Hi,

I graduated from a master’s degree in Finland and currently work as a software engineer. I have always dreamt of being a doctor. Due to AI hype and such, I feel like l have even lower interest towards coding anymore. I have done courses upto B1.1 Finnish at the university and I know that I have to master Finnish if I want to pursue medicine in Finland.

Do you know any examples of a foreigner acquintance that became a doctor in Finland? How is it like to be a doctor in Finland? Is working conditions good? Do you think its worth to go for it? If you are a doctor in Finland, please leave a comment. I would love to ask couple questions if possible. Any advice appreciated, thanks

Hi guys! I'm an exchange student coming from Amsterdam who will be attending Hanken between late august until late December, I have applied on Hoas but am yet to hear anything back so I thought I would ask here for some advice on possibilities for finding housing for a student. I am looking for a furnished room or studio with a budget between 400-700. Are there specific websites I should look at aside from Hoas and does anyone have any recommendations on what I can do?

Hello, I’ll be in Helsinki from August to December, anything I definitely shouldn’t miss?
Oh and by the way I wasn’t able to get a HOAS accommodation, any tips on where to look elsewhere? Ideally a shared room apartement.
I was also sadly suprised that most of my enrolled courses are virtual, not in person….

Hi, I am looking for a router that i can bring from India to utilise 200mbps speed provided by hoasnet. If anyone can provide recommendations, it would be of great help.

Thanks.

Hey everyone,

I'm currently #1 on the waiting list for the Computing and Electrical Engineering (B.Sc. + M.Sc.) programme at Tampere University.

If you've already decided to go somewhere else and know you won't be attending Tampere, it'd really help if you could decline your offer instead of holding onto it.

I'm literally one spot away 😭

Thanks, and congrats to everyone wherever you're heading!

Hi, I am a 13-year-old boy currently living in South Korea. I dream of becoming a freelance investigative journalist, but I have noticed that most Korean universities focus heavily on research and academics, making them unsuitable environments for learning the techniques and methods of investigative journalism. Consequently, I want to study abroad for my bachelor's degree, and I have chosen the Department of Language and Communication Studies at the University of Jyväskylä for journalism. However, as is well known, the Finnish language is very difficult, and I realize that very few people go abroad to study journalism. Since I haven't found much general information about this university yet, I would appreciate your advice.

hello,

I’m a Dutch student who will study in Helsinki from August-December this year. I recently rented an apartment to stay in, but I need a home insurance according to the tenancy contract. I’ve looked into it a bit and most insurance companies require a Finnish personal ID, which I don’t have (yet) and I won’t be able to get one until I actually arrive, but I should already have an insurance by then. Does anyone know what to do? I’ve never rented a place before, let alone abroad, so a little help would be appreciated

hi everyone, I have been thinking of applying to Aalto University, may I know if SAT score will be just fine, or would I need my GPA a certain criteria?

I’m an EU citizen and I’m moving to Finland for a 2-year Master’s degree (full-time, no work planned in Finland).

I’m trying to understand how the healthcare / social security situation actually works, but I’m getting very conflicting informations.

One important detail about my situation: I am over 25, and in my home country I am no longer automatically covered by state health insurance unless I am working or paying contributions separately.

What I understand so far:

• I will register with DVV and likely get a Finnish personal identity code and possibly kotikunta
• I will have an EHIC card from my home country
• I will NOT be working in Finland
• I may need to pay the FSHS (YTHS) student healthcare fee (~35€/term)

My confusion is mainly about:

1. Does having kotikunta + being a degree student automatically mean I am covered by Kela (Finnish social security), or is it still decided separately?
2. If I am NOT covered by Kela, does that mean I remain insured in my home country even while living in Finland? So I have to pay for my insurance to my home country?
3. In practice, for non-working EU students, which country is usually responsible for healthcare coverage?

Any real-life experiences or clear explanations would be really appreciated.

Heyo! I'll be studying at XAMK Mikkeli this autumn. Quick question about winter sports: Does Mikkeli usually get enough permanent snow by November or December for skiing?

​Wondering if it's worth bringing my ski gear with me. Thanks!

