Course descriptions

Here are the descriptions of those courses that we took in september-december 2008.

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Metal Culture

This slideshow was made from an alumn for the subject "Finnish for Foreigners". The content is about Finnish music and the difference about the interpretation of Metal culture in different countries.

[slideshare id=809228&doc=metal-music-in-finland-1228221597490737-8&w=425]

Going to Mikkeli from Bremerhaven, Germany

The easiest way to go to Finland in general and more specifically going to Mikkeli from Bremerhaven is taking a plane.
Ryanair offers cheap flights from Bremen to Tampere. Depending on the time between booking and flight the price is about 30-40€.
The disadvantage is the limit for baggageweight of 15kg for suitcases, bags or other items and 10kg for hand-baggage.
From Tampere there are two possibilities for reaching Mikkeli. One is to take "north-route" around lakes using the train to Pieksamäki and change there to the train destined for Helsinki, which also stops in Mikkeli. This route takes about 3 hours and costs about 25€ with the finnish student ticket.
The other possibility is to take the "south-route" via Tikkurila to Mikkeli. This route takes a bit more than 4 hours and costs around 20€ with the student ticket.

How Mikkeli seems to me

Once I met with a finnish guy and he told me "Mikkeli is the real Finland". I do not know Finland so well, but Mikkeli is a small town with many inhabitants and a few foreigners. And that is the reason why I chose Mikkeli instead of a big town (for example Helsinki). The streets are wide and clean, the nature is incredibly beautiful and I like very much that there are many small forest in several parts of the town. In the other hand the architecture was a bit suprising for me, as I noticed here the main principle is the usefulness. There are no decorations on the houses, or any stonework. So the houses are simple and similar to each other, a bit puritans.

Finnish people are quiet and shy. But inspite of that they use to go out having a party at the weekend and with the help of the alcohol they are getting open minded. Actually I still do not understand why they are shy. It is a small nation but very smart and strong, with many educated and clever people. They have very good sense for music and dance as well.

Fortunately getting drunk was not a big problem for me, so I could get closer to finnish people in an easier way. I felt that they were really happy to meet with me and it was pleasure for me to talk with them. Generally people in Mikkeli are very friendly, everybody speaks the english language (even the only homeless man with whom I met during the whole 4 months).

In Mikkeli there are many possibilities for having fun. You can visit one of the pubs, you can play pool, there are many football fields....etc. So I am thinking about coming back in the summer to see Mikkeli's other face.

Impressions from a BME student 2.

Two students from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) were studying in Mikkeli in autumn of 2008. As Attila posted before, the requirements were lower than in my home university.The other differences in brief:

- More activity on the courses. For example on CISCO course, you have to use the devices, on other courses you have to write assignements, develop projects... For me it was more practical than always just learning and taking exams.

- Courses in english language. If you want to improve your english knowledge, it is the best practice.

-  I got to know a totally different culture in Finland.

In my home university we also have english courses, we take part in the Erasmus program as well. You can find some useful informations here: www.bme.hu

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and largest city of Sweden, with a population of 794,494 inhabitants (1.95 million in its metropolitan area) is home to around 21% of Sweden's population. As the state capital, Stockholm is the site of  and the Swedish government and parliament. It is also the residence of head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. With more tourists than anywhere else in Scandinavia is also considered the capital of the Nordic countries.

Stockholm is built on 14 islands, water is a pervasive element in the city that has 57 bridges to travel between the different neighborhoods, it is often called the Venice of the North. It is full of bridges, marinas and docks. The water is so clean you can drink it and catch salmon in the middle of the city. The weather is influenced by sea breezes that featured the alleys of the city.

Some interesting places in the city are:

• Vasamuseet (The Vasa Museum). The impressive warship Vasa sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 but was salvaged 333 years later in 1961. She has since been restored and can now be seen with her complete lower rigging at the Vasa Museum, the only museum of its kind in the world.

• Skansen (Open-Air Museum). Skansen, the world’s oldest open air museum, was founded in 1891 and features some 150 cultural and historic buildings from all over Sweden. With a zoo featuring wild and domestic Nordic animals, Skansen is the place for traditional annual festivities, markets and folk dance displays. You can learn all about traditional Swedish folklore here at Skansen.

• Gamla Stan (The Old Town). The historic center of Stockholm is renowned for its narrow cobblestone alleys, beautiful houses, boutiques, restaurants and sights. Explore the Old Town on your own or join one of the many guided walks.

• Kungliga Slottet (The Royal Palace). The Royal Palace is the official residence of His Majesty the King of Sweden. Completed in 1754, it is one of the largest palaces in Europe. Most of the Palace is open to the public, such as the State Apartments, the Royal Armoury and the Treasury.

• Stadshuset (The City Hall). The City Hall is one of the best known landmarks in Stockholm and the city’s administrative and representative center. The Blue Hall hosts the world famous Nobel Prize Banquet every year, followed by a ball in the Golden Hall. Guided tours daily.

• Moderna Museet (Museum of Modern Art). Designed by one of the world’s most distinguished contemporary architects, Rafael Moneo, The museum houses one of Europe’s finest collections of modern art.

