Post: #1

So I've just decided that I'm going to spend my spring semester of 2013 in Finland. Coming from New York, I'm sure this will be a different world.

I'm not going to visit Helsinki outside of the airport since I'm going straight to Oulu University as an exchange student to live with some of the kids there in the dorms. Any knowledge of the country outside of Helsinki? This may be a far flung place, but I know some of you guys have been to all corners of the world.

I've browsed these forums and I cannot find a single thread about Finland outside of the capital. Are Finnish girls even attractive? I've done a bit of research and I am coming to believe that the Finno-Ugric language group isn't as attractive (think Hungary) as the Indo-European language (think Polish, Italian, etc).

If anyone has any insight on the topic please enlighten me. Thanks ahead guys.

Post: #2

search function is your friend

Post: #3

(07-31-2012 03:18 PM)Sourcecode Wrote:  search function is your friend

I have done it already, everything on the first or second page is either Helsinki or mentions Finland once.

Post: #4

(07-31-2012 11:03 AM)Aer Wrote:  Any knowledge of the country outside of Helsinki? This may be a far flung place, but I know some of you guys have been to all corners of the world.

I have been visiting the city annually for decades so I might be able to help you with this one. Oulu is the sixth largest city in Finland with some 150,000 persons living there. You might want to check tips for similar size cities from this forum.

There's not really anything special about the city, it is just one of those university cities with relative long distances to anything interesting or to other cities. Foreign tourists are very rare game in Oulu so you are stuck with Finns and locals.

Oulu has a reputation of being the center of technology in Finland so many of the students there are having their masters in the field of.... technology. Hopefully you already know this means mostly male students. The city is near the edge of the reindeer country and the University of Oulu arranges Sámi classes so you might be seeing some of them during your time.

I cannot really say anything special about the bars and clubs there since I only use the city as a passage point towards the Wilderness, i.e. Rovaniemi. Better to ask about them from the locals and the student organization when you arrive there.

I do not know what kind of climate you are accustomed to but what I wrote about the weather in my Helsinki datasheet applies to Oulu as well; prepare or perish. The favourite pastime during the winter is skiing so learning some skills would be nice for your future.

Questions?

Post: #5

(08-01-2012 12:33 PM)Luomu Wrote:  

(07-31-2012 11:03 AM)Aer Wrote:  Any knowledge of the country outside of Helsinki? This may be a far flung place, but I know some of you guys have been to all corners of the world.

I have been visiting the city annually for decades so I might be able to help you with this one. Oulu is the sixth largest city in Finland with some 150,000 persons living there. You might want to check tips for similar size cities from this forum.

There's not really anything special about the city, it is just one of those university cities with relative long distances to anything interesting or to other cities. Foreign tourists are very rare game in Oulu so you are stuck with Finns and locals.

Oulu has a reputation of being the center of technology in Finland so many of the students there are having their masters in the field of.... technology. Hopefully you already know this means mostly male students. The city is near the edge of the reindeer country and the University of Oulu arranges Sámi classes so you might be seeing some of them during your time.

I cannot really say anything special about the bars and clubs there since I only use the city as a passage point towards the Wilderness, i.e. Rovaniemi. Better to ask about them from the locals and the student organization when you arrive there.

I do not know what kind of climate you are accustomed to but what I wrote about the weather in my Helsinki datasheet applies to Oulu as well; prepare or perish. The favourite pastime during the winter is skiing so learning some skills would be nice for your future.

Questions?

Wow, thanks a lot. I was thinking of taking some Saami classes while in Oulu, but I'm still undecided whether I should go to Oulu U or Abo Akademi University in Turku, which I've heard is much more cosmopolitan than Oulu and much more like a liberal arts school.

Post: #6

(08-01-2012 11:35 PM)Aer Wrote:  Wow, thanks a lot. I was thinking of taking some Saami classes while in Oulu, but I'm still undecided whether I should go to Oulu U or Abo Akademi University in Turku, which I've heard is much more cosmopolitan than Oulu and much more like a liberal arts school.

"Much more cosmopolitan" in Finland means the different between a 150,000 people city and a 180,000 city. Turku is more cosmopolitan in the sense that it is the old capital of Finland and thus has much of cultural heritage and things connected to it. The number of Russian or any tourists at Oulu being close to zero, the same number in Turku would be a bit higher as it being relative close to Helsinki and St. Petersburg. Still there are not that many around.

The only city outside Helsinki-Espoo-Vantaa axis in Finland that I would recommend visiting for game is Tampere with its 215,000 people. It's the third largest city in Finland and the largest inland city in the Nordic countries. Naturally there's an university in Tampere (two of them actually) but also few cheap airliners flying there from foreign countries enabling relative easy access to and out of the city.

What are you studying, if I may ask?

Post: #7

(08-02-2012 12:39 AM)Luomu Wrote:  

(08-01-2012 11:35 PM)Aer Wrote:  Wow, thanks a lot. I was thinking of taking some Saami classes while in Oulu, but I'm still undecided whether I should go to Oulu U or Abo Akademi University in Turku, which I've heard is much more cosmopolitan than Oulu and much more like a liberal arts school.

