Details

• Finland
• MAMgmt-14
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

It should be noted that Helsinki has two different universities, the Hanken School of Economics and Aalto University. Hanken is much smaller but is located in downtown Helsinki, which means you live right in the city, which I personally saw as an advantage. As preparation, you should apply to HOAS for student accommodation as soon as possible. It also makes sense to buy warm clothing and winter shoes etc. before your semester abroad.

2. Accommodation

I applied to HOAS for all possible student residences, and at Hanken, everyone who applied got a place in the same residence in Pasila, which meant we all lived together, which I also highly recommended. The HOAS in Pasila offers six-person, three-person, and single apartments, all of which are very good. The rooms are approximately 10 square meters, and everything is relatively new and renovated. The location is not very pretty, but still good (5 minutes to the city center and 20 minutes to the university). There is a large shopping center right next door with a gym, supermarkets, etc.

3. Academic life at host university

Compared to WU, Hanken's building is very old and looks more like a school. The campus is very small, but there is a cafeteria where you can have lunch for €1.80. The teaching method is similar to WU, but you have two semesters, which means that a course is over more quickly and therefore the workload is very tight and high. Its still manageable, and the grades are also okay. The academic culture is very different. There is a committee for exchange students, who organize lots of events and get-togethers as well as some trips, which makes it super easy to meet people and get a lot out of your semester abroad.

5. Every day life in the host country

You really need public transportation every single day. It's very easy to understand and costs around €40 per month. Helsinki is very safe; I never felt uncomfortable there. Concerning sports options, there are university sports facilities and gyms where you can work out for €20. There is also a lot to explore in Helsinki in general, such as national parks, etc., and the university also organizes many events and parties every week. It is also very easy to travel around Finland. For example, I went on two cabin trips in Finland, to Tallinn, Stockholm, Norway, and Lapland.

6. Testimonial

You definitely won't get to experience everything Finland has to offer if you're just there on vacation. All of the places are really special, and Finnish student culture is also something unique.