• Nationalmuseum (The National Museum of Fine Arts). Sweden’s largest art gallery with collections of paintings and sculptures, drawings, engravings and handicrafts also features a permanent exhibition of Swedish design. Works by Sweden’s foremost painters as well as Rembrandt, Rubens, Goya, Renoir, Degas and Gauguin.

• Millesgården (The Milles Museum). The home of sculptor Carl Milles. Some of his best works are on display in a beautiful outdoor setting.

• Nobel Museum (The Nobel Museum). Cutting-edge design and technology lie behind the Nobel Prize. Learn about Alfred Nobel, the Laureates and their groundbreaking discoveries and ideas.

Apart from being a large city with an active cultural life, Stockholm, as Sweden's capital, houses many national cultural institutions. There are two UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Stockholm area: the Royal Palace Drottningholm (within Ekerö Municipality) and the Skogskyrkogården (The Woodland Cemetery). It was the 1998 European City of Culture.

Yearly events:

• Stockholm Jazz Festival is one of Sweden's oldest festivals. The festival takes place at Skeppsholmen in July.


• Stockholm Pride is the largest Pride event in the Nordic countries and takes place in the last week of July every year. The Stockholm Pride always ends with a parade and in 2007, 50 000 people marched with the parade and about 500 000 watched it.


• The Stockholm Marathon takes place on a Saturday in early June each year.


• The Nobel Banquet takes place at Stockholm City Hall every year on December 10.


• The Stockholm Culture Festival.


• The Ung08 festival takes place every year the week before school starts, mainly the second or third week of August.

Stockholm is also known for its great food. Due to immigration, the city have plenty of restaurants with all kinds of food from worldwide, such as American fast food, Asian, Italian, French, Greek, Scandinavian, Spanish, and Middle Eastern cuisine. Cafeterias and bars are easy to find in the city anywhere.

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm
http://www.stockholmtown.com/default____2023.aspx?epslanguage=EN

Riga

Riga is the capital of the Baltic Republic of Latvia. It is the largest city in the Baltic states and the biggest cultural, educational, political, financial, trade and industry in the region. It is located on the shores of the Baltic Sea, near the mouth of the Daugava River in the Gulf of Riga.

The city has unique values due to its rather intact medieval architecture and that of later periods, the urban structure, the richness and quality of Art Noveau architecture and the 19-th century wooden architecture of the city. Inscribing the historic centre of Riga on the World Heritage List of UNESCO recognized it.

Riga belongs to the cultural space of Western Europe. For the city, dynamic and diverse music and arts activities are typical. Over centuries, the creative atmosphere evolved in Riga and inspired composers, poets and artists. It has a life full of cultural activities such as the festival that is held every 4 years National Folk Song and dance and go to more than 30,000 people each time it is organized. It also has the Latvia Latvia National Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra. On the other hand, its nightlife is very lively. There are many clubs, pubs, casinos especially in the old part of town with a very appropriate decoration to the medieval city.

Riga has hundreds of ways for enticing visitors – its rich history, architecture, spacious gardens and parks, museums, art galleries and world-class opera…and daily treats like a walk in the enormous colorful central market or going to a cosy café, club or pub…

Some interesting places in the city are:

• Old part of town. It goes back to the thirteenth century and is a fascinating series that has remained safe from fire, shelling and looting.


• The Lutheran Cathedral.


• Art Nouveau architecture. On central streets such as Alberta and Elizabetes Iela.


• Saint Peter's Church. It has a 123 m high tower.


• The Occupation Museum of Latvia.


• Riga Castle (Rīgas Pils). It houses the Museum of Latvian History and the Museum of Foreign Art.


• Riga Circus. The only permanently situated circus in the Baltic States.


• St James's Roman Catholic cathedral.

The city was European Capital of Culture in 2001 along with Basel (Switzerland), also hosted the Song Contest Eurovision 2003. In 2006 the capital of Latvia hosted the World Championships in ice hockey, the most important sporting event in the history of the Baltic States.

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riga
http://www.rigatourism.lv/EN/Channels/Tip/default.htm

Riga

Riga is the capital of the Baltic Republic of Latvia. It is the largest city in the Baltic states and the biggest cultural, educational, political, financial, trade and industry in the region. Riga is located on the shores of the Baltic Sea, near the mouth of the Daugava River in the Gulf of Riga.
The city's population has declined since Latvia's independence in 1991 from 910,000 to 760,000 inhabitants, mainly as a result of emigration from the Russian minority. In Riga, the Latvian account for 42% of the population, Russians are an almost equal proportion.

Thanks to its historical and architectural as well as its great cultural vitality, there are inhabited houses and towers of churches from the Middle Ages, in buildings with architectures' art nouveau 'and eclectic. In addition, the charm of its own green boulevards of the city and built in wood, which are across the river Daugava. Among the places of interest highlights the Cathedral, the home of the black Cabezas (Melngaviu nams), the monument on Liberty and the Riga Castle.

It has a life full of cultural activities such as the festival that is held every 4 years National Folk Song and dance and go to more than 30,000 people each time it is organized. It also has the Latvia Latvia National Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra. On the other hand, its nightlife is very lively. There are many clubs, pubs, casinos especially in the old part of town with a very appropriate decoration to the medieval city.

