To begin with, I would like to recommend a semester abroad to everyone. It is an experience for life. You take so much with you and develop in every respect, which can only be an advantage for your later life! You make contacts all over the world and get to know completely different perspectives.
At first, it wasn't really clear to me where my journey was going. It was only clear to me that I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to do a semester abroad. After looking at the partner universities of the HS Niederrhein, I applied for three universities in Norway, Austria and Finland. I wanted to be sure that I would be accepted at one of the universities and not end up empty-handed.
The application procedure is similar at all universities, only things concerning the portfolio can differ, such as describing the process of a project in more detail and showing intermediate steps (this was the case in Austria). The rest consists of a CV, the Transcript of Records, and a "motivation letter". In the motivation letter, it is important to establish a connection to the university to which you are applying and, if applicable, to discuss course offerings. You have to explain why you have chosen exactly this university, because there are enough applicants.
In the end, I chose the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, Finland. Rovaniemi is located directly at the Arctic Circle and impressed me in all aspects. Life there is totally different. Everything is much more relaxed and laid back. No crowds of people. You are surrounded by breathtaking nature.
In early January, it can be as low as -35 degrees there, which really unsettled me before I arrived. I asked myself the questions "How am I going to survive?" "Can you even live there without your nose falling off?". And I have to say, in parts it was really hard to get through the cold, especially when you're biking to the university, which is 4km away. I have equipped myself accordingly before my arrival with various thermal / functional underwear, ski socks, ski pants, good gloves and the like.
The dorm where most of the study abroad students are housed is called Kuntotie. This is a 45 minute walk and about 17 minutes by bike from the university. It was a big challenge to bike through 20cm (or more) of snow, but it is doable and over the months the snow also gets less (by the end of May there is almost no snow left). I lived in a shared apartment for 2 people. In my room there was a bed (without covers, pillows and blanket), a desk and a desk chair. Things like curtains or even kitchen utensils you have to buy everything yourself. I bought a "survival package" from a previous student before I arrived, which she left with one of her friends. It included a bicycle, kitchen utensils, cleaning supplies and various other things. For everything I paid 120 €. But in retrospect I can recommend to visit the "recycling room" in Kuntotie. This is opened at certain times by the tutors and you can get various things for free. In my opinion, however, a bicycle is indispensable. It is so much easier to reach the city or to go shopping. If you don't want a bike, you have the possibility to buy a bus ticket. This costs around 33 € per month.
At first I was disappointed that all the foreign students live together and you hardly have the opportunity to meet Finns. In the end, however, I have to say that it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I now have contacts all over the world and living there was like one big family. This sense of community that develops there is indescribable. However, if you want to establish closer contact with Finns, the University of Lapland offers a "Finnish friend program", in which you are assigned a family or individuals, whom you then meet regularly.
Darkness is a big part of life in Rovaniemi. At the beginning I had big problems with my tiredness, but you can get used to that as well. Personally, I liked the fact that it got light from day to day on average 6 minutes longer. In mid-May it is then already almost continuously bright, which was also partly very confusing and completely destroys the sense of time :).
The University of Lapland is very large compared to our HS Niederrhein and all faculties (Design, Social Work, Law, Business and Arctic Studies) are in one common building. The whole interior of the university is impressive, modern and you just feel comfortable there. Every day there is something new to discover there, be it exhibitions, performances or the like. It is one of the most beautiful universities I have ever seen. Also the different canteens there are super modern and the food (2,60€) was very varied.
The first week at the university is the introduction week, which I highly recommend attending. Here, all the important information about studying and life there is passed on. For a better orientation, you will be assigned a personal tutor. You have to get in contact with your personal tutor before your arrival in order to arrange the handover of the keys to your apartment. With a little luck, you will have already found your first girlfriend or boyfriend.
The ULapland has a very large online system and a corresponding app "tuudo", in which you get an overview of your schedule, upcoming exams or grades and credits.
The course structure is different from ours at the HS Niederrhein. There is no strict weekly schedule. Every week is new and different, so that you have a course sometimes the whole day, one week not at all or several times a week for 3 hours. I really liked this course system because it gave me enough time to travel or explore Lapland. The examinations are similar to ours, you have a project and have to present it at the end. Thus, you can also manage your own time for the most part. The university itself also offers trips to Sweden, Russia or Norway. However, it is usually cheaper to rent a car with 4-5 people and share the costs. I have been able to discover and experience so many new things that I would not have dreamed of before.
The entire semester abroad, with trips to Stockholm, Tromso, Lofoten, Nesna, Luroy, Sodankylä and much more cost me about 5000 €, which is supported monthly by Erasmus and you can take care of scholarships early enough or apply for the Auslandsbafoeg. So you should not be deterred by the cost. It is worth every cent!
I am very grateful to have had this experience and I am more than happy to have ended up in Rovaniemi. Many people couldn't understand me before why I chose one of the coldest places, but Rovaniemi warmed my heart. It is a wonderful city and I met so many great people through Erasmus. I will always have fond memories of this time. It had a positive impact on me and awakened my love for the Nordic countries.
