My very first apartment

Hello,

I was actually in Florida when I found out that my boyfriend, Joonas, has rented us an apartment. After I got back in Finland, I moved in. Now I want to show you what the apartment looks like after 4 months.

Kitchen. 

The living room. We finally got our couch!!

The kitchen table is also in the living room

The bedroom. We painted the wall grey.

The balcony is huge and so far we only have two chairs there. In the summer it'll be warm there, because it has windows.

The location of the apartment is perfect. Everything, including at least 5 grocery stores, University, gym, bus stops, swimming hall, library, pharmacy, etc... is within a mile. Our apartment is on the 7th floor so you can see the sunset. I basically live alone, because Joonas comes home only for weekends. Well, at least I have a lot of space :D 

Anette

Tampere University of Technology

Hey,

It's been a while. School has kept me very busy. I don't know much about American college life but I bet it differs from the Finnish one.

I'm currently studying bioengineering (biotechnology) in Tampere University of Technology (TUT). Right now I'm only studying the basics: Math, Physics and Chemistry. I did have a laboratory class - it was cool! There are 30 freshmen who study bioengineering. I've made many new friends!

I'm already accepted to the Master's programme. In five years I'd finish my studies and graduate. That won't happen, though, because I'm applying to the University of Medicine next spring again.

Microscoping

TUT is known for its colorful student life. We wear overalls (well, every university student in Finland does...) and a hat that looks similar to my graduation hat. Freshmen will become official students next May Day (1st of May) when they are dipped into rapids in a big basket. The water is NOT warm :D We have our own sauna at the school where we spend time.

There are also many clubs and other hobbies for students at TUT. I'm currently in choir and in volleyball club. I'm really looking forward to singing in our Christmas concerts!

Physics, Chemistry and Math...These are the books I have to read for my entrance exam. 

Anette

The Finnish school system

Hello,

I’ve been planning on writing about this topic hundreds of times but never actually done that. During my exchange year I got so many questions about the famous Finnish school system. It is said to be the best one in the world. Why, I do not know, but here are some things that might play a role in it.

Pre-school - 6yrs

Pre-school is more like Kindergarden than an actual school. The school part lasts only for 4 hours per day. The rest of the time is for playing inside and outside, taking naps and eating. Some kids learn to read in pre-school.

Elementary school - grades 1-6

The children start school the same year they turn 7. The first two years the children study Math, Environmental Science and Finnish. The school days last only for 4 hours. After every 45-minute lesson the children go outside for 15 minutes to play.

There are hardly any tests during the first two years of elementary school. The children don't even get grades.

English starts on third grade and on the fourth grade the students may choose an optional language if willing to. I chose German. The language classes vary in every schools; some can only offer one language class, other may have French, Chinese, Swedish and German.

The school days become longer as the students become older. On 5th and 6th grade the school day can last for 7 hours.

On 6th grade the students start learning Swedish.

The reading book for 1st grade

Junior high school - grades 7-9

In junior high you have more freedom to choose elective classes. The mandatory classes are Math, Finnish, Swedish, Biology, Geography, Health science, Social studies, History, PE, Physics and Chemistry. The elective classes are cooking, drama, crafts, music, IT...to name a few. The grades play a huge role in the process of applying to high school.

There are no longer mandatory outdoor breaks between classes.

High school - grades 10-12 (no grades actually)

High school is not based on grades anymore. It is based on classes (courses) that you can basically take whenever you want. Each class lasts for 6 weeks and ends to an exam week. During one school year, the schedule changes 6 times.

There are mandatory classes that you have to take. In addition to those, a student can choose what classes s/he wants to take. The high schools offer many languages, such as Spanish, French, Latin, Italian, Chinese…

In high school the students are responsible for their studies. Teachers don't check homework, if you miss a class you have to find out what has been taught in that class and copy notes from your friend. You are allowed to check yourself out of school when you turn 18, but if you do miss too many classes, you are not going to pass.

Life as a high schooler

Free school lunch

I think food is an important factor when it comes to studying. In order to stay focused on learning, you have. Finnish schools provide free lunch for the students.

 

No competition

We don't have NHS or top 10% kinda stuff in Finland which judges people based on how well they have succeeded in school. That makes the school environment less competitive.

15-minute breaks

Young children can't stay focused on teaching longer than 45 minutes. That's why we have these 15-minute breaks when the children go outside and play and socialize with each other.

No mandatory high school

High school is not mandatory in Finland. You may also go to a vocational school. Studying is more practical and you can get a profession, such as hairdresser, chef, plumber...

More than one teacher in a class

In an elementary school, there are teacher assistants in every class. One teacher can not handle a group of 25 children. The assistant teacher helps children with the problems.