Kasarmin kampus

In the middle of the Campus there is the canteen. It will be easy to find, becouse most of the people are there during the day. The menu is on the: student.mikkeliamk.fi webpage. Click on Ruokalistat, then, select Kasarmin kampuksen!

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Finnish ice hockey

Milestones of Finnish Ice Hockey

1899

Suomen Urheilulehti ('Finnish Sports Magazine') publishes the first article of a game resembling ice hockey being played in Finland. The game that was played in Helsinki bore characteristics of both bandy and hockey.

1926

On Boxing Day, Mr. Yrjö Salminen, the Chairman of the Finnish Skating Association, carries a set of hockey sticks and some pucks on the ice of a lake near the city of Tampere and enunciates his famous coaching philosophy: "Get on and play, boys!"

1927

The Finnish Skating Association includes ice hockey in its programme.

1928

The first official match is played in Tampere on January 15, 1928 between Pyrintö Tampere and Palloilijat Tampere.

The Football Association of Finland includes ice hockey in its programme. The first Finnish Championships are organized the same winter. The title decided in cup competition is taken by Reipas Vyborg.

Team Finland play their first international match and are defeated by Sweden by 1:8 in Helsinki.

Represented by the Finnish Skating Association, Finland is admitted as a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation.

1929

The Finnish Ice Hockey Association is founded on the 20th of January in 1929. The Finnish Championship title is competed for by ten teams and won by HJK Helsinki.

1933

Team Finland play their first away game and lose to Sweden by 1:11 in Stockholm.

1934

For the first time, the Finnish Championship title is decided in a round-robin competition.

1937

The first victory in international matches. Team Finland beat Estonia by 2:1.

1939

Team Finland's first participation in the World Championships in the Swiss Basel in 1939. The endeavour results in 5 losses and the 13th place.

1948

The Finnish heraldic lion was made the emblem of the National Team.

1949

The first wins in World Championships. Finland beat Norway by 7:3 and Belgium 17:2 in Stockholm.

1951

The Canada Cup is awarded to the Finnish Champions for the first time.

1952

The first participation in the Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament. In Oslo, Team Finland beat Germany and Norway and end up seventh.

1954

For the first time, Team Finland meet the Soviet Union who participate in the 25th Anniversary Tournament of FIHA. The Soviets win the match played in Tampere by 8:1.

1956

Finland's first artificial rink is opened in Tampere.

1957

Team Finland places fourth in World Championships for the first time.

1959

The first draw game against Sweden in World Championships.

1962

The first championships medal: European Championships silver in Colorado Springs.

1964

The sixth place taken by Team Finland for the first time in the Olympic Games.

1965

Finland hosts ice hockey World Championships for the first time. The games are played in the country's first ice arena, Hakametsä in Tampere.

1967

The first victory over the Great Ones in World Championships. Finland defeat Czechoslovakia in Vienna by 3:1.

1968

Team Finland beat Canada for the first time in a championship tournament. The score in the Olympic Games in Grenoble is 5:2.

1974

The first championship medals won by junior teams. The U19 team wins bronze in the European Championships and the U20 silver in the World Championships.

1975

The Finnish SM-liiga (Finnish Championship League) is founded.

1976

Matti Hagman is the first-ever Finnish player to enter the NHL.

1978

The U18 team wins the European Championship title with an overtime goal scored by Jari Kurri.

1982

Pekka Rautakallio is the first-ever Finnish player to play in the NHL All Stars Game.

1983

The official start of women's league.

1987

The U20 team take home the first World Championship.

1988

The first olympic medal (silver) is won in Calgary.

1989

Women's National Team conquer the title in the first European Championships for women.

1990

Women's National Team win bronze in the first World Championships for women.

1991

Team Finland places third in Canada Cup.

1992

The first World Championships medal for men's team: Silver in Prague.

1994

Olympic bronze in Lillehammer and World Championships silver in Milan. The country's 100th ice hall is constructed.

1995

Team Finland win the World Championship in ice hockey in Globen Arena, Stockholm. In the final game, Sweden is defeated by 4:1.

1997

Finland wins the first 4-nation Euro Hockey Tour (Finland, Sweden, Russia and the Czech Republic).

1998

Both the men's and the women's teams win olympic bronze medals in Nagano. The women´s tournament is organized for the first time.

1999

The first U18 World Championships title is won by Team Finland in Füssen, Germany.

2000

Team Finland win the 4-nation Euro Hockey Tour for the second time. Alpo Suhonen is the first European ever to be appointed the Head Coach of an NHL team, Chicago Black Hawks.

2001

Medals keep rolling in for Team Finland who win silver at the World Championships in Hannover. The Czechs beat their Finnish opponents in overtime.

2002

Raimo Helminen makes Olympic history by participating in his sixth Games in Salt Lake City. He is the first hockey-player ever to do this.

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Sauna in MOAS

During your stay in Finland,  by living in MOAS you can also enjoy the Sauna culture, in this case, the Sauna is located on the basements of the Moas1 building.

The Timetable of our Moas Sauna is:

Tuesday:   17-22

Wednesday:    17-22

Friday:    17-22

Saturday:    15-22

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Finnish Sauna

The Finnish sauna is a substantial part of Finnish culture. There are five million inhabitants and over two million saunas in Finland - an average of one per household. For Finnish people the sauna is a place for easing with friends and family, and a place for physical and mental relaxation. Finns think of saunas not as a luxury, but as a necessity. Before the rise of public health care and nursery facilities, almost all Finnish mothers gave birth in saunas.

