"Advice for an exchange student in Turku" by Clara Robin
My exchange was an excellent opportunity for reinvention and growth and Turku was a beautiful place to discover new aspects of myself. How will this adventure change you?
By Clara Robin from The Thousand Tales
The first thing I noticed was the snow. Snow like I hadnât seen since I was a child in Denmark. The next thing I noticed - the gravel. The gravel thatâs spread on the sidewalks is great to ensure that you donât slip; it was not so great for the suitcase I was dragging along. I stopped on the bridge for a moment, catching my breath, which created steam when I breathed out. I looked at Turku Cathedral and the frozen Aura River, taking it all in. This would be my home for the next half year. I had never been away from home for that long before. I was feeling equally scared and excited. It was January 1st, 2023. A new year and a brand new beginning for me. How would this adventure change me?
Before going to Finland as an exchange student, I talked to one of my friends who had already been on exchange. One of the best pieces of advice I received was this: say yes. Of course it can be tiring to be social constantly, since most people need some alone time to recharge, myself included.
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However, especially in the beginning: say yes! There will be plenty of events for exchange students through the Erasmus Student Network: icebreaker events, parties, excursions - and most foreign and fascinating to me of all: a sitz! ESN organizes sitz events where you eat, drink, sing, and may be punished for breaking rules (but donât worry, the punishments are harmless and pretty fun, too). Though it may seem intimidating to be venturing out to events alone, I promise, everyone else is feeling just as nervous. The beautiful thing about being exchange students is that youâre all in the same boat; youâre all in a new country, far from home, without knowing anyone.
On that note, my second piece of advice which is probably also borrowed from somewhere, but is true nonetheless, is this: do it scared. If youâre scared, do it anyway. Go to that event and shake someoneâs hand and realize that their hand is shaking, too. Take a deep breath and notice that other people are also steadying themselves. The fear will pass, and you will feel braver for having pushed through it.
My third piece of advice if youâre feeling nervous is to ask yourself: whatâs the worst that can happen? Before going on exchange, I asked myself this very question. My worst case scenario was not making any friends and spending half a year lonely in a foreign country. To counter this, first I theorized that even if that were to happen, I would survive. I would focus on my studies and learn a lot, and I would go exploring. It might even be good for my self-discovery process, I figured. Then I realized that this fear was not very likely to come true. Because, as I mentioned before, everyone else would be in the same boat as me. And I was right. I made some wonderful friends who Iâm still in contact with now, two years later, even though many of us scattered all over the world when the semester was over.
My fourth piece of advice is based not on what I did during my exchange, but on what I wish I did: try to make some Finnish friends. Once my exchange was over, I wished that I had made more Finnish friends. I love my exchange friends, and it is a lot of fun to have friends in so many different countries... but itâs also nice to have a reason to go back. And itâs quite practical to have friends who can host you when you do. So sign up for a buddy program through the university, or grab another exchange student and go strike up a conversation with some Finns. A bar is a good place to start - Finnish people may seem shy, but chances are, theyâll be just as curious about you as you are about them. Ask a Finn for advice on some Finnish customs. You could even ask them to introduce you to these customs.
The fifth and last piece of advice I will leave you with is: enjoy it. The exchange is over before you know it, so soak in every bit of it. Go dance at the many ESN parties and go to clubs with your new friends. Have brunch at Assarin ullakko and cheap student lunches at all the other student restaurants. Go to Alko before 9 oâclock at night (after which you wonât be able to buy alcohol in stores anymore). Go to saunas as often as you can. Try not to neglect your studies, though youâll probably end up studying intensively with your classmates during the exam period, anyway. Notice the changing of the seasons, the long Finnish winter nights and the endless Finnish summer days.
My exchange was an excellent opportunity for reinvention and growth - and Turku was a beautiful place to discover new aspects of myself. How will this adventure change you?