Finland, one of the Nordic countries, always ranks high in terms of the quality of life, education and economic growth. It’s a Nordic country known as the Land of Midnight Sun. Finland is located in northern Europe—sharing borders with Norway to the north, Russia to the east and Sweden to the west.
Finland, home to 5.5 million people, is known for the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea across Estonia to the south.Yet there’s the Gulf of Estonia to the West. The Gulf of Finland spreads over an area of 338,455 square kilometers.
Finland’s capital is Helsinki. It was established in 1550 and is the country’s largest city. The city is located in the Uusimaa region on the Gulf of Finland’s shores. It’s ranked third in terms of size in the Nordic countries. It’s located in southern Finland.
As many as 642,000 people live in the capital. It’s the seat of the country’s top universities and educational institutions. Furthermore, Helsinki is home to three quarters of the foreign firms operating in the country.
FINNISH CURRENCY & ECONOMY
The country is a member of the European Union. The EURO has been the country’s currency over the past two decades, as of 2002. As to the country’s economy, it’s based on the free market. It’s ranked the 17th freest economy according to the 2021 Index. It’s score is 76.1.
Finland’s trade makes up as equal as 33% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The country depends on that trade as it nurtures industrialised economy.
WHAT IS THE WEATHER AND CLIMATE IN FINLAND?
Compared to the Scandinavian countries, Finland is the coldest country because of the closeness to Russia. The country is located in the zone where tropical and polar air masses meet. This makes the weather variable and can change very swiftly. In summers, Finland has a short and hot summer season. The weather becomes mild and warm in the south and the center of the country, the sun sets late rises early as evenings and nights are bright during the summer.
In winters, the climate in general is cold and long. It sees snow on the ground for upwards of 90 days every year in the north. The temperature is often below zero degrees Celsius some time fall to -20 \ -30 degrees Celsius.
Landmarks
There are several landmarks in Finland, including Suomenlinna Fortress, Paasselka Devils, Helsinki Cathedral, Turku Castle, Rauma Town Hall, and Julma Olkky Canyon.
PEOPLE & CULTURE
There are cultural differences among various regions of Finland. They are significantly influenced by several communities including the Swedish, Russians, numerous Finish and Baltic people.
In general, the Finnish believe in the values of honesty, equality, nature, and trust. Everyone in the Finnish is equal and must be treated fairly without any discrimination. Society encourages liberalism with a popular commitment to the Finnish government.
As for the traditions and holidays in Finland, they are associated with their pagan customs and Christianity. Yet, people are favor outdoor activities and being in contact with nature.
Additionally, the Finnish people show a great deal of kindness, have good manners, practicality, open mindedness, appreciation, and punctuality.
Cost of studying
In Finland, the education system is ranked one of the best education systems in the world for international students. For students, it’s the most uplifting privilege in their life. In Finland, there are many types of fully-funded scholarships. The country generously supports and finances international students.
In Finland, international students who seek to continue their higher education must pay tuition fees since they aren’t totally abolished But at the same time the tuition fees at public universities are cheap.
For international students, such fees are fortunately affordable. The cost of studying in the country depends on the university or the institution at which a student will pursue his studying.
The average cost at Aalto University is 12,000 to 15,000 EUR per year.
Finnish universities secure over 80 programs at different levels. Their higher education qualifications and research skills in a working environment make the country an ideal destination for pursuing studying.
The cost of studying for a Ph.D. degree for international students is free of charge no matter the nationality. Yet, the student’s union fee to the university ranges from 80-100 EUR per year.
Finland is comparatively high in costs of living compared to other countries. However, it is a socially, safe, quality of life, stable, and progressive country with a respected judicial system.
The cost of living in the country is determined by several factors. They include lifestyle and location, students’ spending habits, level of extravagance. Based on the city that students selected to study in, the average costs expected between 700-900 EUR per month.
