Erasmus Turku

1.Make a presentation of yourself.

I am a French girl, I am 23 years old. I studied during four years business law, and now I am in Master Degree in Management and Marketing of services, in particular in hotels. I am a funny girl, I love to travel, I like cinema and to go in party with my friends.

2.Describe briefly the place you are from.

I come from a little city (around 150.000 inhabitants) called Aix en Provence, in the south of the France, next Marseille. It’s a student city, very dynamic. It’s a city with a cultural heritage really important.

3.Tell us how the city where you study is.

I am studying in the same city than I come from.

4. What do you think about your home university?(Before you go on Erasmus) Be honest ;)

I can speak about two universities.

Regarding Law University, this university is in an old building, very clean. This university is huge (around 10.000 students) and very good university with famous teachers, and an educational level very high.  Courses are in big amphitheater (between 150 and 400 students). I have to say, the atmosphere is so bad in this university, people are very arrogant, and very competitive.

The Graduate School of Management in Aix en Provence, where I am studying now, is the opposite, very small university, with around 600 students. There is a good atmosphere, and students could speak with teachers when they went. Almost all courses are in little group, around 40 students by group. The atmosphere is very familial.

5.What encourage you to go on Erasmus?Reasons, etc..

I wanted to go in Erasmus for many reasons. I wanted to live in a foreign country, with foreigners, I wanted to learn English, and  live a nice experience and different with my live in France.

6.When you decide that, what countries / destinations you had in mind and why?

I wanted to go in Scandinavia, and in particular in Finland, or Norway. I wanted to live in a city with another climate compared climate in my home city. I wanted to live in country where there is snow during winter (in my city, there is almost never snow). The safety in the country was very important too, it’s for that I wanted to go in a safety country. I wanted to discover Europe. At the beginning I choose Helsinki or Turku. I wanted to go in Turku because it’s in the center of a lot of countries, and I could visit a lot of place, like Russian, Norway, Poland, Estonie, Lapland…

7.Once you know definitely the destination

a. How did you feel?

I was happy, but totally afraid in the same time. I thought Turku is too small compared Helsinki, nobody knows this city, and I was afraid by the temperature during winter.

b.What did you think about the place?

I wanted to go in Turku but when I had the answer, I was too sad. Indeed, I look some pictures, and I thought the city was ugly, too small,…

c. What your closest people (family, friends, colleagues ...) told you or thought about it?

All members of my family thought it was a good city. I could live a very good experience and to travel a lot in Europe.

d.If you had a choice to choose another one, what would have been?

I could choose Coopenhague, because I don’t know this city, and I think is very beautiful, or Sydney. I was there during 1 month, it’s a really beautiful city. I know the climate is the opposite than Turku, but it’s another life, in another hemisphere, this city, this country is a dream for me.

8.For how long is / was your stay? Do you think that's enough? Would you have liked to have stayed longer? / Would you like to stay longer?

I staid in Turku during 5 months, from January to the end of May. I think is no enough. I think the best is 7/8 months, or one year but in two places, for example, I would like 6 months in Finland, and 6 months in Poland.

The bad point is if you stay one year but your friend leave after 6 months, I think it could be difficult to meet others friends, but to learn English I think you have to stay in a foreign country during at least 7 months. After 5 months, you just to start to think in English and to be comfortable, so you have to stay more.

9.How did the paperwork, formalities, etc..? What do you think about all this?

I don’t remember exactly this moment with formalities. I remember I had to fill in some paperwork and send them in Turku University, but it was not difficult or boring.

The most difficult was papers for my home university. Each time, that I changed my courses in Turku, I had to send a paper at my home university to inform them.

10. How is the city where you live or you used to live during your Erasmus?

Turku is at the crossroads of several destinations. When I was there, I could go in Russia, In Norway, in Poland, in Lettonie, Estonie,…

Turku is a city student, where there are lot of university. I think it’s a second student city in Finland.

In this city, there are so many party organized everyday. In reality it’s not a very small city, the city center is small, but around, there are a lot of thing to do. Like sauna in forest.

People in Finland are not friendly at the beginning but when you know them they  start to be nice.