Finnish sauna customs

Saunas are an integral part of the way of life in Finland. They are found everywhere: on the shores of Finland's numerous lakes, in private apartments, corporate headquarters, and even at the depth of 1400m (Pyhäsalmi Mine), or at the Parliament. The sauna is an important part of the national identity and those who have the opportunity usually take a sauna at least once a week. Traditional sauna day is Saturday for corporeal and Sunday for spiritual purification.

The sauna tradition is so strong that even Finns abroad enjoy a good sauna, probably the reason the Finnish Church in Rotherhithe, London, has its own sauna. Finnish soldiers on peacekeeping missions are famous for their saunas; even on the UNMEE mission in Eritrea, a sauna was one of the first buildings to be erected. (A Second World War-era Finnish military field manual states that a rest of eight hours is all that is required for a battalion to build saunas, warm them and bathe in them.)

Taking a sauna begins by sitting in the hot room, typically warmed to 60-100 degrees Celsius (140-210 degrees Fahrenheit), for some time. Water is thrown on the hot stones topping the kiuas, a special stove used to warm up the sauna. This produces steam, known as löyly, which makes the sauna feel even hotter. Occasionally one uses leafy, fragrant boughs of silver birch to gently beat oneself. The boughs are called vihta or vasta. This has a relaxing effect on the muscles and also helps in calming the effects of mosquito bites. When the heat begins to feel uncomfortable it is customary to jump into a lake, sea, or a swimming pool. In the winter rolling in the snow or even swimming in a hole cut in the ice, an avanto, is sometimes used as a substitute. Then one usually sits down in the dressing room or the porch of the sauna to enjoy a makkara, or Finnish sausage, along with beer or soft drinks. After cooling one goes back to the hot room and begins the cycle again. One cycle usually has no noticeable effect.[clarification needed] Usually one takes at least two or three cycles, lasting between one half to two hours. In Finland's numerous summer cottages taking sauna might go on well into the night if the company is good. This is especially true in the summer when there is virtually no darkness. For many Finns, the sauna is almost a sacred place. It is a taboo to use swearwords in sauna. Thorough washing will end the session of sauna. Conversation should be relaxed and arguments and controversial topics should be avoided. It is also rare to use titles or other honorifics in the sauna. In Finnish folklore sauna is the homeplace of sauna-elf (sauna-tonttu in Finnish). It is a belief that sauna is a place where you can wash your soul out of sins.

Sometimes men and women go to the sauna together, sometimes not. For someone brought up in Finland, the rules are instinctive but they are difficult to put into words. Depending on the size, composition, relationships, and the age structure of the group three basic patterns can emerge: Everyone can go to sauna at the same time, men and women may take sauna separately, or each family can go to sauna separately. Mixed saunas with non-family members are most common with younger adults, and are quite rare for older people or on more formal occasions. It is common for teenagers to stop going to sauna with their parents at some point; younger people, especially men, also favour hotter saunas than older.

In the sauna it is a faux pas to wear clothing in the hot room, although it is acceptable to sit on a small towel or pefletti, a disposable tissue designed to endure heat and humidity (it can be mandatory in a public sauna, such as one in a swimming hall). While cooling off it is quite common to wrap a towel around your body. Though mixed saunas are quite common, the sauna, for a typical Finn, is a completely non-sexual place. In Finland "sauna" means only a sauna, not a brothel, sex club, or such. In public saunas one also sees signs prohibiting the wearing of swimming suits in the hot room. In some indoor swimming pools chlorine is added to the water for hygiene reasons. If swimwear used in such water is brought to the hot room, the chlorine will vaporize and cause breathing problems for people with relevant disorders (asthma, allergies).

Foreign visitors in Finland often get invited into the sauna. This may even happen after business negotiations and other such events. In these occasions it may be acceptable to refuse, although it may not impress one's Finnish hosts. Such an invitation in a business setting may indicate that the negotiations have gone well and a joint business effort is anticipated. In private homes or summer residences the sauna is usually warmed to honour the guest and refusal may be more difficult. However, Finns will not typically be offended by declining the sauna.

The savusauna (smoke sauna) is a special type of sauna without a chimney. Wood is burned on a particularly large stove and the smoke fills the room. When the sauna is hot enough, the fire is allowed to die and the smoke is ventilated out. The residual heat of the stove is enough for the duration of the sauna. This represents the ancestral type of sauna, since chimneys are a later addition. Smoke saunas have experienced great revival in recent years since they are considered superior by the connoisseurs. They are not, however, likely to replace all or even most of the regular saunas because more skill, effort and time (usually many hours) are needed for the heating process.

