How does a foreign student sustain themselves financially?

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Nordea
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Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2015 7:02 am

How does a foreign student sustain themselves financially?

Post by Nordea » Wed Sep 30, 2015 7:08 am

Hello,
I'm looking into studying in Finland, I am American, and in the statements about all students needing to sustain themselves, proving that they have at least $6000 euros a year etc, I'm wondering how other foreigners have accomplished this? Do you simply live off savings, do you have online jobs, or do you get small part-time jobs in Finland somehow? Though not sure how that works as a student, especially if you aren't fluent in Finnish.
Any advice would be great, thanks!



How does a foreign student sustain themselves financially?

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sky2
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Re: How does a foreign student sustain themselves financiall

Post by sky2 » Wed Sep 30, 2015 8:46 am

Nordea wrote:I am American
Nice try, Nordea.

Rosamunda
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Re: How does a foreign student sustain themselves financiall

Post by Rosamunda » Wed Sep 30, 2015 10:09 am

I often wonder about this myself, but I don't think there is one answer other than, "It depends". It is tough for Finnish students too, especially in Helsinki where rents are high and student accommodation hard to find. My kids struggle to make ends meet: they get student benefits from the State but that barely covers the monthly rent.

- Some foreign students have (relatively) wealthy families financing their studies. This may be true of students from Russia, Africa, Asia - not just other European countries. Quite simply, they wouldn't be here if they were destitute.

- Most (foreign) students live extremely frugally - they eat subsidised meals at school, they buy secondhand clothes (or make do with what they have), they swap furniture, they walk or bike rather than use public transport and, maybe most of all, they help each other.

- Some do find jobs eg at the Post Office, in cleaning firms (eg SOL), stacking shelves etc. It is possible to get work without Finnish skills. Networking is possibly the best way of getting a job. Apparently employers tend to recruit through their best employees. Students on vocational degree programs may eventually find work through work placements or internships. For example, it is not too difficult to get kitchen work if you have skills and experience in that field.
Last edited by Rosamunda on Wed Sep 30, 2015 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

Upphew
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Re: How does a foreign student sustain themselves financiall

Post by Upphew » Wed Sep 30, 2015 10:13 am

sky2 wrote:
Nordea wrote:I am American
Nice try, Nordea.
Yeah, Nordea is Swedish!
Nordea wrote:I'm looking into studying in Finland, I am American, and in the statements about all students needing to sustain themselves, proving that they have at least $6000 euros a year etc, I'm wondering how other foreigners have accomplished this? Do you simply live off savings, do you have online jobs, or do you get small part-time jobs in Finland somehow? Though not sure how that works as a student, especially if you aren't fluent in Finnish.
Any advice would be great, thanks!
6720€ in account or no RP. After that jobs can be part or your sustenance. Consensus seems to be that you shouldn't count on finding one.
http://google.com http://translate.google.com http://urbandictionary.com
Visa is for visiting, Residence Permit for residing.

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Beep_Boop
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Re: How does a foreign student sustain themselves financiall

Post by Beep_Boop » Wed Sep 30, 2015 11:30 am

Nordea wrote:$6000 euros a year
6000 euro-dollars. American verified :lol:

Anyway, back to your question. I didn't have any financial difficulties at all.
I brought with me my savings from my previous work, about two years worth of living expenses in Finland. After a few months of arriving in Finland, I got a job and I no longer relied on my savings.
I don't really understand it when people say that it's hard or that things aren't working out for them as students. If you don't suck, then things have a way of magically getting resolved.
Every case is unique. You can't measure the result of your application based on arbitrary anecdotes online.

Upphew
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Re: How does a foreign student sustain themselves financiall

Post by Upphew » Wed Sep 30, 2015 12:18 pm

adnan wrote:Anyway, back to your question. I didn't have any financial difficulties at all.
I brought with me my savings from my previous work, about two years worth of living expenses in Finland. After a few months of arriving in Finland, I got a job and I no longer relied on my savings.
Btw, was your job something that related to your studies or just something you did to get money?
http://google.com http://translate.google.com http://urbandictionary.com
Visa is for visiting, Residence Permit for residing.

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Beep_Boop
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Re: How does a foreign student sustain themselves financiall

Post by Beep_Boop » Wed Sep 30, 2015 3:18 pm

Upphew wrote:Btw, was your job something that related to your studies or just something you did to get money?
Yes and no.
Yes, it was related to IT and I was studying in an IT program. No, it was very far from anything I was studying at the time or even before that.
Every case is unique. You can't measure the result of your application based on arbitrary anecdotes online.