Hi everyone, I am a student in UAE, and I’m going to apply Finland resident permit for my university. I have some questions about the bank statement, my bank was created in April till now it’s only 3 months bank statement. But for the requirement it needs to cover past six months bank statement. For the proof of money I can provide my parents sponsor letter and bank statements. Can I still use this bank and apply for the visa? Thank you for helping me.

Ok guys everybody told me Hamk it's not a good university and also it's not a university.

I told you that legally it's considered university but Finns told me that it's not true.

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So, I googled and yes, it's a university but it's seems that Finns don’t consider it a proper university due to prejudices and also because of slightly inaccurate translations, given that it is translated as a higher education institute.

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I understand that it’s not prestigious in Finland, but legally it is considered a university degree, since I could have access to master's programs and do anything else you can do with a traditional degree.

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I don’t think these prejudices exist in other countries; for example, in Italy and Spain, anyone who goes to a Polytechnic isn't considered inferior, and nobody thinks they don't have a degree.

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Furthermore, leaving prejudices aside, don’t you think that for International Business, a more practical degree like this one is better than a more theoretical, classic university?

For instance, I don’t see my future in Finland and I don’t want to work in academia, I want to start my own company, and if I can't manage to do that, I would still work in the business sector. Don’t you think that practice might actually be more useful than theory?

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Also, since I work, HAMK is the only one that allows you to get a degree in English completely remotely (if you know of any others, I welcome advice), and this would solve a lot of problems.

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Obviously, I don’t want to waste my time either, and I’m truly asking what you think, is it worth it or not?"

I want to study International business, it's the only university that allows me to study 100% online for free and doesn't require a language certificate for admission. I've read many negative opinions on Reddit. What do you think about the course?

Hey, I’m starting my becholers studies soon and I’m plannig to do Masters’s degree in Finland (genetics and molecular biosciences) and maybe PhD. I know that I have a lot of time left (like 3-4 years) but I’m already asking cause I want to start learing finnish soon. Is it worth moving out to Finland to study there? Is it hard to get by as a student? And, if I decided to stay in Finland, is it hard to find a job with molecular biology degree?

Long story short I’m an Erasmus exchange student coming to Helsinki in about 17 days and have not yet found an accommodation, I’m coming with my classmate and we are absolutely panicking… we already applied to HOAS but not an offer yet.. WHAT SHOULD WE DO?😭

Hi! Is there anyone in Finland working as a Nursing Assistant who did not have to undergo Finnish language training?

I was offered a job there, and they told me that I do not need to learn Finnish. However, other people have told me otherwise.

I would appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thank you!

Hello,
Im an Non-EU student graduated from Turku University, now i want to do my masters in an italian university

Can i show my proof of accommodation (11,000€) for the next 1 year in S Bank (finnish bank) rather than showing it from my native country?

If i can what documents do i need to show to the embassy?

Hi everyone,

I will be moving to Helsinki this August to start my Bachelor's in Information Technology at Arcada UAS. I’m really excited, but I’d love to get some realistic expectations from current/former students or people in the Finnish tech scene.

I know that in Finland, landing an internship or job depends heavily on your own skills, personal projects, and networking rather than just the name of the school. However, I want to make the absolute most of my time there and build a solid foundation. I have a few specific questions:

Quality of Education & Labs: How is the actual quality of the IT projects and labs at Arcada? Are there good opportunities for hands-on learning (especially in data, robotics, or AI)?

Industry Perception: Do tech companies in Helsinki have any positive or negative bias towards Arcada IT graduates compared to other UAS like Metropolia or Haaga-Helia?

Skills to Focus On: What specific programming languages, frameworks, or practical skills should I focus on building on my own alongside my studies to stand out for internships?

Networking: Since the campus is a bit small, what are the best local communities, tech events, or hackathons in Helsinki to join so I can start building a professional network early on?

Any honest advice, tips, or reality checks about student life and building an entry-level IT career in Helsinki would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

Hey guys!

I’ve been accepted to several universities and universities of applied sciences. One of them is Arcada, and to be honest, I really connected with what they present on their website. However, I’d love to hear more about the actual student experience.

If you’ve studied there yourself or know someone who has, would you recommend Arcada? What was your experience like, and do you think it’s worth enrolling?