Moving to finland, would love any advise about my HUGE step

Caroline_23 · Post by **Caroline_23** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 5:36 am

hey,
i am 17 almost 18 and this time next year i will be moving to Finland without my mother or my dad. I am a second generation fin and so Finland will not be a culture shock, although i do not know how to fluently speak finnish. I am planing to go and live with my mummo (grandmother) and study, get a job and start a life. i don’t know what i want to study but i do know that i want it to be something that can provide a job/career in Finland. I know Finland can be a hard place to get work and live and would love any advise on my huge step.....i would also like to know what people think and have gone through taking the step themselves...
caroline

**Sponsor:**

Caroline · Post by **Caroline** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 7:42 am

Hi and welcome Caroline! (we have the same name

).

There can still be a lot of culture shock even though you are a returning Finn. For starters you should get in touch with other returning Finns to find out about their experiences.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 10:42 am

Caroline_23 wrote:Finland will not be a culture shock, although i do not know how to fluently speak finnish.

Errr.... you just negated your first sentence with the second.

For education options you can start with say http://www.edu.fi/english/frontpage.asp?path=500

Ktulu · Post by **Ktulu** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 11:43 am

Hank W. wrote:
Caroline_23 wrote:Finland will not be a culture shock, although i do not know how to fluently speak finnish.
Errr.... you just negated your first sentence with the second.

Technically speaking, it's the same sentence

But I concur... the hardest thing you'll come up against is the language barrier.

Caroline_23 · Post by **Caroline_23** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:57 am

thanks Ktulu...
Im sure finland will have suprises for me when it comes to culture but im not going to be like WHOHA as such because i have been around finnish people all my life, i have also had familys come from finland to come and visit here in australia and i also have asked alot of questions....when it comes to speaking finnish the language isnt strange to me as my perants still speak it at home quite alot and just being around finnish people you here it alot, but because i dont use it in everyday life and dont need to i havent picked it up or been learning it. I plan to study finnish when i get to finland.

mof · Post by **mof** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 4:37 am

[quote="Caroline_23"]
when it comes to speaking finnish the language isnt strange to me as my perants still speak it at home quite alot
quote]

Well I assume you are from Canberra as your English is bad and your undertanding of Finnish is probably worse.

None-the-less, you are a skip and you have found a place to live, so good luck and I wish you the best..

Caroline_23 · Post by **Caroline_23** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 5:21 am

im sorry about the mistakes which i was aware of once i had posted my topic reply...............the message was posted in a hurry.......
correction:
I’m sure Finland will have surprises for me when it comes to culture but I’m not going to be like WHOHA as such because I have been around Finnish people all my life, I have also had families come from Finland to come and visit here in Australia and I also have asked a lot of questions....when it comes to speaking Finnish the language isn’t strange to me, as my parents still speak it at home quite a lot and just being around Finnish people you here it a lot. But because I don’t use it in everyday life and don’t need to I haven’t picked it up or been learning it. I plan to study Finnish when I get to Finland.

and no im not from cambrra.......thank you MOF.......
I didn’t ask for people to correct my gramma I ask about FINLAND and your post was no help.
but hey None-the-less, you are a skip and you have found a something to do and I wish you the best...

SediaAmore · Post by **SediaAmore** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 4:43 pm

hemuli · Post by **hemuli** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 5:29 pm

For ulkosuomalaiset you may find useful information for second generation Finns at:

http://www.ulkosuomalaiset.net

You may also find links to intensive Finnish language courses for young Finns living abroad.

Caroline_23 · Post by **Caroline_23** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 7:11 am

Yes I spose i have nothing to loose being so young and if i don’t like it there i can just move back to Australia......and when it comes to speaking Finnish i do know a substantial amount, i just have trouble knowing what ending to put on the word depending on what i am trying to say....I said i couldnt Fluently speak Finnish, I didn’t say not at all...
I have family over there and have been talking about my move with them so I will have somewhere to stay ect ect......some people might say why am I here on this site if I know people that live in Finland?? well it because i want different points of view.....and hey it cant hurt..

SediaAmore · Post by **SediaAmore** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 2:28 pm

Majava · Post by **Majava** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 5:19 pm

Caroline_23 wrote:......some people might say why am I here on this site

I don't think there is anyone who thinks you should not be posting here! I think it's the best thing to do, in your case! Why do you say "different points of view"? Are there others who tell you it's a piece of cake to settle here (just because you were born out of Finnish parents?) I'm curious.

BTW I also think you are in for the culture shock! But don't let that scare you away!

Caroline_23 · Post by **Caroline_23** » Mon Aug 02, 2004 2:06 am

No, no one has told he that it will be easy quite the opposite, but they say i can do it with determination, persistence....ect.....ect.....and i would live the city no doubt about it...

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Mon Aug 02, 2004 8:45 am

Check out Finland Journal's "Finding a Job" guide...

http://www.finlandjournal.com/employment.php

Wonderlandless · Post by **Wonderlandless** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 4:24 pm

We're more or less the same, Caroline. I'm 18 years old (still in High School, blaaah) and am moving to Finland in two years when I have enough money to make a comfortable transition, except I have no Finnish ties (My mother and Grandmother are both Italians, born and raised there), but I have many Finnish friends and pratice learning Finnish weekly and have plans to go back to Finland and spend my whole summer there next year so I can get a better feel of their lifestyle longer than the few short weeks I had.

I too am worried about what school to go to, what to study and how/what I am going to get a job with. I understand that Finland is a very expensive country (as a matter of fact I ran into a woman who lived in Finland and told me I should check out Sweden and Estonia before I settle on Finland), but I'm willing to take that risk, the worst could happen is I end up running out of money and have to go back to the States (even if it means being a stow-away on a boat...joking!).

...I'll post more! There is a teacher near by and I'm not allowed on 'uneducational sites'

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