My first semester as an Erasmus student in Finland

Vol 28, Issue 14, 6^th Friday February

From France to Finland, from Nantes to Kouvola, the change is significant but exciting. Leaving my daily routine, my familiar surroundings, and my language to discover a new country was a real leap into the unknown. For over four months now, I’ve been experiencing Finnish life through my Erasmus exchange student experience. Shortly after my twentieth birthday, I embarked on this new adventure with a desire to discover and learn.

With my head full of dreams, I landed in Helsinki at the end of August. The first few days were intense, getting to know the other students, the campus, my accommodation, and finally Kouvola, the city where I would spend the next eight months. My emotions were a mix of the stress of the unknown, the excitement of new experiences, the fear of not fitting in, but also a strong desire to fully embrace this experience.

I quickly experienced my Finnish firsts: saunas, walks in the forest, travel, hockey games, swimming in lakes, and barbecues (even when the temperatures started to drop). These were also my first classes in a different university system and my first classes in a language other than French. All these firsts gradually became part of my lifestyle and my daily routine.

After four months, my habits had changed. I had adapted to Finnish culture. I had settled into a calmer pace of life, closer to nature. Here, silence isn’t oppressive; it’s soothing. Nature plays a central role, allowing me to slow down and take a step back to appreciate simple things, which is a complete change from my French environment.

Little by little, I found my bearings, established new routines, met new people, discovered a different way of life, and, above all, forged strong bonds with people from all over the world. Being away from home has allowed me to become more independent, more confident, and to get to know myself better. This experience is just the beginning, I can’t wait to see what the rest of my Erasmus program holds and to be able to share it with you.