The sauna in Finland is such an old phenomenon that it is impossible to trace its roots. Bath houses were recorded in Europe and Sweden during the same time period, however, Finnish bathing habits were hardly documented until the 16th century. Because of the years of habitation and variant rule by Russia and Sweden, it is possible that the sauna custom evolved from them. It was during the period when the Reformation was sweeping Scandinavia that the popularity of saunas expanded to other countries because the European bath houses were being destroyed. Hundreds of years ago, when bathing was something to be done only rarely or never at all, Finns were cleaning themselves in saunas at least once a week. One reason sauna culture has always flourished and is so highly honored in Finland is the many uses of the sauna. When people were moving the first thing they did was build a sauna. You could live in it, make food in the stove, take care of your personal hygiene and most importantly, give birth in an almost sterile environment. The sauna smoke contained tannic acid, an anti-bacterial polymer, which was the main reason saunas were the most sterile places. One thing that has also affected the spreading of the sauna is the almost endless resources of wood to burn. Another reason is that in such a cold climate, the sauna allows people to feel warm at least for a short period of time. However, it is just as popular in the summer as in the winter.

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Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland, and its major gateway and service centre. Most visitors to the area will find themselves passing through it at some point, and the Arktikum museum is an excellent introduction to the mysteries of these latitudes. That said, Rovaniemi isn't a particularly memorable place; use it as a launching pad for farther-flung parts of Lapland, or to arrange tours, of which there is a huge choice. It also has some of Lapland's better hotels, restaurants, and bars, and is a convenient place to hire a car.



Many of Rovaniemi's visitors come to cross the Arctic Circle, which lies some 8km north of town. This has also become the 'official' residence of everyone's favourite beardie-weirdie Santa Claus, who lives in a tacky complex of tourist shops and ho-ho-hos most cheerfully as the euros roll in!

The town itself is modern and relatively uninteresting, although it is memorably set on the fast-flowing Kemijoki, spanned by Jätkänkynttilä Bridge dubbed the 'Lumberjack's Candle' for its light-topped pylons. After the complete destruction of Rovaniemi by the Germans in 1944, it was rebuilt from a plan by Alvar Aalto, with the main streets radiating out from Hallituskatu in the shape of reindeer antlers - though this is a more than a little hard to actually to see on the ground.



Ranua Zoo



Kekkonen National Park



Arktikum Museum



In the northest McDonald's in the World



Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rovaniemi
http://www.rovaniemi.fi/?deptid=18155

Tallinn

One of Europe's most enchanting cities, Tallinn is a heady blend of medieval and modern, with narrow, cobbled streets set beneath the spires of 14th-century churches, and a wild mix of restaurants, cafés, boutiques and nightclubs hidden in the carved stone walls.



The World Heritage-listed Old Town has plenty of distractions for even the most ambitious itinerary. Although large art museums are nonexistent, you'll find some historic gems that illuminate both Tallinn's medieval past and its long grey days under the Soviet yoke. Meanwhile, its growing gallery scene showcases Estonia's most creative 21st-century artists.



Colour isn't limited to the art world. The flare of the streets is decidedly fashion-forward, with Tallinn's boutiques bearing the imprint of rising Estonian designers. This contrasts with the centuries-old artisan traditions of glassblowing, weaving and pottery, all of which make Tallinn such a shoppers' paradise.



Tallinn's café culture is hard to match. Art-Deco patisseries, cosy, candlelit anterooms and breezy, sunlit patios are the settings for strong coffee and people-watching - a fine prelude to the city's alluring restaurants and bars. Decadent old-world dining rooms, charming wine cellars and superstylish bistros provide the backdrop to exquisite dishes from every savoury corner of the globe.



Tallinn's nightlife rages until the morning, with steamy nightclubs, slinky lounges, expat bars and colourful gay clubs, all hidden inside the Old Town walls. Culture seekers can sate themselves with choral concerts, classical recitals, theatre (human or puppet) and plenty of pop, rock and jazz.



Outside the medieval quarters, there's lots to see. Delve into the past at Peter the Great's Kadriorg Palace, a baroque masterpiece surrounded by idyllic woodlands. Or when the summer sun arrives, make like a local and head to Pirita or Väna-Jõesuu for a slice of beach action. There are also coastal islands and a bizarre old cliff-top military base. But don't stop there; you'll find plenty more to discover in this vibrant city.

Links

Wikipedia

Tallinn

Impressions from Germany (Nuremberg)

At the moment there are two Students of the Georg-Simon-Ohm University of Applied Sciences in the MAMK University. One in the business  field and one in the IT field. I’m from the IT field and I want to compare my university with the Mamk University.

At first i want to explain why I wanted to study abroad:

-    Improve my English skills
-    Improve my opportunities for jobs after my study
-    Meet people from other countries
-    Visit many places in Scandinavian

My university:

Georg Simon Ohm University of Applied Sciences in Nuremberg (GSO)

Our university provides teachings and research, related to practice, and is well-known for its wide range of courses. Twelve faculties in four directions of study offer undergraduate and advanced courses in addition to further education opportunities or dual study variants.

With more than 8,500 students, approximately 250 professors and many assistant lecturers we are the largest university of applied sciences in the metropolitan region of Nuremberg, the second largest in Bavaria and one of the largest nationwide.
The GSO is also an active "global player" and has built up more than one hundred university partnerships worldwide.  This facilitates the international exchange programmes, from which around 1,100 of our foreign students from 90 nations benefit.

The history of our university goes back as far as 1823, when the state polytechnic was founded - one of the first. Our university is not just named after the world famous physicist Georg Simon Ohm, but he also worked here from 1839 to 1849 as rector and professor of physics and mathematics.

