student life arkistot
Oulun ylioppilaslehti
In Finnish

It certainly is a cliché to call Oulu the Cycling City, but it is true.

There is a clear will to uphold the cycling city reputation: the city of Oulu has invested not only in the cycling routes and signs, but also to make cycling more interesting and accessible and to raise cycling awareness. Few examples are the new website for cycling in Oulu area, new road signs, and the long-awaited Sykkeli city bikes. There are Sykkeli stations near both Linnanmaa and Kontinkangas campus.

Cycling students arriving at the Linnanmaa campus on the red paved cycling route can’t help but notice the changes. Oulu Student Magazine interviewed two active cyclists and asked what they think about the changes and whether they see subjects for improvement.

Antti Nurmesmäki, a fifth-year chemistry student, tries to cover all his journeys by bike. He bikes to Linnanmaa campus almost daily.

“During my teaching practice I took a bus because I didn’t want to be sweaty when teaching”, Nurmesjärvi says.

In addition to daily exercise, cycling is also Nurmesjärvi’s hobby: his longest trip so far is cycling to Hailuoto and back in the summer, and he’s already planning a trip to Europe’s long cycling routes.

While getting some incidental exercise, Nurmesjärvi also points out that cycling saves money and refreshes.

“In the mornings I’m much more energetic than I would be if I’d just walked into a bus,” Nurmesjärvi states.

“When I started studying in Linnanmaa campus, there was no clear biking route and it was usual to laugh at how hard it is to find the way from the campus to the city centre. Now there’s a red carpet which is easy to follow.”

Nurmesjärvi finds his daily commute to the university has become faster, thanks to the new cycleways, although the road construction site in Alppila has temporarily slowed the journey. All in all, Nurmesjärvi praises the cycling projects of the city of Oulu, even though he, originating from Oulu, hasn’t personally benefitted from the numbered cycling routes.

He also thinks that the bicycle repair points installed in the city centre last year are really handy.

Like Nurmesjärvi, also Eemeli Bergström, a third-year geosciences student, is active cyclist both in his everyday life and in free time. He, too, is happy with Oulu’s cycleway network, which he thinks is quite extensive.

In addition to students, also others are pleased.

Pasi Haapakorva, the Chair of Oulun polkupyöräilijät ry (“Oulu Cyclists”, OUPO), states that Oulu is the best cycling city in Finland. In his e-mail response, Haapakorva tells about things that are characteristic to Oulu cycling infrastructure. These include possibility to cycle long distances without crossings as well as the density and extent of cycleways outside the city centre.

“When I started studying in Linnanmaa campus, there was no clear biking route and it was usual to laugh at how hard it is to find the way from the campus to the city centre. Now there’s a red carpet which is easy to follow”, Haapakorva writes.

Cycling culture in Oulu is great — but not perfect

Eemeli Bergström says that the cycling culture in Oulu is generally good. His basis for comparison is small cities in Australia, such as Kalgoorlie, where he has lived. He says that in Australia, drivers don’t take cyclists into account as well as in Oulu, which can be seen in the cycling safety.

According to Bergström, the attitudes toward cycling are good in Oulu and in Finland as a whole.

“In other countries biking is only for kids, here everyone bikes”, Bergström says.

Pasi Haapakorva, too, highlights the way drivers in Oulu are careful and give space to cyclists. He says that it’s understandable, since most likely also drivers cycle from time to time.

Antti Nurmesjärvi thinks that in general it is good to bike in Oulu. He, too, praises drivers’ attitudes towards cyclists, but stresses that there are regional differences in Finland. According to him, people in Oulu are more understanding when it comes to e.g. mistakes in the traffic, but this is not the case in the whole country.

“My friend who lives in Turku told me that if someone bikes on the pavement in the city centre, they might get punched.”

“In other countries biking is only for kids, here everyone bikes.”

Sometimes cyclist’s own behaviour can cause problems. Nurmesjärvi points out that it’s dangerous to hold a phone while biking and to bike in the dark without lights. He himself hasn’t been in dangerous situations because of these examples but finds them nevertheless annoying phenomena.

Still need for bike racks and streetlights

Even though the city of Oulu has significantly improved its cycling circumstances in the past few years, the city continues to invest in cycling infrastructure in the future as well: Oulu applies for state grant to continue the cycleway from Raksila to Mäntylä. This so called “Mäntybaana” is a part of over 60 km long cycleway network that is still in planning.

Also, the amount of Sykkeli city bikes and Sykkeli stations can in future change according to feedback.

Both students have their own suggestions on how to improve cycling in Oulu.

