How did you get to Finland?

[monroepq]

I'm thinking about going to Finland sometime around next summer, if possible, and I was wondering how those of you who are currently in Finland or did live in Finland made your move. Be as detailed as you like too, since I've been lurking in this forum for hours for the past few days and tomorrow is the day of celebration for my labors .

If anyone has information pertinent to my specific situation, that would be great too. Currently I'm a senior in a US high school in Arizona, though I'll be graduating a semester earlier than the rest of my class. So of course this means I'm searching frantically for universities, pretty much abroad because I really want to get out of this country. I had been planning on going to a French university because I speak near fluent French, but some sources have told me that in order to do this (as an American student) I'd need two years of university studies. I've been asking around about this as well, but unfortunately there isn't such a great resource for France as there is here for Finland.

My Finnish skills are mediocre when compared to my French, but not mediocre when compared to nothing. I've been studying it for about a year and I made an effort to speak with Finns online, though I haven't done that in a while. I know very well that Finnish is a difficult language, however, not to sound pompous, I have a slight knack for learning languages even when self-studying. So if I was to try to get into a Finnish university, what should I expect for entrance examinations? Are there certain programs that are easier to get into? Is there anyone who actually got into a Finnish university after completing their secondary education? I imagine not many, if any at all.

Also, could someone explain to me the whole system of polytechnics? I've looked at several and it seems that they ask for certain requirements that seem sort of illogical for a student coming out of secondary education, such as work experience.

And on a final note, how much attention do Finnish universities pay to the grades of a foreign student, or do they just want the degree? My last semester wasn't very great in comparison to other years, though I'm still high in my class. Is it the entrance examination that really matters?

[Hank W.]

they ask for certain requirements that seem sort of illogical for a student coming out of secondary education, such as work experience.

Not illogical if you're 28 when doing your degree like I was. (and with crap papers).

[Kuja]

Hey,im from england n just moved to finland, because im in EU it basically requires a flight to get here.
but have to register with police within 3 months with employers info or proof you can support yourself.
as you are from USA-you need to apply to get a visa to live n work in EU BEFORE you go there.....
at moment im in mikkeli (as my fiance is in army) and there are many courses for finnish here. just pick one from one of high schools. there is one american girl in my class.
yes-it seems impossible to get to study here,but you jsut came out of high school (which is age 16 in europe) and then we go to college(until 18) to get more exams which count towards entrance, then they go to polytechnic schools and its quite strict....
my fiance passed all but one exam from college and is having great difficulty geting intofurther education now....
for foreigners they have same points system that you need certain grades(worth certain points) and need so many point to get in. so could have 3x A for example and have 300 points. or 6x C and 300 points. quite stupid really.
anyways,any other questions feel free to ask...

[finer05]

[/quote]

hei, hei kuja;

just this 'finland, finland . . . .'; taht was our song during the time I spent in Finland (august-december 2003);

don't you know about it smth??

[Foster]

Hey i will like to move to finland pls i do i go about it am 22 and i play football here in my country Nigeria to continue my career.

[Foster]

Hey i will like to move to finland pls i do i go about it am 22 and i play football here in my country Nigeria to continue my career.

[Samppa]

I'm thinking about going to Finland sometime around next summer, if possible, and I was wondering how those of you who are currently in Finland or did live in Finland made your move. Be as detailed as you like too, since I've been lurking in this forum for hours for the past few days and tomorrow is the day of celebration for my labors .

Here we go.
First I took a taxi to the Ben Gurion airport. It was about 3am, I was tired and wanted to sleep. Then I quickly checked it as I was almost 3 hours before the flight and most of the crows had not yet arrived. So, I passed passport control and walked around in the local Duty Free, where I had purchased a book about Budapest, as I had a 10 hours connection in the town. At 6am we departured. At around 8am local time I was in Budapest. Then I was walking around the city, making pictures and enjoying local atractions. Then, I was trying to get me a cab to the airport, which was a bit painful, since no taxidrive spoke English... My Hungarian is limited by "igen", "igeshigedra" and "öt török öt görögöt dögönyöz örökös örömök között", but somehow I managed and at 7pm I was in the airport and at 11pm I was in Finland. But it was last year, then I left Finland for a month to visit my parents, but I will tell you about this breath-taking adventure next time. Oh. Almost forgot. I visited Finland 5 or 6 times before my actual move here. So, if you are interested, just let me know.

[chriscross]

looked online for a flight,,,,booked it,,,,went to manchester airport,,,said my fairwells,,,,goto copenhagen(not direct flight),,,then goto helsinki......

[DarkStar]

Fitted winter tyres on my car and drove, Plymouth -> Dover, ferry to Calais, Calais up to Eindhoven, across Germany via Rhine & Ruhr valleys to Hanover, up through Hamburg into Denmark, across Denmark to the Oresund Bridge, across Sweden to Stockholm, ferry to Helsinki et voila....

[therese]

New husband has conference in Japan.
New husband suggest fly from Sydney to Finland via Japan for a week
Go to Japan.
Food strange.
People strange.
No-one speaks English
Street signs in characters and can't even recognise the letters

Come to Finland.
Some of the food seems familiar.
Some of the people seem OK.
Some people speak English.
The street signs use normal alphabet.

Realise later this is a cunning trick by husband.

[Hank W.]

[Juha H.]

How did you get to Finland? Well, irrelevant in my case, since I was born in Finland. But this reminded me of something that happened in Illinois in 1970. The old father of my employer was a German, who obviously thought Finland was part of the Soviet Union, because he asked, how did I get out of there.

[greenhorn]

Fitted winter tyres on my car and drove, Plymouth -> Dover, ferry to Calais, Calais up to Eindhoven, across Germany via Rhine & Ruhr valleys to Hanover, up through Hamburg into Denmark, across Denmark to the Oresund Bridge, across Sweden to Stockholm, ferry to Helsinki et voila....

Around the world in winter tyres

[soda]

I know very well that Finnish isn't a difficult language, however, not to sound pompous, I have a slight knack for learning languages even when self-studying.

Yes, that's what I thought once, too.

Finnish is my 5th language, so I figured I was prepared, but unless you already speak Estonian you are probably in for a major shock.

I look foeward to reading your psots in 2 years asking why modaali rakenne exists.

[littlefrank]

>>>I was wondering how those of you who are currently in Finland or did live in Finland made your move.<<<

I hitched hiked.