RevealingtheTruth
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Re: How does a foreign student sustain themselves financiall

Post by RevealingtheTruth » Wed Nov 11, 2015 11:11 pm

U guys give the young lady a break...she is asking a perfectly healthy question....but of course just because she says she is an "american", you guys automatically get defensive and out of control as if she is a threat.....most americans are just like the finns...they are sincerely authentic in a pleasant way...and just like finns they too came from Tiny Particles... and just like them you to will return back to tiny particles and float through Empty Space...so answer the damn question please :roll:
rtt

Rip
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Re: How does a foreign student sustain themselves financiall

Post by Rip » Thu Nov 12, 2015 4:26 am

RevealingtheTruth wrote:...but of course just because she says she is an "american"

More like somebody has a compulsion to complain on these boards - even if it requires digging up old threads.
(by any reasonable standard your complaint was relevant to only one of the previous posts)

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sky2
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Re: How does a foreign student sustain themselves financiall

Post by sky2 » Thu Nov 12, 2015 8:41 am

RevealingtheTruth wrote:U guys give the young lady a break...she is asking a perfectly healthy question....but of course just because she says she is an "american", you guys automatically get defensive and out of control as if she is a threat.....most americans are just like the finns...they are sincerely authentic in a pleasant way...and just like finns they too came from Tiny Particles... and just like them you to will return back to tiny particles and float through Empty Space...so answer the damn question please :roll:
rtt
That was just a joke, why so butthurt?

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Beep_Boop
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Re: How does a foreign student sustain themselves financiall

Post by Beep_Boop » Thu Nov 12, 2015 9:52 am

RevealingtheTruth wrote:.but of course just because she says she is an "american", you guys automatically get defensive and out of control as if she is a threat.....

...so answer the damn question please
The question was indeed answered.
The American remark was a joke about the the Dollar-Euro thing that was a typo by OP. I used her typo as a premise for a joke on the stereotype regarding Americans being very self-centered, so much so that they'd refer to other currencies with the prefix/postfix "dollar".
A simple concept for a lighthearted joke.

And sky2's joke (which was indeed funny) was about the nickname chosen by OP. You see, she's asking a question regarding student finances. The implication here is that she works for the bank Nordea, and that she's disguising herself by saying she's American asking for general information but instead doing research to learn more about students' financial habits. Given that the hypothetical premise of the joke is so extremely unlikely, this makes pointing it out even funnier.
Another simple concept for a joke.

If you still fail to reveal the truth in the explanation, then I have bad news for you.
Every case is unique. You can't measure the result of your application based on arbitrary anecdotes online.

RevealingtheTruth
Posts: 54
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Re: How does a foreign student sustain themselves financiall

Post by RevealingtheTruth » Thu Nov 12, 2015 8:54 pm

adnan wrote:
RevealingtheTruth wrote:.but of course just because she says she is an "american", you guys automatically get defensive and out of control as if she is a threat.....

...so answer the damn question please
The question was indeed answered.
The American remark was a joke about the the Dollar-Euro thing that was a typo by OP. I used her typo as a premise for a joke on the stereotype regarding Americans being very self-centered, so much so that they'd refer to other currencies with the prefix/postfix "dollar".
A simple concept for a lighthearted joke.

And sky2's joke (which was indeed funny) was about the nickname chosen by OP. You see, she's asking a question regarding student finances. The implication here is that she works for the bank Nordea, and that she's disguising herself by saying she's American asking for general information but instead doing research to learn more about students' financial habits. Given that the hypothetical premise of the joke is so extremely unlikely, this makes pointing it out even funnier.
Another simple concept for a joke.

If you still fail to reveal the truth in the explanation, then I have bad news for you.
Adnan~ deliverer of bad news...hmmm sounds like news media..lol (just joking) :lol:

Rip
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Re: How does a foreign student sustain themselves financiall

Post by Rip » Fri Nov 13, 2015 11:04 am

RevealingtheTruth wrote: Adnan~ deliverer of bad news...hmmm sounds like news media..lol (just joking) :lol:

No need to insult him. He is usually (almost always) factually correct and as far as I can remember never misleading on purpose.


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