As we mentioned before, it depends on the student’s lifestyle. But in general, the food costs are around 200 – 250 EUR per month. Students shouldn’t forget to get benefits from the students’ discounts that are offered by the university where they study.
The largest and most important city in Finland, where most foreigners and immigrants live, are:
These cities are respectively the most populous cities in Finland with most immigrants living in Helsinki, Tempra and Espoo.
Accommodation
Finding a suitable accommodation option in Finland can be stressful, costly, and tricky. Nevertheless, the universities offer for their students many types of accommodation, most of which are affordable for international students. There are several types of accommodation, including shared, studio and roomie apartments. Yet there are family apartments and student dormitories.
There are more than 14000 international students who study in Finnish universities. As many as nine universities in Finland are ranked among the top universities in the world by QS world ranking.
The University of Helsinki is one of the oldest and largest institutions of academic education in Finland. It was established in 1640 and situated in Helsinki. The University of Helsinki is Finland’s highest-ranked institution, at joint 102nd in the world.It includes an international scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. It also has over 36 Master’s programs that teach in English as well as bachelor’s and Ph.D. programs.
The University has 4 campuses in Helsinki and in 10 other spots across the country. It also houses multiple independent research-oriented institutes as well as 11 faculties.
Aalto University is a multidisciplinary community where technology and business meet science and art. It is a public research university and one of the most reputable universities in Finland. The university is located in Espoo and was established in 2010 with nearly 20,000 students and over 400 professors and staffers.
The students in this university will be equipped well for the work market and motivated to engage in multidisciplinary projects and practice-oriented learning.The university awarded a wide array of Bachelor’s and Master’s programs, leading to degrees in the fields of Art, Design and Technology.
The University of Turku is a modern university that was established in 1920. It’s located in the historical city center of Turku in southwestern Finland. It is an international research university housing more than 25,000 students and staff.
The university is recognized for its teaching, quality of research, and excellent student support services. Yet, it ranks second in the national rating of Finland and it is considered as one of the most prestigious universities in Europe. And It’s famous for its top-quality education and hosts several schools and numerous disciplines such as Arts and Humanities, Life Sciences and Medicine, Natural Science, Social Sciences and Management.
The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is the best destination for those aspiring to have higher education, advanced infrastructure, and unique environments. It offers a great variety of Master’s degree programs taught in English.
It is the top university in the country, ranking 6 in the national rating. It has two campuses, one in Joensuu and the other in Kuopio.
The University of Qulu is a public higher education institution in Finland. It was founded in1958 in Oulu. It is one of the most popular and prestigious universities in Finland and among the top 5 universities according to the national rankings.
It promotes well-being and education in Finland as well as high-quality research that provides experts for demanding tasks at both national and international levels.
Requirements
There are several requirements a student needs before heading to the Finnish embassy. They include:
When students receive the letter of admission from a university or educational institution, it is time to prepare themselves to get the incredible adventure in the Finnish universities. It is time for them to move on to the next step and prepare the requirements of the Finland student visa. But before things start, students have to know what the types of student visas in Finland are. There are short-term and long term visas.
Finland has set a landmark for other countries by providing its citizens with a unique and internationally acclaimed education system, healthcare, welfare and higher incomes.
The country also attracts international students from across the world. Moreover, it offers the best universities, designed courses, academic freedom, as well as sophisticated research universities, and economical tuition costs.
When it comes to Finland, you do not need to think twice before deciding to complete your studies there, and below we will introduce you to the basic steps to study in Finland:
Each university requires mandatory documents from the international student. In general, the international student must send transcripts and copies of university certificates to the university in which you wish to study in it, and these documents include the A-level or O-level certificate and other documents. Moreover, such copies must be officially certified. In addition to :
Studying in Finland is a popular destination for international students. Scholarships in Finland are offered based on the eligibility of both EU and non-EU students.The universities offer scholarships in different programs and courses in higher education. Some of these international scholarships are fully funded while others are partly funded.