Why I chose Finland as my study destination (and would do it all over again)

The happiest country in the world, high-quality education and beautiful nature – what is not to like? Arcada students Hanna and Maksim chose Finland as their study destination and today, on the Finnish Independence Day, they share their thoughts on why they would make the same choice all over again.

Hanna Muller, Mechanical and Sustainable Engineering student from Australia:

The first reason I chose Finland as my study destination is because of its high reputation of a great and thorough education. Now as a current student in Helsinki, I appreciate all the benefits it brings such as the state-of-the-art facilities and a close connection to working life. My teachers at Arcada are constantly connecting our studies to tasks we might need to perform in working life. I am also able to receive a full practical education thanks to the labs on campus which are full of modern and advanced machinery.

Hanna (second from the left) with friends in Lapland.

Yet the first aspect of Finland that made me smile was the strong connection to nature. I have enjoyed the mix of nature and city in Helsinki. I am able to fully reap the benefits of a beautiful forest close to a culturally rich city centre. It is also very nice to see how eager Finns are to preserve the beautiful nature here. I have been pleasantly surprised in seeing how Finnish people are educated global citizens concerned with matters such as climate change, which I personally find important.

Sauna and ice swimming – can things get more Finnish?

Another aspect that attracted me to Finland was the progressive government, which I knew would make me proud to be resident here. Yet what exceed my expectations was the diversity of people and culture. Helsinki is one of the most international cities I have ever been to, it can make any foreigner feel at home. So, on this year’s Independence Day I feel very lucky and fortunate to call this beautiful country my home.

Maksim Sumin, International Business (Logistics) student from Russia:

I chose to study in Finland for multiple reasons. For instance, Finland has been rated the happiest country in the world for four consecutive years. Other important factors were Finland’s safety (rated safest country in the world in 2017) and ecological development. When moving to Helsinki, I liked the availability of useful resources like MyHelsinki External link or City of Helsinki External link that helped me familiarize myself with the city.

Maksim enjoying autumn in Finland.

I chose to study at Arcada for the international experience – my group has people from all over the world, including but not limited to Finland itself, Russia, Germany, Vietnam, Ireland and Iran. Doing project work and participating in workshops as a diverse group is a valuable experience for future work life. Moreover, at Arcada, we interact with the SvenskFinland community and get to learn about the culture of the Swedish-speaking Finnish community during studies and events.

Helsinki offers a lot of events to attend.

Speaking of events – I was pleasantly surprised with the student association system that organizes different types of events (parties, work/recruitment, sports, hangouts) throughout the year. The student’s placement in an association depends on their study program. Some of the events are program-specific while others allow for students from any association (and even different universities) to spend time and exchange experience with people of different backgrounds and study paths.