SHARING of EXPERIENCES of EXCHANGE PROGRAMME in FINLAND

 2 XAMK

15 February 2018 - Hello everyone! My name is Lim Zen Yang and I am here to share my thoughts and experiences about my exchange life in Finland. I have to say, one of the best decision in my life I have ever made is going for an exchange programme during my university life. Even though the preparation for the exchange programme was time-consuming and complicated, it was totally worth in the end!

As a Civil Engineering student in USM, I did my exchange programme in South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (XAMK) in Mikkeli, Finland. Instead of Civil Engineering, I studied Environmental Engineering in XAMK. I have learnt a lot and broaden my horizon. It was surely one of the best experiences in my university life

3 view u

Throughout the autumn semester in Finland, I have experienced Finnish culture, made friends all over the world, enjoyed the spectacular nature of Finland, visited many great places and made myself a better person.

4 kayak

I have understood the differences of education system between Finland and Malaysia and why Finland has the best education system in the world. Teachers always come first in Finnish education and teachers are greatly respected as they play vital roles in educating the next generation. Finnish people understand teachers have the greatest and most direct impacts on students and with better teachers, there will be better students.

5 class

One of the best moments during my exchange life was having friends worldwide with different languages and cultures. We explored the nature of Finland together, had a barbeque in the forest, enjoying in the freezing lake after having a sauna, tasting traditional cuisines from different countries and etc. Even after the exchange programme, we always keep in touch regularly via social media and our friendships will never end.

5 hiking n bbq

Finland is famous with its ubiquitous landscapes of forest and lakes. The winter in Finland lasts for 5 months and the nature was simply beautiful and almost everything were covered with fluffy snow. Cold and freezing weather is definitely expected and be fully equipped if you are going to spend your semester in the winter. Submerging myself in Finnish’s nature, culture and food is still the most enjoyable moment in my life.

6 santa n husky ride

7 scenery

I spent my mid-term and semester break by travelling to neighbouring countries of Finland. I have been to Sweden, Norway, Russia, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. I visited some countries with my Spanish friends and explored some countries by my own. Travelling can absolutely expand my view and help me to embrace the cultural differences in different countries. Exploring a completely new and unknown city can be very exciting and meaningful. However, travelling can be costly or lowbudget, it depends on your planning and financial power and hence, a good planning is essential for travelling. After all, experiences once in a life time can be priceless and invaluable.

finland

NORWAY

russia

All in all, I strongly recommend students to go for an overseas exchange programme during their 4-years university life. Meeting new people, speaking new language, living in a completely different environment, experiencing cultural and educational differences and embracing diversities of beliefs and values can strengthen you and make you a better person. You may not interested in Europe countries like Finland, Asia countries like Korea and Japan sound great as well. In other words, I highly suggest students to go for an exchange programme regardless the destination as long as you are willing to step out your comfort zone, challenge yourself and gain some valuable knowledge which will not be taught in school. Anyone who is interested can referred to the ‘Procedure of Application of Exchange Programme’ and the ‘Cost for Exchange Programme’ by asking the school staff or deputy dean of academic. Hope you have a meaningful and unforgettable exchange life. Thank you.

Teks / Foto: Lim Zen Yang