The grading system

In Finland the grading scale is 4 to 10, 4 being the worst (failed) and 10 being the best.

A - 9 and 10

B - 8

C - 7

D - 5 and 6

F - 4

Teachers don't grade homework at all. Other projects are graded but the grading is not based on percentage (out of 100%) as it is here. The grading is based on the following factors:

- Class activity

- Absences, homework (in elementary school)

- Test(s)

All students are on the same level

We don't have AP or pre-AP classes. Math is the only exception: there are just regular Math and Advanced level Math. Otherwise, all students take the same classes no matter how smart they are. Usually students under average grade 7 don't even go to high school.

No private/public schools

All schools are public in Finland.

graduation

 In case you want to read more about the Finnish education system: 

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-are-finlands-schools-successful-49859555/

Feel free to ask questions!

Anette

My Graduation day

Hello,

Yes, I finally graduated. I should've graduated last year but the exchange year added an extra year of high school. 

I think I should tell you something about the graduation in Finland. In order to graduate from high school each student has to take the final exams called the matriculation examination (my fave word in English, btw). 

The graduation is always held on the first Saturday of June. Our graduation cap is different than yours. It has a golden sign of Apollo's lyre. We don't have any other graduation gowns or anything.

My school's graduation ceremony was held in a local convention centre (usually the ceremonies are held in the school's gym but my school is too small for that...). There were 240 graduates which is a lot for a Finnish high school. Since my school is specialized in arts, the students also sang and danced in the ceremony.

After the graduation ceremony I hosted a party at my house where all of my relatives were invited. My mom and I had baked all the pies by ourselves.

I don't have pictures of my relatives because I'm not sure if I'm able to post the pictures here.

With my friends who graduated last year. The one on my left side has been my friend since the 1st grade.

My friends from high school. They also graduated last year.

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So, right now I have no idea what I'm going to do next fall. I will know that in June 30 as the results of the entrance exams are released. Hopefully I will get into the University of Medicine. My second option is the University of Technology. If I don't get into University, I will have a gap year.

See you soon,

Anette

Church in Finland

Hello, 

The Evangelical Lutheran church is a national institution in Finland. It's a public church and 71,9% of Finns are members of the church. The church is divided in congregations. For example, in my town (Kangasala) (30 000 inhabitants) there are 3 congregations. There are also other denominations in Finland, such as the Orthodox and the Pentecostal churches.

As a building, the church is the main building in the city. It is located in the center of the city.

Church in Kangasala

A typical Finn doesn't go to the church very often. Going to the church means attending the worship on Sunday mornings. In the worship we sing hymns, attend the Lord's supper, listen to the texts from the Bible (the pastor usually reads out one from both testaments), pray (Apostoles' creed, The Lord Bless You, etc...) and listen to the pastor preaching. The pastor leads the whole worship alone.

There are other activities in the church, too. I don't know much about the adults' activities because I have not attended them but as a teenager I used to attend the youth group meeting. It is held on Saturdays starting at 6p.m. and lasting until midnight :D There is a one-hour teaching and then we get an evening snack. After that, we have free time.

Another big thing for the teens is a confirmation camp. It's optional, but most of the teenagers go to the camp. A teen goes to the camp in the year in which s/he turns 15. So I was at the camp five years ago (I'm old...). The confirmation camp lasts for a week and most of the time the teens have lectures about Christianity. Of course there are many other activities too so the camp is not all about studying. After the camp the teens have a confirmation celebration at the local church. The confirmation allows a teenager to become a godparent and have a wedding ceremony in a church.

The church organizes many camps for teens during the year. We have an Easter camp and a New Year celebration camp. There is also a Christian music festival in Finland every year. Many American artists have performed there, too.

Usually the kids are baptized at the age of one month. At the same time their parents name them and they become a member of the local church. The baptizing rarely has nothing to do with becoming a Christian and actually believing in God.

A picture from my confirmation celebration.

A camping center in Kangasala

A teen camp in August 2016

My church friends 

God bless you,

Anette

Four seasons

This time I want the pictures to tell everything. I have collected some very typical pictures of Finnish nature. The map shows where I live.

Winter lasts from December to March. The temperature can drop below 0F. 

The spring lasts from April to May.

Cherry tree

The short summer lasts from June to August. 

A reindeer

on the top of a mountain

Fall colors are so beautiful

Here are some pictures of Tampere. I don't live in that city but I go to school there. It's the third biggest city in Finland with the population of 223 292. 

This one is from Helsinki which is the capital of Finland. 

What do you want to know about Finland? If you have something in your mind, please tell me!

Love,

Anette