Both Bergström and Nurmesjärvi say that cycling arrangements in Linnanmaa area are adequate. Bergström points out that small amount of bike racks is a problem. But neither Bergström nor Nurmesjärvi finds bigger issues than that in the Linnanmaa campus area.

Instead of Linnanmaa, both students have suggestions on other areas in the city.

Nurmesjärvi hopes that the traffic arrangements for cyclists in the city centre were clearer. He raises Rotuaari as a problem: for cyclists it’s hard to know where biking is allowed and where it isn’t. Bergström, too, thinks that cycleways in the city centre should be clearer.

In addition to the city centre, other areas have problems as well. Bergström, who lives in Toppila, mentions that from his point of view, the most problematic is the lack of street lighting on the way to Linnanmaa. He says that the dark areas do have streetlights, but they are rarely on.

Neither of the students have used the Sykkeli city bikes, but they still see them as a positive thing. During his exchange in Slovenia, Nurmesjärvi got to know the city bike culture there. He sees the city bikes as a valuable addition to public transport here in Oulu as well and is interested in trying Sykkeli.

This autumn, the city bikes have been the cause of harsh criticism because of their difficult interface and technical problems. The procurement and mobilisation of Sykkelis didn’t go as planned: the bikes were planned to be in use in the beginning of the summer but because of reasons unrelated to the city, they were ready for use at the end of August instead. Because the city bike season ends at the end of October, the time for using Sykkelis was brief this year.

The red-surfaced cycleway has also had its problems: in the middle of October, Kaleva wrote about the cycleway’s slipperiness and therefore causing accidents. According to Harri Vaarala, the traffic engineer interviewed in Kaleva’s article, the impression of slipperiness is caused by the fact that new asphalt tends to be more slippery than old asphalt.

Editor’s comment

“As a cyclist I’m quite lazy. My bike has been waiting the day I’d bring it with me for a shamefully long time. In my first year in the university, I covered most of my daily trips by bike, even though I wasn’t as active as the students interviewed in this article. I don’t find cycling itself unpleasant, but everything that comes with it. Maintaining the bike, planning the route, and preparing for the weather started to feel bland. Hopping in the bus is easy, especially if you only go between Linnanmaa and the city centre as I do.

Most of the problems that I had as a cyclist have been solved in the past few years. As a first-year student without any sense of direction I would’ve needed the numbered cycleways that we now have in Oulu. Now, an easy route to south from Linnanmaa and back exists, and the road construction works have eased off.

My excuses have become weaker, and before the city bikes I could make excuses how my bike is old and hard to pedal. Thanks to Sykkeli’s initial problems, the lazy cyclist had another excuse to walk or take a bus.

Now that the Sykkelis are about to go to hibernation, it may be that I, too, will put off starting the cycling until the next spring.”

Translation: Essi Ranta.

In Finnish

On the 3rd of October 1959, a festive atmosphere prevailed in Oulu. On that autumnal Saturday, sun flashed between the clouds and thousands of people were on the streets. Flags were waiving in the poles.

The big change had arrived in the city, and now the entire Oulu celebrated. The act on the University of Oulu was signed on 8 July 1958, and a bit over a year later it was time for the first opening ceremony of the university.

The largest meeting room in the city, YMCA’s tennis hall, was full of festive people. City orchestra sat on a raised platform, and the guests sat side by side on the rows of seats. Among the guests were Speaker of the Parliament Johannes Virolainen, Prime Minister V. J. Sukselainen, Member of Parliament and former Minister of Education Kerttu Saalasti, academicians Martti Haavio and Kustaa Vilkuna, as well as Bishop of the Diocese of Oulu Olavi Heliövaara.

Whether minister or academician, the dress code guided the guests for festive attire: white tie or lounge suit, for women dark short gown without a hat, decorations.

As the opening ceremony began, a parade of academicians, university chancellors and rectors, as well as the university’s temporary council, acting professors and assistant professors. The crowd stood up, the orchestra played Erik Tulindberg’s minuet, and the parade arrived in the hall led by Pentti Kaitera, the first Rector of the University of Oulu. The President Urho Kekkonen and his wife Sylvi Kekkonen, Governors Kalle Määttä and Martti Miettunen with their wives, and adjutants arrived in the hall accompanied by Porilaisten marssi march. After Pentti Kaitera’s opening presentation, the guests heard greetings from Minister of Education Heikki Hosia and professor Edwin Linkomies, the Rector of the University of Helsinki.

