“Biggest Challenge in a New Country”: When Finland Shakes Up a French Student’s Habits

Vol,28, Issue 07, 31 October 2025

When I arrived in Finland, I expected to face a few challenges: the language, the weather, the food… But some surprises in daily life turned out to be far more confusing than I had imagined. In this article, I share the little obstacles that marked my first weeks in Kouvola.

I knew it would be colder than in France, but I didn’t realize how quickly the change would happen. When I arrived at the end of August, the sun was still shining and temperatures reached 25 degrees. Just a week later, the thermometer dropped to 10, sometimes even lower. Summer suddenly turned into a chilly autumn. Adapting your wardrobe becomes a top priority: waterproof jackets, wool sweaters, thermal layers… And don’t even mention those late nights spent outside watching the Northern Lights, by late September, frost is already nipping at your fingers!

Surprisingly, the biggest challenge wasn’t the language itself but grocery shopping. Finding the right products often felt like solving a mystery. The milk section, for instance, completely threw me off: skimmed, fermented, or “piimä,” a typical Finnish dairy drink, it’s hard to tell the difference without speaking Finnish! The same thing happened with yogurts and cottage cheese; more than once, I ended up with something entirely different from what I wanted. Let’s call it a culinary adventure!

Despite these small everyday struggles, you quickly learn to figure things out: reading labels, asking for help, and laughing at your own mistakes. These little challenges eventually become stories to tell, proof that you’re adapting and growing.

Today, I look back on those first weeks with a smile. Finland has pushed me out of my comfort zone, teaching me to see differences not as obstacles, but as opportunities for learning and discovery.