Category Archives: Life in Finland

Finnish culture and life

A walk by the seaside in Helsinki

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A beautiful and peaceful sunset moment by the bay in eastern Helsinki.

Before I moved to Finland, I had lived in Tamsui for almost 10 years, which’s situated next to an estuary in the northern Taiwan, the most famous sightseeing spot for the sunset. One thing I knew before I left Tamsui for Hesinki was that I would miss a lot taking a walk by the water.

The sunset in Tamsui, Taiwan.

After I settled in Helsinki and soon discovered that I lives in a quiet neighborhood with only a 15-min walking distance to an estuary. Coincidently, that’s exactly the same distance from my house to the estuary in Taipei. The scenery and the sound of running water are the greatest cure to my homesickness.

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How I make the most of my time in Aalto University – Rasmus Viitala

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4quIp5OPh8[/embedyt]

Rasmus Viitala was my project teammate in the course Energy Business and Innovation, who is major in master’s program of Industrial Engineering and Management and CEMS. It’s a great pleasure working on the project with him. In fact, It’s very rare in my life to meet someone whose personality lights up the atmosphere wherever he or she goes. Rasmus is one of this unique kind, he is always fun, cheerful, upbeat, smart but also hardworking. Continue reading →

FAQs for new Aalto students Part 1 (updated in April 2020)

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Congratulations and Welcome to Aalto University!
Here are some frequently asked questions.

Please see all up to date information on admissions and the beginning of your studies on Aalto’s website (aalto.fi) or by contacting Aalto’s Admissions Services (admissions (at) aalto.fi) or your programme’s student services.

♣Student housing

  • Two student housing organizations: Ayy & Hoas. Please apply for both once you accept the study offer. New students have higher priorities for getting a student housing. Please be aware that Ayy and Hoas could not accommodate all students.

When will I get a housing offer?

  • Ayy (Aalto Student Union) will only provide a housing offer one month prior to your request, for example, if you request to start on 01.08, the offer will be given in July not before.

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How to find a summer job in Finland?

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If you are an international student coming to Finland to study, you may be also thinking about getting a job here. The easiest way to kick off your career is either doing a practical training during your studies or getting a summer job. Summer job is a very common practice in Finland and most of the students work full-time during the holiday months and also part-time during the academic year. However, it is not that easy to get a job or an internship place, few things to keep in mind:

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Finland is like a wonderland in the winter.

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Approaching Santa’s hometown Rovaniemi. The landscape sealed by the snow makes a natural black and white scene.

This week is the ski holiday in the southern Finland. I took a chance to visit Lapland for the second time after three years. In the winter, Finland is like a wonderland. The nature is stunning! In a 4-day trip, luckily I saw the northern lights, nailed the snowboarding for the first time, and hiked in the beautiful Pyhä-Luosto National Park.

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Winter Arts – Lux Helsinki

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This year Lux Architecture series highlights the Finlandia Hall. The video and music created an enormous flowing water scene in the winter night to address the significant issue that water resources are exhaustible. The art work is created by Ramboll Valostudio.

Every January, the most exciting winter arts activity, Lux Helsinki lights up different corners across the city. Each year, City of Helsinki chose different district to be the main focus for the annual light arts festival. It is brilliant to bring citizens and tourists to learn the dynamics in different areas of Helsinki.

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How much money do you need to study in Finland?

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For many applicants, the financial aspect is the most important. I decided to summarize the living costs of studying in Finland. How much is the rent? Food, transport, visa?

I will not include tuition fees here. Please, check yourself whether you have to pay those. If you do, you might get a grant and end up not paying any.

This is what you get for lunch for 2.60€. A glass of milk, bread with hummus, rice with chicken in curry sauce, salad, beans. You can get more, I just don’t eat so much 🙂

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How to survive the winter in Finland?

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The water is frozen in the winter.

All my family and my friends in Taiwan are concerned that I will be freezing into an icicle when the snow season starts in Finland. Well, their concerns are not nonsense, considering that the lowest temperature during the winter time in Taiwan is only about +6°.

I thought I would be wearing much more here than what I used to in Taiwan. Actually, not that case. It’s still three layers, but certainly all the clothes are selected to fit the cold climate in Finland. For me, the first layer is the most important one, a fitted long-sleeve T-shirt with quick drying function. The second layer is usually a sweater. The last layer is a proper waterproof winter jacket. In the cold climate, waterproof wear is crucial from head to toe. Helsinki is quite a windy city. The wind can make one feel much colder than the real temperature. These three layers can get me through even -15°.

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