Experience in Helsinki, Finland by Akzharkyn

What is it like to live in Helsinki? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

It is a beautiful city with an unusual architecture right near the harbor. The city itself might leave an impression of a quite and cold place, however, you will love the atmosphere of the city and feel the unique vibe.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Helsinki?

Students are joining the Guild, which is the student organization in the faculty. Guilds have a long history and are an essential part of the education system. Each guild has own color for overalls that they wear as the dress code for all events. During the while, academic year students collect points based on their social activities and in May there is a huge event called Vappu, where students can get their caps. These caps are given for the most active students and count as a sign of prestige, and therefore students love earring it with overalls for events.

How much does it cost to live in Helsinki?

The accommodation in an apartment given by AYY and HOAS will cost about 150-350 euros for a room and in case you decided to rent from agencies or individuals, the payment for a room in a flat with 2-3 people will cost 500 euros in average.

The transportation will cost you 2,8 € for students in areas of Espoo, Helsinki, Vantaa within 80 minutes. The monthly ticket for free rides will cost 50-60 euros for the student.

The meal will cost you 2,6 € in a chain of student cafeterias across the University of Helsinki and Aalto University. However, the food itself is quite expensive compared to other countries and eating out every day is not available for students with a limited budget.

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Is it difficult to find accommodation in Helsinki? Is there any advice you can give?

It is not easy to find a nice and affordable place with good access to public transport and close location to campus. The student associations at universities in Helsinki as AYY for Aalto University or HOAS for all universities in Helsinki area provide housing for international students for a relatively cheap price between 150-350 euro depending on the recent repairment jobs of the building and location on campus. My main advice would be to join the queue early, and not to worry in case you are the first year international student.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Finnish cuisines have a lot of dishes with fish, which makes it quite healthy. In addition to that, you can try other unusual meals as reindeer and moose meat or crazy Finnish sweet called salmiakki: salty and almost spicy liquorice. My favorite dish in Finland was a pea soup with pancake that they usually give for children, and I found it quite an interesting tradition.

What places would you recommend visiting in Helsinki?

There are plenty of churches in Helsinki that are must-see places in Helsinki. I personally loved the church inside the rock in the city centre. You can enjoy the harbor where you can try some fish, raindeer or moose meat and enjoy the view there. And the main thing that people should try is sauna in Finland. Each building has a sauna, so that employees can relax there and it is really relaxing and, according to medical research, healthy as well.

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Is it good to eat out in Helsinki? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

There is a huge variety of places to eat in Helsinki ranging from Mexican cuisine to Japanese with authentic dishes and styles. The meal in a fancy restaurant will cost you comparatively a lot, the medium places are ranging between 25-40 euros. The common type of cafes in Helsinki are buffets, where you simply pay 10-20 euros at the entrance and simply eat without any limits. These types of buffets are quite popular and offer not only sushi, but also pizza buffets or Indian cuisine. I usually select nice spots near Kamppi shopping mall.

Is the nightlife good in Helsinki? Where is good to go?

Usually people tend to gather in pubs for some drinks, however, the major night clubs for students are Maxine and Club Capital, where the major parties for students are organized by ESN and university guilds. The thematics of the parties usually vary depending on a national holiday or special occasions. I haven’t seen any sober or heavily drunk people during the night, so it is quite safe and it is not so dangerous to stay late. This makes the nightlife quite safe and convenient.

What advice would you give future students heading to Helsinki?

I will give common advice - take warm clothes and thermals. The winter time in Finland is quite cold, so you should be prepared, especially if you are not used to such climate conditions. Another advice that I want to give for students is never getting afraid of speaking to Finns. They might leave an impression of introverts, however, I haven’t seen anybody nicer, more polite and more helpful that Finnish person. And they respect your personal space and will not try to bother you unless you want, and that is why you should start communication first.