Finland: first impressions. Elena Corbelli & Mae Polis

Koulussamme opiskelee tänä lukuvuonna kaksi vaihto-opiskelijaa, jotka esittelimme Facebookissamme kuun alussa. Tässä blogitekstissä he kertovat ensimmäisistä vaikutelmistaan Suomesta ja Askolan lukiosta sekä pohtivat, mitä toivoisivat kokevansa ja saavuttavansa vaihtovuotensa aikana. Tekstit on kirjoitettu ja kuvat otettu äidinkielen Mediakurssilla (ÄI12).

Elena Corbelli:

Elena Corbelli. Kuva: Sonja Orava

My first impressions of Finland: 

I find myself really well here in Finland.

The school system is just as I imagined, really great and effective. It’s totally different from the Italian one. The relationship between teachers and students differs, because I think that here teachers try to help students to understand and to know things (how it should be), while I didn't see all of this comprehension and availability to students in Italian schools.

I like the fact that you can choose what to study and that you can change and try new things in every term. In Italy we have just 2 terms and at high school we can’t choose the subjects we study. We choose the school instead and we have the subjects that the school requires. Beginning from the 3rd year some subjects are added, and they will be compulsory for the rest of the school path.

Another important thing, in Italy we go to school also on Saturday. It’s a bit stressful also because we have just the Saturday afternoon and Sunday to do all the homework and there is usually a lot to do.
In Finland people are really kind and friendly to me, everyone tries to help me if I ask and also they’re really honest. 

The landscapes are amazing. I really like the lakes and the nature here, which of course impressed me in a positive way. In conclusion, I am enjoying my stay here and my first impression of Finland is really good! 

My goals for the exchange year:

For sure one of my main goals is to learn iFnnish. It won’t be easy, I know, but I like challenges and I am eager to learn this language. Another goal is to improve my English and also to grow up personally, because I think that this experience will make me more mature.

Mae Polis:

Mae Polis. Kuva: Sonja Orava

I really tried not to have expectations coming into Finland. I didn’t want to feel like I had prepared myself so much and then it wasn’t as I had planned. I did my research and I looked briefly at the important things (What was school like? Where was I living?), but in general I tried to keep an open mind. I think that helped me to adjust, in some ways. I haven’t yet felt that great culture shock that everyone tells you about. On the surface, Finland is really not much different than the United States. My biggest challenges have been language barriers. But I really have to look to find things that are different in day to day life. 

On the day that I arrived, about a month ago, the first thing I noticed was the quiet. Even at the airport it was just… quiet. The airport was empty; it took me about 20 minutes to get from the plane through to my host family on the other side. As we walked outside, my host mother remarked “It’s quite a warm day”. It was not, at least for me. At 70° fahrenheit and windy, I was chilly, at least compared to the 100° weather I had left at home. I learned in the coming days that the Finnish definition of “warm” is about 10 degrees colder than mine. 

My next impression was that Finnish people drive REALLY FAST. Not just on the highways, but on backroads in rural areas. I might have been a bit dramatic, but I was really holding on for dear life driving home that first day. It might be attributed to the fact that Finnish “rush hour traffic” is practically what normal driving patterns in my small Massachusetts town at non-rush times are. The bikes on the roads as well; they don’t seem to faze anyone, but at home, I know that would be inviting a lot of complaints and profanities. 

Taking my shoes off in school, calling teachers by their first names instead of ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’, having looooong breaks in between classes and being allowed to leave the campus are all of the differences I have to get used to at school. I have to say that I enjoy it. Despite the language barrier, I find school less stressful and it easier to study. 

There are smaller details as well. I was completely baffled by the hand towels the first time I used a public restroom. They are ingenious, I must say, but I could not figure out how to use them for a whole two weeks. It seems that a lot of people have always said “American grocery stores are HUGE”, and I was not expecting the few Finnish grocery stores I’ve been in to exceed them in size. That was one expectation which was proved to be completely wrong. You can get anything at the store here. I am able to get all of my favorites from home (peanut butter, cranberry juice from the same brand, candies, etc.) that I was told not to expect. And the gluten free bread selection! I am in heaven here.