The Greek omega in our logo stands for the largest discovery by Georg Simon Ohm: electrical resistance. The "Ohm" stands for the international unity of electrical resistance since 1893.

Comparison:

University

Compared to our university, the university in Mikkeli is not so big and there are not so many courses to choose. In the ERASMUS program you have to do 30 ECTS points in one semester and it was difficult to make this (I made only 23), because there are some overlapping between the courses.

Here you can find the courses offered in English at my university:
courses-in-english

Lecturers

There are some very young lecturers in the MAMK University. The most lecturers in my university are not so young because they worked in the industry or had their own company.


Number of students in the courses

In my study field “Electrical Engineering” every year start 200 students. In the first semesters the number of students in one course is about 50 and after using a special field in the 4th semester there are about 20 students in each lesson and about 10 or less in the practical courses. In MAMK University the number of students varied between 4 and 20, so it was the same like in my home university.

Course stuff and Exams

The stuff and the exams in the courses were not heavy and so much like at home. I think they make it not so heavy because for everybody it is a foreign language, for the lecturers and the students. In my home university I had to work very hard for every course and it is not so easy to pass an exam. Here the courses are not so mathematically orientated and the lectures immediately combine it with practical experiments.

Contact

When you want to know more about my university you can vistit the webpage

Georg-Simon-Ohm University of Applied Sciences


For more information about exchange programs for foreign students

International Office

Bus Station

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Railway Station

This is the Mikkeli´s Railway Station, you can do your Student discount card for Transport all over Finland, so you will have a 50% discount in your travels.

The ticket centre in the railway station is opened Mondays to Fridays from 7 a.m. to 7:10 p.m., Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and from 12:15 p.m. to 4:10 p.m. and on Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 7:10 p.m.

You can see the trains timetables and prices in the Web page:

http://www.vr.fi/heo/eng/index.html

Click on the picture to see it´s location in Google Maps

Sampo Pankki

This is another bank in the city center, you can use it like the nordea to create an account, in case you need it, for paying the rent, take money,...

The offices of the Sampo Pankki are open Mondays to Fridays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Click on the picture to see it´s location in Google Maps

Main Campus

As you can see in the picture, it is some kind of guide that i suppose all of you will have, about where is located each building in the main campus.

You can also click in the picture to see it bigger or click on this link to go to the location in google maps:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=es&msa=0&msid=118283875430304063894.00045acdd16a33d7a6e3d&ll=61.689343,27.269354&spn=0.023772,0.090895&z=14

Oulu

Oulu is the sixth largest city in Finland and the largest of the northern half of Finland. It is the leading city of northern Finland, and has, for example, a technology park which houses the University of Oulu. The entire province of Oulu is, from a geographical point of view, a transition zone between northern and southern Finnish, which is supposed to say that as much as the natural demarcation between Lapland and the southern region of Lagos. Besides, it is the capital of the Province of Oulu.

The city of Oulu  was founded by the order of King Carl IX of Sweden at the mouth of the Oulu River in 1605. Oulu, which is located on the shore of the Gulf of Bothnia in Finland, has been the province's capital since 1776 and from being a town known for tar and salmon, Oulu has evolved into a growing modern centre of competence. The cultural life in Oulu is rich and varied. The best known cultural exports of the city are Air Guitar World Championships (World Championships of air guitar), Mieskuoro Huutajat (also known as the man cry), and the metal band Sentenced. The city of Oulu celebrated its 400th anniversary of founding in the year 2005.

Some interesting places in the city are:

• The Science Center (Tietomaaff). Inside you'll find all sorts of scientific things of interest. Various  Tietomaa technologies are explained and there are lots of things to learn about, but more importantly, you're allowed to play with everything.


• City Art Museum. Every year the museum hosts many exhibitions of Finnish art which would be of interest to both tourists and locals alike.


• Ainola Park (Ainolan puisto). Previus botanical garden of the university.


• The pedestrian street Rotuaari. It is in the centre and full of summer events and inhabitants of the city, as well as people from other places, visit the open market at the harbour. As summer arrives, the face of Oulu assumes a fresh green expression; trees reach foliage and the grass starts to grow.


• Oulu Cathedral. It represents neo-classical style and was originally built in 1777.


• The Vehicle Museum.


• The Market Square with the City Library, the City Theatre and old salt and tar storehouses. Oulu has a great theatre which covers many major works every year, along with annually hosting the Children's and Young People's Theatre festival.


• Technopolis, the technology village.


• Hupisaaret Park and Pikisaari Island. Hupisaaret Park is coloured by lush city gardens, numerous streams and paths in the Ainola Park. During the summer months, the park hosts a summer theatre and a cafe Tuomenkukka. Pikisaari is the home of the oldest wooden house in Oulu. The building, the Matila house, was built in 1737-1739. Nowadays it is a Sailor's home museum.


• The Northern Ostrobothnia Museum. It was re-opened in the fall of 2002 after a vast renovation. The new and improved basic exhibition depicts lives of Oulu people through out centuries.