YMCA’s hall was completely full, the floor was covered with rows of seats, and those who didn’t get a seat stood in the balconies and stairs leading there.

Matti Kauppi wasn’t one of them. Like many others, he, too, followed the opening ceremony from a TV in the hall of Oulun lyseo, a couple of hundred meters from the actual ceremony.

Unlike many others, he had a different connection to the university: in a couple of days he would begin his studies as one of the first 424 student in the University of Oulu.

Home through the forest

Matti Kauppi, originally from Kempele, heard about the new university in the spring 1959 while he was still serving in the military in Pohja Brigade in Oulu. In August, he attended in the entrance exams for biologists in all three subjects: botany, zoology, and geography. After the exams, Kauppi got the news: welcome to the University of Oulu!

His interest in nature and its wonders manifested already as a schoolboy. While other school kids in Kempele chose the fastest way home along the road, Kauppi and his friend preferred a walk through the forest. Later in life, the friend became gardener while Kauppi became biologist.

When the University of Oulu began its operation sixty years ago, it formed two faculties: philosophical and technical. Oulu Teacher School, established already in 1953, merged to the university, and the medical faculty started in autumn 1960.

Soon after the opening ceremony, Kauppi got to know the student life in Kasarmintie 7, where currently resides the art museum. The top level of Åström’s office building was rented for the botany and zoology departments of the University of Oulu.

Kauppi still owns the study register where all completed exams and lectures were marked by hand. First marks are from the beginning of October in 1959, when professor Lauri Siivonen began the course in animal morphology.

Teaching was in forms of lectures and courses. According to Kauppi, the courses took more time then than nowadays: one course could be three hours in a week and last through the whole winter. The days were full: courses and lectures spanned from the morning to late afternoon with only break for one or two hours. Because the students didn’t have their own restaurant, they either brought their own lunch or cycled to the city centre to the industrial school in Albertinkuja.

The young University of Oulu received much from the earlier universities. Its professors came from Helsinki and Turku, and the old brass Leitz microscopes came from Helsinki. During the first year, the professors brought their own samples for teaching purposes. This had to be done, otherwise the young biologists wouldn’t have anything to study.

The course assistants also collected and preserved the plants also by drying them and preserving them in formalin. Moulds were cultivated on a bread under a glass cover and algal fungi even with fly carcasses.

The study materials had to be prepared for microscopes, which means that the sample had to be processed for study, Kauppi reminisces. For example, when studying plants, the student had to pick up a sample from the preservative liquid and cut very thin pieces of the sample for studying. The most vivid memory from the first courses was the terrible smell of plants and animals preserved in formalin. Then again, Kauppi became a skilled cutter thanks to constant cutting exercises with razor blades.

At the end of the term, a written exam was held at the end of each course. This was then marked with grade in the student’s register. There were no study credits or points to collect, and guidance for theses was quite minimal in the beginning. According to Matti Kauppi, students worked on their theses mostly independently, at times also by banging their heads in the walls when they had done unnecessary work due to the lack of guidance.

The relationship with the professors was very formal, Kauppi recalls.

“Professors were [addressed as] Misters. We students were also Misters and Misses, but professors were to be addressed highly respectfully – but not as Mister Professor.”

Kauppi’s study week was six days long. Monday and Tuesday were reserved for zoology, Wednesday and Thursday for botany, Friday and Saturday for geography.

Was studying in the new university hard? How stressful was studying back then?

According to Matti Kauppi, he did sit in the lectures like everyone else. After all, the lectures were essential. Not because students’ participation would have been closely watched, but because otherwise they wouldn’t know what was talked about during the lecture. There were no separate hand-outs, unless some other student was kind enough to duplicate their notes with tracing paper. Kauppi preferred courses over lectures, since their schedules were loose.

Students back then did work on their studies, but maybe the pace was more leisurely: “We had time!”

Selling Money-Moles

Even though the study week lasted until Saturday, the students also had time for extra-curricular activities in Oulu.

The Student Union played a big role in Matti Kauppi’s student life. According to him, student life in Oulu started to actually develop when the Student Union moved to Kauppurienkatu 2 in the early 1960.

In fact, he has the first membership card of the Student Union of the University of Oulu (OYY). In fact, he got it by chance.

When he lived in the first student house of Oulu, Domus Botnica, Kauppi heard a rumour that the Student Union, whose office was also in the same building, would soon give out membership cards. Kauppi and his roommate Pekka Keränen knocked on the office door exactly at 4 pm and got their cards: Kauppi got number 1 and Keränen number 2.

Later the membership card has proven useful by giving him VIP entrance to the opening ball at student house Rauhala.

