Details

• Finland
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

Start looking for accommodation early; Hoas is the best option here, it’s relatively cheap and all the exchange students live there. You should also check the university’s course timetable soon enough, as the range of courses isn’t that wide and some of them overlap. Local students will pick you up from the airport and show you around the university. I wasn’t there for the Welcome Days, but that’s when you get shown most of the university and the city in general.

2. Accommodation

The university offers accommodation in its own flats. The rent is a bit higher here, but you’ll be living in a new-build studio flat. Hoas is the complete opposite: it’s cheaper, but the buildings are older and not as well maintained; on the other hand, all the exchange students live there and there’s always something going on. If you want to get the full experience of a semester abroad, that’s the place to go Hoas is in a great location; it’s right next to the city’s largest shopping centre and has good public transport links. In terms of quality of life, however, it’s not one of the nicer districts in Helsinki but it is still very safe.

3. Academic life at host university

The workload for the courses varies enormously. The university is very small, so there isn’t a huge choice of courses. I’d recommend courses in supply chain management; I’ve heard from others that finance-related courses are said to be quite difficult. So overall, the workload varies a lot. The university is very cosy, though; there’s a canteen where you can get lunch for €1.80, which pretty much all the students use. Everyone is helpful and speaks perfect English. Compared to WU, the courses are much less focused on exams and more on assignments and written work. What’s more, there is a presentation in almost every course.

5. Every day life in the host country

The public transport network is very well developed, and they offer a four-month ticket which isn’t expensive. What’s more, public transport runs around the clock and is very safe. Uber rides are also comparatively very cheap in Helsinki. You feel safe throughout the city and there’s really nowhere where you need to be particularly careful. The university's exchange committee organises a great many events, and there's actually always something going on at the weekends.

6. Testimonial

It’s definitely the people who make the semester special, not the city itself. Especially during the colder months, there isn’t much going on in the city and you mainly spend your time with the other exchange students. In the warmer months, the city comes to life too.