Erasmus experience at Aalto University

Why did you choose Aalto?

Funnily, my first choice was Oslo, but I missed that spot by 1 point, so I ended up going to Aalto, and I couldn't be happier about that.

Was it easy to find accomodation?

Yes, at least for me. I applied to HOAS, which is a student housing company that is in contact with the university, so we were provided all the relevant information beforehand. The application process was smooth. My preferences were: Espoo, maximum 500 EUR/month, single-room. I ended up getting a place in a 6-bedroom apartment in Helsinki for 430 EUR/month, which I was pleased with. Since the university itself is in Espoo, I thought that it would be better to find an accommodation there, but I know some people who did end up living there, and they had to travel a lot more than I did. I was living in Pasila, which I truly believe was the best spot in the city! The building itself was close to a train station, from where we could reach the city centre within 5-10 minutes (every train going to Helsinki city centre stops at Pasila, so I never had to wait for more than 5 minutes). I could also easily reach the airport by train, it took approximately 30 minutes. To go to university, I had to take the bus no. 510 and it was a 25-minute ride. Also, there is a new mall right next to the accommodation, with lots of shops, so I could always go there to get some groceries (K-market was open 24/7).

What was the university like?

I was attending Aalto University, Otaniemi campus, which is right next to Helsinki, in Espoo, and at the time I was a 3rd year international business student (BA). The campus was huge (I am coming from a small country), and was very well-equipped. What I really liked is that there were so many little spots and corners with comfortable sofas and tables to study, and also a huge library. Students can also use printers free of charge which was awesome. The fall semester is divided into 2 periods, I think this is a great system (spring = 3 periods). I was there during the fall semester. The only hardship for me was that it was difficult to find bachelor's courses to complete 30 credits, as my home university didn't allow me to take master courses. However, I didn't know of anyone who had the same restrictions, so with the master courses included there is a wide range of courses to choose from. What's really cool, that they have these so-called "cross school courses", meaning that as a business student I was able to take some design courses as well for example. All of the courses I took were interesting, interactive, but they were not always easy. (but also, not the hardest, it depends on which courses you take). The exam period lasts only one week, but I didn't have a lot of exams, as the focus was more on the work we did during the periods. The administration process was extremely smooth, which I am not used to. One last thing I would like to highlight is that I really enjoyed that we were mixed with Finnish students in most of the courses!

Source

Is life expensive in general in Helsinki?

The answer is yes. This was a great conversation starter in the first few weeks when most of us were shocked about it. For groceries I recommend Lidl, Prisma and S-market, these were the cheapest. Restaurants are really expensive, and alcohol too, so it's better to take a one-day-trip to Tallinn, and buy lots of alcohol on your way back to Helsinki, as it is much cheaper there. A 1-month student ticket for public transportation was 30 EUR.

How was the integration process handled at Aalto?

I think they did an exceptional job at this one. First of all, there was someone picking us up from the airport, and they have also already picked up our apartment keys. We were divided then into groups of 20-25 people with 2-3 tutors. There were so many programs, like Aalto festival, Sitsis, parties, beer pong tournaments, 24h long program, trips (St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Lapland, cottage trip) etc. I urge everybody to take part in the Lapland trip, it's a once in a lifetime experience!

Would I recommend it?

Overall, I have nothing bad to say about my exchange experience. Of course, the weather and the darkness can be tough, but I knew what I signed up for. It was an amazing experience and Helsinki became my 2nd favourite city (after my hometown, Budapest). If you are hesitant, whether to apply to Aalto, you should do it in my opinion! The people are nice, the city is nice, great infrastructure, high-quality education. An amazing place to be.

P. S. : you should also apply to volunteer at Slush!