Few tips for moving to Finland

Weather

A big question during packing is the weather, of course. I knew it would get pretty cold, but how and when I had no idea. One thing to note is that in the last years it was pretty inconsistent, but in general I would say it gets below 10 degrees pretty quickly, around October. There is also quite a lot of rain during the fall; from November, it goes below 0 degrees and mostly stays there, fluctuating between 0 and -20 degrees. How I like to phrase it is that in Finland, if it goes above 0 degrees in the winter you have to mention it. Another surprising thing is how late spring comes, around April and May, until then it can easily stay below 10 degrees.

TIPS: The key to staying warm is layering. It is also important to note that insulation is really good in Finland so you don’t have to be worried about being cold inside. Because of this, I also recommend layering clothing as indoors, very warm clothes can get too much, so it is always good if you can remove a few layers.

For me, not so much the cold but the dark was influential. What I didn’t think about is that it is not only light for a few hours, but those hours are also not completely light, as the arch of the sun is moving closer to the horizon, so it doesn’t go so “high” (As you can hear, I am not a science student).

TIPS: Because of this, Vitamin D pills are crucial; you can actually feel the difference when you take it consistently. I also recommend getting a sun lamp as that can help too to get more light.

Community

When I first moved I was worried about finding the right people to hang out with. Now looking back, I had nothing to worry about, as Aalto and the overall student culture in Finland is really big. There are many ways to connect with people, either based on your department or your hobbies. More than 200 associations are operating within AYY, which is the student association for Aalto. (check it out here! https://www.ayy.fi/en/list-of-associations ) A lot of them are operating in English so there isn’t an issue with that. The system is well thought out, and a lot of people, both on the faculty side as well as the students are helping to make new students feel welcomed and involved. You also get a tutor at the start of the year who can help you settle in. This was very helpful for me as I had a person from whom I could ask questions, anything from bureaucracy to student life; they are there to help.

Language

Another thing I hear people are concerned about is how much you can manage without speaking Finnish. If your program is in English, it means all of the classes and exams are in English, as well as most of the electives. In everyday life, it is also not an issue as everyone speaks English. There is 1 mandatory language course at Aalt,o either Finnish or Swedish, as these are the 2 official languages in Finlan,d so you can choose (for credits!). I did find this useful to help me learn the basics but other than that I don’t speak Finnish well even though I do find it important, so I am planning to continue learning. Fortunately, there are many Finnish and Swedish courses with varying levels that you can take and also get credits!

Moving

And finally, I was concerned about moving into an unfurnished apartment/room, as I am not from Finland, I couldn’t bring anything big with me. Fortunately, there are many platforms to find very cheap furniture and other necessities as cutlery, shower curtains, and sandwich makers (last one highly crucial as a lazy student.) I recommend Facebook marketplace, but even more telegram group chats as most things are happening there. (Not just supplies but also posts about events) I got most of my things second-hand; my most expensive furniture only cost 25 euros. (subtle flex)

All in all, I would say try not to stress out too much, everyone is very helpful, and in case of emergencies, things are sorted out smoothly.