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oulu
http://www.ouka.fi/english/

Tampere

Tampere is the third largest city in Finland and the largest inland centre in the Nordic countries, it is dubbed the "Manchester of Finland" for its industrial past. Tampere is located 170 kilometers north of Helsinki, in the hinterland, in the Province of Western Finland, in the region of Pirkanmaa (Helsinki can be reached in 1.5 - 2 hours by train and 2 - 2.5 hours by car). It was founded by King Gustav III of Sweden, on October 1 of 1779, in the isthmus between two lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi, and the city is divided into two parts by river rapids flowing from first to second. In 2004, the City of Tampere came first in an image survey comparing the largest cities in Finland. It was also the most attractive city among Finns who plan on moving.



Nowadays, Tampere is an active and dynamic city with two universities: the University of Tampere (Tampereen yliopisto) and the Technological University of Tampere (Tampereen teknillinen yliopisto). It also has several centers and institutes for professional training, for example the Institute of Police. In the field of culture, Tampere is known for its wide literary and theatrical tradition. Some of the most important writers of Finland have emerged from this city (Väinö Linna, Kalle Päätalo or Hannu Salama). Many of them have portrayed in his works the reality of the working class, as Tampere during the last century was an industrial city. The theatrical tradition is also deeply entrenched in the city, which each August celebrating the Tampereen Teatterikesä, a prestigious international festival.



In regards to the field of music, Tampere Music Festivals organizes three prestigious international festivals: Tampere Jazz Happening, Tampere Vocal Music Festival and Tampere Biennale of classical music.

Some interesting places in the city are:

• Tampere Cathedral.


• Tammerkoski Rapid. Even today this fast is still regarded as the main artery through which flows the life of Tampere. The gap is saved by three stunning waterfalls and its banks are crossed by eight bridges, of which three are exclusively pedestrian traffic.


• The Amusement Park (Särkänniemi). It provides the most varied leisure facilities such as: attractions, restaurants, mini-zoo, aquarium, dolphinarium...


• The Observation Tower (Näsinneula). Whose 168 metres awarded the title of being the highest tower of the Scandinavian countries.


• The Museum of Lenin. Lenin met Stalin following a meeting in Tampere in 1905.


• Tampere Art Museum.


• Alexander Church.


• The Botanical Garden (Arboretum Hatanpään).


• A lot of Pubs & Cafés.

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampere
http://www.tampere.fi/english/

Shopping in Germany vs Finland

The prices in Finland are more expensive than in Germany. The Prices for fruit, vegetables and beer are very high. The most things you need you get in the LIDL supermarket. What you can not find here are pudding, roast pork, prezel and real good bun from a baker!

From Germany by car

Hi!
I’m from Nuremberg in Germany and I want to tell you how to come to Mikkeli by car. There are some options to come to Finland by car. I drove about 700km (7 hours) to Rostock and took the ferry of the company Tallink (http://www.tallinksilja.com) to Helsinki.  The ferry trip took 28h and was not so comfortable because I didn’t book cabin. When I arrived in Helsinki I parked in the middle of the town and I was I little bit shocked about the prices for the parking (6€ / 1/2 hour).  The distance between Helsinki and Mikkeli is 230km and took about  3 hours.



Prices:
Diesel for about 1000km - 85€
Ferry - 206€=91€/Person + 115€/car

For the trip I bought new snow tires and filled special cooling fluid into the cooler.  For trips to towns like Helsinki, Turku and Tampere it is not necessary to have a car but it is easier to visit national parks, Lapland and the most important LIDL ;-)

Vaakuna Ralli

As you know, Finland is a well known country because of the Rallies, many famous Pilots from different categories are Finnish. The famous Rally of Finland is during the Summer, so maybe you are not able to come and see it, but if you are interested you can check all information about it in the official page:

http://www.nesteoilrallyfinland.fi/en/

but if you like Rally's, you have the opportunity to see one of them in live during your exchange period here in Mikkeli, it's name is Vaakuna Ralli and this year dates were (19-20.09.08). You can see the updates about it here: http://www.mikua.fi/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=51 , it is in Finnish but maybe you can find someone to help you translating it ;) they also put an english document on the web page with info.

The start is done from the "Center Square", the big one, where they gives the start

The "park assistance" is located at the big parking of the Main Campus, so if you want, you can take a look around watching each team getting ready their cars for the race:

I can tell you that if you want to see it, you will have to get the information about the places through it goes, and get a map of them to go, because i didn´t do it and i had to search really hard for it, trying to follow the cars by bike to the places where the "sectors" starts, it was really funny, but at the end, i found a place to see one of those "sectors" quite near from Moas2, and i will try to show it to you

After finishing the rally i saw this map, so maybe you can look for it before your departure to the selected "sector"

When you get a place, i recommend you to do if you can some kind of "little fire" to be warm, at least your feets and legs will thank you ;)

And then get ready to watch and record if you want

[youtube=http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg7UxGRWzbM]





You can also see the rest of videos if you want, by clicking in the link:

http://www.youtube.com/user/bakalutis

Russia

Ourense (Spain) vs. Mikkeli (Finland)

In my opinion Mikkeli is a quiet city. It looks more like a little town. You can't see too many people in the street.

People are polite and most of them speak English quite well. Sometimes you could find someone that doesn't speak English, but if you try to speak with them, they use to find someone that can act like translator or that can help you.

The nightlife is a bit boring. There are some places where to go, but I didn't find much variety. The best of nightlife occurs in MOAS. It is the best place for party with the other Erasmus.

