I'm considering going there for about 2-3 years to attend university in Helsinki. I was wondering if anyone could share their experiences? How easy is it to get by without speaking Finnish (I'm a native English speaker)? What are the attitudes of the Finnish people towards foreigners? Is it really expensive? And can one have a good time on a limited budget?
PS: Though it sounds like I'm asking other foreigners, I would love to hear from native Finns too!
2007-01-17 19:45:40 · 10 answers · asked by Wildhoney 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
First of all, the language won't be a problem. At the university everyone will speak at least good English, and you'll also get understood in every shop, restaurant etc. you'll ever find from Helsinki (or any other town or city; some rural villages may be an exception if tourists never visit there...). So you'll get by very well in your studies and daily life without speaking Finnish at all, though it would be considered polite to learn a few basic phrases like "hello" and "goodbye".
I think someone foreigner in Finland could answer better about the attitudes of Finns towards foreigners, but at least I would dare to assure you that in the university world people are very well used to other nationalities and nobody will think negative things about you because you're not Finnish. However, it is normal behavior for a Finn to be quiet and not too social, and it is easy to think that as a rude behavior if you don't know about it beforehand. So if people who you have just recently met don't really discuss with you and seem to only answer with a couple of words, that is only natural. Some may also be a bit shy to use English, even if they spoke it really well. Yeah, that's funny. In this kind of cases it really would help to know a couple of words in Finnish; it's an excellent ice breaker to show that you are ready to throw yourself in the game and at least try to speak a language you'll probably never learn to pronounce too well :) It helps the Finn to overcome that kind of shyness.
Is it expensive in Finland? It would be a lie to say something other than yes. I have lived my entire life here, so I'm kind of used to this, but I tend to wonder how cheap some things are when I visit some other countries. However, it's really not as bad as some people say, and it is possible to have a good time on a limited budget (naturally as long as it's not too limited:)). It's probably most important to remember that alcohol is expensive, and even more so if you buy it from a restaurant or bar. So if alcohol belongs in your definition of a good time, the best you can do is to get lots of friends and have / go to private parties where you can drink your own drinks (or in the best case someone else's drinks :)). Just try to remember to buy your alcohol during the limited open hours of Alko, the store that exclusively sells all the strong (and most of the not-so-strong) alcohol. Only beer and cider can be found from the grocery stores (no, not even wine can be bought there...).
I hope these tips and tricks are helpful, and if there's anything specific you'd like to know feel free to send me an e-mail.
2007-01-18 09:27:01 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Helsinki is awesome, everyone speaks perfect English, this is what I ran into. Expensive - yes, but I would love to go back. I had pictures on my web site but took them down. I am sure you can find some on line. Out side of Helsinki I don't know because I stayed in the city, but I think - that alone was worth it.
2007-01-17 19:53:39 · answer #2 · answered by Earth to Mars 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Finland in the Russian empire had complete autonomy. They were only part of the Russian Empire in the sense that the Russian border with Sweden lay further west. However, they had self-government and Russia didn't really interfere in their lives in any way.
2016-03-29 02:48:58 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check out this useful link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland
It tells you about history, climate, sports, language, culture and pretty much everything....
There's a LOT of information and hopefully something that will be helpful for you.
Even mentions things like....Runeberg's tart is a Finnish pastry available on the poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg's birthday on February 5.
Happy reading.
2007-01-21 20:43:59 · answer #4 · answered by _ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
one of my best friend is Finnish and he is supper nice and very well spoken he all so said that it can get super cold most every one in Finland can speak english
2007-01-17 19:51:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
can I come 2 fed up with British and I'm British ..Finnish sounds good prefer northern hemisphere seriously...bet its better than here disillusioned Brit
2007-01-19 13:30:20 · answer #6 · answered by bobonumpty 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
getting a job there is not that hard and it has the highest gdp in the world! their people earn the most money. finland is a very nice and clean place and i hope you have fun there!
2007-01-17 19:49:16 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Finland is great, its where the kippers come from you should try it!
2007-01-17 20:03:08 · answer #8 · answered by fletch 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Same as here same day same sh*t only in a different language...
2007-01-17 20:00:36 · answer #9 · answered by Linda C 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
My girlfriend told me last night we were finished....does this mean I am going there2?
2007-01-17 19:54:01 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