11.Where did you stay (residence, apartment, dorm)? Explain how it is.

I leaved in university residence in Student Village, and Erasmus were shared between 6 or 7 building. In each building, there are 3 floors, and 12 people could  live in the same floor. Each person had his rooms (bedroom and bathroom) around 18m2, and we shared a kitchen. All rooms and kitchen are equipped.

In this Student Village, there are some sauna, laundry, a car and bike parking, a shop,….

Each day, or almost, Erasmus organized party in kitchen!!

12.Well, what about the Host University? How it is? What do you think?

The Host University is an Economic University, very friendly environment. You have courses in amphitheatre, around 100 people, and in people group, 30 people.

Courses are not like in France, you have to participate, you have note of participation and notes for exams. You have to study in group, like that you meet Finnish people and Erasmus, you have to speak English, and to work in group.

13.Compared to your home university, what advantages and disadvantages do you get when compared to the host university?

Home University:

                - Advantages : small university, familial atmosphere, 12 euros for sport.

- Disadvantages :  this university is in village at 10 km, of the city center of Aix, so you have to take bus from the city center of Aix, there is only 1 university restaurant to eat and places to do sports are so far.

Host University: 

-          Advantages : small university, friendly atmosphere, in the city center, a lot of University restaurant, a lot of sport for 30 euros near the university, library is open the Monday until the Saturday. There are some libraries where you can go during the evening, and Sunday. You have many times to past your exam.

 Indeed,  semesters are divided in two parts, for example, when I was in Turku, the first part were from January to the end of February, and exams were the last week of February. The second part, were from March to the end of April, and Exam the first week of May. So, you can past your first exam in one field, Marketing in BtoB for example, in September, and at the end of the second part of the semester in December, and after in May. Because in May, you can past again all exam if you fail.

-          You have intensive courses that is to say, all chapters in one week, so if you want to travel, you can take, only courses like that, and you are free almost every day, except the week with the intensive course.

- Disadvantage : The inconvenient of the division of the semester is it’s very intensive.

14.During Erasmus, it is common make trips taking advantage of the staying in other countries and places. Did you already make a trip? Got one in mind? Where do you want to travel? Where have you gone?

During my Erasmus, I went In Lapland and in Russia with the organism ESN (Erasmus Student network) for one week each travel. I went with my Erasmus friends, in Tallin, in Estonia to see one of my home friend, who was in Erasmus there. After I went in Poland, in Lettonia, and in Norway where I made a road trip in Fjords. With my friends, we made couchsurfing, it was amazing!

If I had time, I would like to go in Copenhague and Stockolm. But unfortunetly 6 months is too short to visit Finland and visit all countries around.

15.Finally, the most important. Tell us as Erasmus generally is in the place you are or were(as applicable).How the partys, the other Erasmus, social life, student organizations, associations Erasmus, are and so on(The more you can write, the better!).

In Turku, there were parties in nightclub, 3 times by week and in a kitchen, almost everyday. One or twice by week, there was huge kitchen party, and very often, we just meet everybody in kitchen without any organization. We organized kitchen party with theme like jungle party, pyjama party, rainbow party,…

There are one student village, and others places where Erasmus could live, but the best in the student village, because everything is organized there. Erasmus are like a big family.

In my floor, everyday we make a karaoke, and we ate together. We were a real family. And I come back in France 9 months ago, but I met my friends already twice (Russian, Italian, French).

People in Finland are very distance at the beginning, but when you are friend with them, they are very friendly, you need to break ice! You have to speak with them in first.

ESN (Erasmus Student Network) is an association really active in Turku. This association organized a lot of party, like farewell party, welcome party,….and a lot of travel too. With ESN you could visit some cities in Finland and countries around.

In Finland, all students have overall in a different color according to their studies. For Erasmus, it’s a blue overall, and at each party you can win a patch to put on your overall. ESN take care of the fabrication and the distribution of patch.

I think Erasmus was the best experience. If I could do another one, I will say yes for sure. You meet a lot of people from different countries. You live in a very good atmosphere. Ohhhh Turku, I miss you…