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Hi, first of all, I apologize, but I don't speak Finnish

I'm a university student and I'm thinking of applying to the university of Helsinki next year (I study social/cultural anthropology). I was wondering if any of you could tell me a little bit about life in Helsinki, for example, attitude towards immigrants, hehe. Also, what would I find in Helsinki in terms of people? Are you guys friendly, reserved, shy, outgoing, criminals? I'm kidding about the last one!
I live in Canada but I'm not Canadian and many people here have LOTS of trouble making friends because of the way in which Canadian society works. Is it difficult in Helsinki to become integrated?
These are just random questions, sorry for all the nonsense. As I'm still unsure of what to do, I would appreciate your comments.

Thank you
Kiitos paljon!

We are friendly, reserved, shy, outgoing, criminals. Stubborn assholes too.

Basically, I think you would fit in quite well. We are not so bad, are we? Still, It depends on you how you will be treated. Helsinki is today the most international city in Finland. There is lots of people with several different nationalities.
Though, I should let someone who's actually living in Helsinki tell more about it.

On my behalf you're welcome.

Well, we are eskimos here and living in the iglus together with polar bears and here is not anykind of living out here anywhere, except penguins, truly? No, but it is sometimes quite arctic here not like in Siberia. Anyway, so far you are in Canada you should survive living here. Helsinki is rather small town even though it is so-called capital city nowadays! I do live in Helsinki, also born here - paper says different, different story. You will get by well here since people do speak enough of understable English in general, but many people still saying "not that well" or whatever. If you ever come to Finland, and looking for friends from Finnish people - it might take some time, but as I have heard from other foreigner people saying: until you become a friend, friendship will follow. Finnish people are known to be cold and a bit slow.

Finally, welcome to Finland! :)

Edit -- Of course it is possible to find many different kind of people from here like from whatever place, too. By the way, living in Canada or in Finland can be somewhat comparable, not only because of climate but at least what I have heard. The society, not completely for sure. I don't know where you originally coming from, but Finland has been "named" one of the safest and most peaceful places! If that makes any sense to you. We have not that much of floods, earthquakes, vulcano exploding, etc such bad things over here, but sure bad things as ie. crime happen here time to time - since there are more and more people on Earth, and some of them have strange mind to do things that are not allowed or any smart at all. Oh, it's quite expensive in Finland, forgot to mention, but it may vary a bit! Well, this is end of my lecture right now.

Jyväskylä is one of the biggest cities in Finland. I live here. I have never witnessed a crime (except once some idiot was running and there were 2 security guards behind him, he looked like a common geek, didn't even carry anything. Perhaps he just made some people mad, dont know).

I live 4 miles from the central Jyväskylä, and you could easily leave your car keys to your car for weeks, months, perhaps years. No-one wants your car, perhaps because the welfare program and healthcare is so much better than in other countries (you basically get free healthcare no matter what you've got and you'll always get enough welfare to stay alive, have a flat and watch telly). So I guess people dont have good reasons to go nuts.

I think finnish people are just like others. We dont discriminate really that much. It's completely safe for a black man to walk these streets at night and so on.


Just... Dont try to learn the language, you wont learn it.

I think you would love it here!
Finland and Canada have many simalareties, except there is less crime here. Go for it!

Hmm... The easiest way to get a Finnish friend is to buy him a beer That's what we said in a lesson... Anyway if you like for example hockey the Finnish elite league is the best hockey league after NHL. Come to Finland I bet you'll enjoy it ( my lesson was crap but look for the previous ones) Cut.

Latuman wrote: I live 4 miles from the central Jyväskylä, and you could easily leave your car keys to your car for weeks, months, perhaps years. No-one wants your car, perhaps because the welfare program and ...

Kerroppas tarkka osoitteesi...

Edit 1: Siis jos harrastat tuota avainten autoon jättöä..

VariuS wrote:

Latuman wrote: I live 4 miles from the central Jyväskylä, and you could easily leave your car keys to your car for weeks, months, perhaps years. No-one wants your car, perhaps because the welfare program and ...

Kerroppas tarkka osoitteesi...

Edit 1: Siis jos harrastat tuota avainten autoon jättöä..

Voin jättää avaimet autoon, mutta tallin oven pistän lukkoon

I think if you´re thinking to come Finland as a exchange student, it´s easy to make friends if you´re in University. Students (most of them) are quite smart people, so I think they will be excited about you =)

And finnish people like to drink pretty much when they do... I think you already know that. =) SO, if you wanna come to Finland, best choice is HELLsinki, imo, here´s the most international climate in Finland, and lots of happening...

Suurin osa amiksistakin on viisaampia, kuin esim. lukiolaiset

And Helsinki surely isn't the best choise to move in!!!
In my opinion Helsinki sucks big time! I like Tampere more, and I think I am going to move there someday

I don't even know why people like to live in Helsinki!

Forever wrote:Suurin osa amiksistakin on viisaampia, kuin esim. lukiolaiset

Mille faktoille perustat tämän väitteen?

@topic.. I like living in Helsinki. I can't find any singular best points about this city, but I can tell you that I'd rather live nowhere else. And trust me - I've seen places.

I can tell you that Helsinki is very good choise to study in University. I have lived my whole life in Helsinki so I´m able to tell you that Helsinki is worth of seeing for foreigners. So welcome, I´m sure you will get along very well in here!

Thanks guys for the feedback! And hey, I know Finnish is supposed to be a really hard language, and gramatically it may be true, but in terms of pronunciation it is much easier for me than English (my native language is Spanish). If Tarja's husband (Marcelo, from Argentina like me, although I live in Canada) can learn it, so can I!!!

shaz wrote:

Forever wrote:Suurin osa amiksistakin on viisaampia, kuin esim. lukiolaiset

Mille faktoille perustat tämän väitteen?

