vappu celebrations. Vappu is a spring celebration held nationwide from 30 March to 1 May. Current, past, and future students attend. Students who have completed high school wear a special white cap (it is said that wearing it before graduation brings bad luck), and all generations put on their caps at exactly 6pm, following a speech delivered by the Student Union President of the University of Turku at the Art Gallery hill.  

Vappu celebrations

It’s a mesmerising to see everyone on the hill putting on their caps at the same time. Current university students also wear customised colourful overalls. These overalls have different colours based on study path, and each is personalised with patches collected from events or bought in stores.  

Preparing our overalls

The celebrations continue with “capping” statues in the park, followed by a picnic the next day with friends, playing the traditional cottage game of mölkky, and attending the “Welcoming the Summer” speech in the park. There’s also special drink called Sima (a low-alcohol mead) and a food called munkki (a sugary doughnut) that are only available before or during Vappu.  

There are many more moments that I will remember, but experiencing Vappu for the first time was just mesmerising. 

Vappu parade

Tell us about the positive takeaways from your Erasmus+ experience. 
The togetherness of the students and the fantastic community; walking around town and seeing people in overalls signalling a student event nearby is simply fascinating. It’s that feeling of belonging that I will cherish for a long time. I have overalls of my own – blue, decorated with all the patches I collected. They are a great memory from the whole Erasmus+ experience. 

Moomin World – a theme park based on the Moomin books by Finnish writer Tove Jansson

How would you sum up your Erasmus+ in a few words? 
I would sum it up as “too short”. The semester went by way too fast – there were so many things that I wanted to do, places to visit, and events to attend with my friends. I enjoyed my time and the community the Finnish students have, and it was great to be a part of that, even if it was just for one semester. I am returning to Finland in the near future, and I’m staying in touch with my Erasmus+ friends – they are all so awesome. 

Visiting Tallinn, Estonia 

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All photos are reproduced here with permission from Anna.

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