The weather is colder than Ourense. It rains much less, but in Mikkeli snows a lot. Temperatures can be lower than -20ºC in winter.

Impressions from a UVIGO student (Spain)

At this moment, there are three UVIGO students in MAMK university, so each of us can explain his/her own opinions about the differences between our home institution and the receiving one, but I think that this are the main points for every one.

As the UMA student said in other post, the reasons for going abroad are long and every person is who really knows their own motivation for becoming an ERASMUS student. In my case, there are only three main reasons:

-Pass the difficult courses of my home institution.

-Improve my English level.

-Start a new life far away from my house, parents, friends and check how can I survive alone in a foreign country with people from all countries in Europe, in other words: COEXISTENCE !!

UVIGO UNIVERSITY, Ourense (Spain)

• Fields of studies

When I star to compare both universities, first of all I have to explain that in my campus, you will not study IT or Telecommunications (as its known in Spain the IT degree) our field of studies is Computer Engineering so don´t expect anything related with mobile telecommunications, radio waves or antennas... (at least in the tecnical degree which is 3 years length).

Instead of that, you will have lots of courses connected with programming enviroments (java, C++, C, C#, php, ajax...), network world, operating systems, designing and testing your own programmes, how to make the correct documentation of you software (all during the three years and specially in the last one) mixed with business fields like maths (in the first year), statistical methods (during the first and the secon year) and accounting (the second year).

• EEES

Nowadays, our home institution is trying so hard to adapt to the EEES, changing the old fashion and boring way of teaching; with the lecturer sitting on the chair and reading the book or the notes he has where you have to study all the material two or three weeks before the final exam by heart, with the new and more dynamic European appearance, with online exams, practical issues, assigments...

Of course we have all the courses with the ECTS credits correspondence, but it depends on the lecturer the decision of making it more "European" or "traditional".

• Courses

We have a large number of different courses avaliable and practically related with all fields of Computer Engineering. As I mentioned before (and all in ECTS credits): prgramming, designing, testing sotware, networks world, electronics, artificial inteligente, robotics, web page designing, animations, accounting...The level of the courses compared with MAMK is normally higher but if you work a little bit every day and ask the teachers issues you don´t know is easy to have a satisfactory end of period.

Usually you have theory lessons in the morning (about one or two hours each, and every morning 2 different courses more less), practical in the afternoon (2 hours each and 1 per afternoon) and free day on friday, which is important because the student nigth is on thursdays ;)

Important: the languages which most of the teachers usually use for communicate are Spanish or Galego,  I don't  know if for ERASMUS students there are available courses only in English, you should ask the ERASMUS coordinator.


And the examns...it depends...most of the courses have a theory and practical exam at the end or you have to do small exams during the period. The resist exams are in september or december, at the end of the academic year.

• Lecturers
  

All our lecturer staff is young and sometimes you can see them on thursday nigths having fun like and even more than the students they teach on the same morning...most of them know english and you can communicate more less like you do with your partners if you have something to ask..but don´t mistake yourselves: they are lecturers and as lecturers they have the control, you have to respect them.

Our ERASMUS coordinator is a good fount of information if you have some trouble or you need help, because he can speak many languajes (spanish, german, english bilingual and som french and portuguese) but he´s always a little bit bussy.

• Campus life

UVIGO is a full of life place to study an live!!people from all the parts of Galicia and also ERASMUS students are there to help you in what you need and making new friends is easy if you are not shy. Living expenses are cheaper if you share a flat with other students than in a students residence and as far as I know the university doesn´t provide you help to find accomodation, ERASMUS organization is which helps you.

In summary, courses are different, way of teaching is different, chances of finding accomodation are different and the amount of ECTS credits you get for every course is higher in Ourense but not complicated so if you really want to come to Spain and know a different culture from the rest of Europe here it is the link to our university:

http://www.ei.uvigo.es

or

http://www.esei.uvigo.es

the info of our ERASMUS coordinator:
E-mail: formella@ei.uvigo.es
Phone: +34988387030

and if yo need information about paperwork and formalities directly to the International Organization:

E-mail: ori@uvigo.es

Shopping in Ourense (Spain) vs Finland

Like my Spanish friends used to say...Finland is expensive if you compare it with Spain, but much more expensive than Ourense. Here I write several examples so I can prove it:

- A regular loaf of bread = 0.65 €

- A can of beer (Estrella Galicia) = 0.45 €

- 1kg of oranges =  €

-1kg of potatoes=0.40 €

-Alcoholic drinks in a disco=5€

.....

What we have at home but here is not any:

-All kinds of seafood.

-legume and pulse (there are, but so expensive and difficult to find).

and of course all mentioned by my Spanish partners...

........


What we have here but not in Spain:

-Glögi.

-Reindeer meet.

-All kind of sauces...

Swimming pool

Mikkeli has two swimming pools: one is in the centrum, the other is located in the surroundings. I only know the one which is in the center - it is 10 minutes from MOAS 2 on foot (Pirttiniemenkatu). The other one is 6 km far from MOAS.

General informations about the closer pool:

- 3.10EUR for entrance

- opened from 14-20 on weekdays, saturday it is closed,  sunday from  12-18

- free jakuzzi, sauna