Kylliksi viisaita, etteivät mene lukioon

Finnish isn't really that hard to learn if you spend some time here. All the exchange students i've met here in finland learned understandable finnish in less than a year.

Helsinki is in my opinion the best student town in finland, having the most metal gigs... And as somebody pointed out earlyer Helsinki is very multinational already. Sure we have our share of rasistic idiots as anywhere in the world but they're an insignificant minority and i doubt you'll have any problems with them.

Then one final piece of advice: When you come to finland you'll notice that most finns don't initiate conversation very easily so just be brave and talk to them... Most of the time finns are just too shy to open their mouth.

But what about politics?
Religion?
And the school system......

Do u guys over there have Catholics, Muslins, Christians, Jehovah Witness, Mormons? ( )

How does u bahave towards ur own ppl? Among urselves?

How old is ur country?

Politics:
Finland is a democratic country. We have parliament elections (200 members) every four years and presidential election every six years - new president will be elected next year and new parliament in 2007.

Religion:
Over 90% of Finns are Lutherian. Of course here in Finland -like everywhere else- are some minorities.

School system:
One must go to school in the age of seven. This compulsory education lasts nine years. After this most go to high school or vocational school, and after this to university or polytechnic.

Behavior:
Finns aren't usually very talkative people, but it really doesn't mean, that we don't care. We just have our own way.

Equinox wrote: How old is ur country?:)

From year 1917 i has been independent country.
Finland was before that part of Russian, and before that Finland was part of Sweden...

well Helsinki is a very interesting place. its always constructing or doing something else. so its a very busy place, but i think you will fit there very well

Forever wrote:

shaz wrote:

Forever wrote:Suurin osa amiksistakin on viisaampia, kuin esim. lukiolaiset

Mille faktoille perustat tämän väitteen?

Kylliksi viisaita, etteivät mene lukioon

Odotan edelleen sitä perusteltua vastausta.

Älykkyys ei kyllä pahemmin riipu siitä, meneekö lukioon vai ammattikouluun. Oikeastaan ei juuri yhtään. On tietenkin synnynnäisiä typeryksiä, mutta he ovat yleensä vain laiskoja eivät tyhmiä. Opiskelemallahan se järki karttuu, sama sitten missä.

Pikkusielu wrote:

Älykkyys ei kyllä pahemmin riipu siitä, meneekö lukioon vai ammattikouluun. Oikeastaan ei juuri yhtään. On tietenkin synnynnäisiä typeryksiä, mutta he ovat yleensä vain laiskoja eivät tyhmiä. Opiskelemallahan se järki karttuu, sama sitten missä.

Ah, viisaita sanoja vihdoin. Allekirjoitan.

Älykkyyttäkin on niin monella tasolla...

Kaikilla muilla tasoilla paitsi minun tasollani. Täällä se projekti on jäissä.

Attitude towards immigrants in Helsinki... well, it is a really cosmopolitan city with different cultures. Many students from abroad, many refugies, many tourists. I guess it depends on the people you meet, it's like everywhere, some of them can be really ok about immigrants, and some of them can be really rude and other stuffs (especially if you date a finnish girl or look for a job there, you can expect to be insulted by few brainless finnish guys)

If you study at the International departement of the University, you can always stay with some other students from abroad which I don't recommand. It's a real trap. It's so much better to have local friends.

Finnish people... they can be REALLY cold from the outside, but if you get to know them a little (especially after a drinking party), they can appear to be extremely warm!

Talk. They consider that talking is good when it's only necessary. If you meet some finnish pp and they are silent, don't consider it's rude, it's just normal

The rule #1 if you plan to go there, is DON'T act like Canadians are the best persons ever, or talk proudly and stuffs. Finnish people usually have lot of respect (it's one of their values), but they also expect you to respect them. Don't scream on them, it is really impolite. They appreciate when you talk to them and listen to you really carefully, but you also have to ask questions to them (but of course not too private), try to get to know them, let them finish their sentences, and try to avoid the kind of "Me.. Myself.. I..." conversation.
Don't lie to them, be honest, without being too straight.

Finnish language. It's difficult and not too difficult. But if I was you, if it's just for studies, don't try to learn it, except of course the usual words (finnish people will teach them to you). You can survive with english.
But telling "kiitos", or at least speak a little finnish, is polite.
You mentionned Tarja's husband. Well... "Tarja" herself is a sufficient reason to learn finnish language!

Helsinki is a really nice place. it is a "big" town (which shops and other stuffs) but it has also lot of nature around. For ex, you only have to walk 5 mn from the railway station to arrive to a park in front of a lake! Personally I wouldn't say that Helsinki is a "beautiful" city, at least it is nothing compared to other typical finnish places, like country side in the middle of nowhere, like Jämsä or Loimaa!

Hey there!

Welcome to Finland, Stealth. This country is a really nice and safe place to live in, indeed. And as already said, Hellsinki is the most international city, but there're also many other nice ones you should at least visit.. And don't worry, I'm sure you'd get a long with Finns well. At first you'll maybe have to kind of get used of us, how we act. Remember you were told Finns don't always talk a lot, when you'll arrive here, but it doesn't mean anything bad. But okay, let's not generalize this coz we're all a bit different, just like in everywhere right?

Cliff's post was really fine, I think it was good to hear also an opinion of a nonfinnish who still knows a lot about Finland and has visited here many times! And usually people from abroad like our country a lot.

Nothing else to add.

A very Educational/Informative topic. We need more of these, to tell the truth!