"Much more cosmopolitan" in Finland means the different between a 150,000 people city and a 180,000 city. Turku is more cosmopolitan in the sense that it is the old capital of Finland and thus has much of cultural heritage and things connected to it. The number of Russian or any tourists at Oulu being close to zero, the same number in Turku would be a bit higher as it being relative close to Helsinki and St. Petersburg. Still there are not that many around.

The only city outside Helsinki-Espoo-Vantaa axis in Finland that I would recommend visiting for game is Tampere with its 215,000 people. It's the third largest city in Finland and the largest inland city in the Nordic countries. Naturally there's an university in Tampere (two of them actually) but also few cheap airliners flying there from foreign countries enabling relative easy access to and out of the city.

What are you studying, if I may ask?

Political science. The problem is that those are my only two choices, and Abo Akademi probably has a better program for me. Also, Abo Akademi has less of a skewed male population. It also has more courses in English, yet I still hope to learn Finnish also.

Post: #8

(08-02-2012 08:36 AM)Aer Wrote:  Political science. The problem is that those are my only two choices, and Abo Akademi probably has a better program for me. Also, Abo Akademi has less of a skewed male population. It also has more courses in English, yet I still hope to learn Finnish also.

I know there is some program in political sciences in University of Tampere but I do not know if you can apply to it. Tampere is the best when it comes to the women student population (1:1.9) but I quess Åbo Akademi is also fine (1:1.4).

Since Åbo Akademi is the university for Swedish-speaking people, in order to learn Finnish you will have to enlarge your circles outside the school.

Post: #9

(08-02-2012 09:31 AM)Luomu Wrote:  

(08-02-2012 08:36 AM)Aer Wrote:  Political science. The problem is that those are my only two choices, and Abo Akademi probably has a better program for me. Also, Abo Akademi has less of a skewed male population. It also has more courses in English, yet I still hope to learn Finnish also.

I know there is some program in political sciences in University of Tampere but I do not know if you can apply to it. Tampere is the best when it comes to the women student population (1:1.9) but I quess Åbo Akademi is also fine (1:1.4).

Since Åbo Akademi is the university for Swedish-speaking people, in order to learn Finnish you will have to enlarge your circles outside the school.

Thanks for the help man, but I agree, Turku is probably a much better city for me. Sorry, but what would those figures look like as percentages? I realize 1:2 is around 66% women, but that's my extent to it.

Post: #10

(08-02-2012 12:30 PM)Aer Wrote:  Sorry, but what would those figures look like as percentages? I realize 1:2 is around 66% women, but that's my extent to it.

The Statistics in Finnish for year 2011
- The University of Oulu: 7864 men and 7427 females (48.6 %)
- Åbo Akademi: 2691 men and 3868 females (59.0 %)
- The University of Turku: 6972 men and 10712 females (60.6 %)
- The University of Tampere: 5465 men and 10227 females (65.2 %)

Post: #11

that's a great statistic, do you know where it could be found for other countries?

Post: #12

(08-02-2012 01:10 PM)Innuendo Wrote:  that's a great statistic, do you know where it could be found for other countries?

Statistics in Swedish for Sweden - See pages 18 and 82 - "kvinnor" = females.

Post: #13

Hate to revive this thread from the dead, but I'm accepted and everything, and I have recently met some Finnish girls, and let's just say my eagerness has increased (three 8's working at the embassy).

I'm also traveling with this butt-ugly American girl, but I don't think that'll be much of an issue considering I've dealt with many girls like that in the past who I don't want to talk to.

Does anyone know how the nightlife in Turku is? I realize it's mostly a summer city and the Finnish people tend to be even more reserved in the winter, but I'm excited as is. I can't wait to rock my combat boots and sweater-vests in the clubs over there and ball out.

It'll be the first time I'll be legal, how nice.

Post: #14

I am Danish and i have a friend who went on exchange in Finland (i don't remember the city).
He was surprised at how quiet the fins were (and this comes from a Dane).
Like having dinner in a group at the dorm and no one is saying a word.

For an American like you i think you will find the Fins very reserved. You probably have to make an effort to break into social groups (like in Denmark).

Anyways i think you will love Finland and the Fins. About the girls, as far as i remember, Rooshv likes them a lot

Post: #15

After Italians i think the Finns are the next koolest on the planet

Just look at Kimi in F1, he really is the IceMan!

"Lifes about shooting your load"

Post: #16

(11-21-2012 06:43 AM)Lastbil Wrote:  I am Danish and i have a friend who went on exchange in Finland (i don't remember the city).
He was surprised at how quiet the fins were (and this comes from a Dane).
Like having dinner in a group at the dorm and no one is saying a word.

For an American like you i think you will find the Fins very reserved. You probably have to make an effort to break into social groups (like in Denmark).

Anyways i think you will love Finland and the Fins. About the girls, as far as i remember, Rooshv likes them a lot

I don't hate the whole eating silently thing.

I honestly think where I'm living is honestly going to be an insane international orgy, since it's an exchange student village. I'll give you some numbers based on who's going to be living with me:

U.S.- 3 Students (Including myself)
Sweden- 37 Students
Norway- 22 Students
Spain- 12 Students
Portugal- 5 Students
Italy- 14 Students

73% girl to guy ratio. And those are just the good nations.

My god.