International students
From IVSA Finland wiki
Thinking of coming to Finland for an exchange? Have a look at our presentation: What is it like to study veterinary medicine in Finland? (PDF, 11.9 MB).
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Monthly IVSA Finland event
IVSA Finland organizes a smallish event every month during the semesters. These events are open for all students, whether exchange students, members of IVSA or not. The idea behind these IVSA evenings is to do something that has a connection to the veterinary studies in a way that is relaxing, interesting and encourages free conversation. We hope that exchange students from abroad and local students from Finland could mingle at these events and make new friends. The theme of the events rotates, and examples are given in the list below. To attend the events, follow our Facebook group. We will also announce these events on the vet-exchange mailing list of the faculty, so be sure that you are on the list. If you are not, and you are currently doing an exchange at the University of Helsinki, contact the exchange coordinator of our faculty, Janna Koivisto.
What else to do on your free time
- Visit the University of Helsinki sports centre in Viikki
- it's easy to get a sweat, and sometimes even to make friends while on gym, playing team sports or attending dance classes.
- Attend Café Lingua in Helsinki to meat up with people and learn new languages
- Attend ESN, Erasmus Exchange Student Network, events:
- This is a very active exchange student community in Helsinki, and it's open for everyone, not just for Erasmus students
- Find the current ESN facebook group by searching for "ESN HYY" in facebook. This will give you results, from which you can choose the most suitable group for you. for example, the ESN Helsinki 09/10
- Join ESN mailing list - see details from the ESN webpages: http://blogs.helsinki.fi/esn-hyy/
Housing
- from May to August, the Student Village Latokartano offers short term apartments and the prices are pretty much the lowest you can get in Helsinki
- sometimes Latokartano might be able to offer flats even during the semesters. It doesn't hurt to ask.
- HOAS (Foundation for Student Housing in the Helsinki Region), has 6 appartement complexes in Viikki.
- depending on your exchange type, you might be eligible to apply for a flat
- the rent's for HOAS's students flats in Viikki are around 10 €/m2, and maybe 20 % more from the open market
Useful links for everyday life in Finland
- route guide for public transportation in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa
- route planner for the state railway service, useful when going outside of Helsinki
- grocery stores in Viikki
- Prisma, open from 08–21 except on Sunday from 12–18 (hypermarket)
- Alepa, open from 07–23 except on Sunday from 10–23 (market)
- Valintatalo open Monday to Friday 07–21, Saturday 08–18 and Sunday 12–18 (supermarket)
- ABC, open daily from 06–24 (gas station/market)
- wireless internet coverage drawn on blueprints of the University's buildings (both of which are useful, though you need a University user account to access these)
- PDFs published by the University of Helsinki
- Orientation Handbook for exchange students coming to Finland
- Practical information for students visiting University of Helsinki
- How to get started guide for degree students coming to Helsinki