“The cannon fired, the rector spoke and got the university’s first key. Fireworks were set off, students had pea soup and beer, and then the cannon fired again.”

On the side of his studies, Matti Kauppi participated also in guild activities. He was one of the founders of Syntaksis, guild for biology students in the University of Oulu, and as elected secretary, he wrote the minutes of the founding meeting. In 1960s, students in Oulu worked hard to ease the student housing shortage: Kauppi, too, collected paper and sold Money-Moles, mole mascots, to fund the construction of Välkkylä student village.

Kauppi participated also in the march from city centre to Kuivasjärvi in November 1966 as a part of big student stunt. On the first of November, more than a thousand students marched long route to dig a hole and fill a field. It was a symbolic act: the location for the future university was a boggy field, and the students wanted to do their share by digging the foundations for the university. The stunt wasn’t a protest but a positive demonstration, whose purpose was to show gratitude on the university’s location.

In the Oulu Student Magazine, the stunt was described as follows: “The cannon fired, the rector spoke and got the university’s first key. Fireworks were set off, students had pea soup and beer, and then the cannon fired again.”

Even before the university, Oulu Teacher School had been active for several years. Pedagogy students launched the “Operation Boulder”, selling ore boulders for raising money for student housing. The Teacher School also had their own student union, who produced a student magazine, organised interest clubs, arranged parties, and organised the first known traditional May Day event in Oulu. Instead of putting a student cap on Frans Mikael Franzén, in 1958 the cap was put on Uno Aro’s bronze statue Kaarnavenepoika (“Bark Boat Boy”). At that time, the students thought that bishop Franzén would be too prestigious to cap, and the head of the statue wasn’t the size of a student cap.

Matti Kauppi looks back and says that he didn’t really meet the pedagogy students. Well, many of them lived in the same building, Domus Botnica in Toivoniemi, and sometimes Kauppi would run into them in student activities. He remembers that the pedagogy students organised rollicking parties, one of which led to burying a radio ceremonially into Merikoski tailrace channel.

“But we were good boys.”

The university wouldn’t let go

Students who started with Matti Kauppi had clear goals: to get the qualifications to teach biology and geography and out to the world!

Kauppi, too, was about to move on from the university towards graduation and teaching. When he reached the point where he was ready to move on to the working life with respect to his studies, Kauppi decided to stay and deepen his knowledge. In 1965 he met his future wife Anneli, who started studying physical chemistry and biochemistry. Matti Kauppi decided to follow her back into the student life.

“When I was supposed to leave the university, I decided to study chemistry and biochemistry instead.”

For many years, they did studies in pedagogy, different field studies, extra courses on computers — everything that is needed to teach in the university. Along the years they wrote also their doctoral theses. Anneli Kauppi studied the structural and functional differences of using stools of broad-leaved trees in coppice forest, whereas Matti Kauppi developed methods for using sensitive lichens as a tool for studying pollution.

“When I was supposed to leave the university, I decided to study chemistry and biochemistry instead.”

Matti Kauppi had worked already on the side of his studies as a course assistant for a professor. After that, his career continued in the University of Oulu in different temporary jobs as teacher, assistant, and garden amanuensis, as well as few times as acting associate professor. Lichens remained his main study interest, and he did cooperation with international researchers. Some publications include also his wife Anneli.

One of Kauppi’s duties was building the University’s Botanical Gardens. They were originally built in Hupisaaret islands, where the city gardens used to be before they were moved to a more spacious area in Peltola. Work on the Botanical Gardens began in the spring 1961. The plants came from Helsinki Botanical Gardens and Raikko Ruotsalo delivered them to Oulu. With the plants came also specific set of instructions on plant placement.

University, too, was first planned to be located in Hupisaaret islands. In the first few years, the university didn’t have one united location but instead it was scattered in different rental spaces. The suggestions for university’s location included Sanginsuu, Virpiniemi and Koskikeskus near the city centre.

Matti Kauppi was instructed to select the trees and bushes in Hupisaaret that were not to be removed when the university comes. Kauppi did as was told, but in the end, the university found its place in Linnanmaa. The Botanical Gardens followed the campus in 1983.

Life, career, friends

Matti Kauppi retired from his job as an assistant professor in 2000. In a way, the University of Oulu provided him everything in life: wife, degree, work, most of his friends and acquaintances, direction for life.

“Contents of life, work and pleasure too,” Matti Kauppi describes the university’s role in his life.

“Its meaning is one-hundred-per-cent important,” Anneli Kauppi adds.

As a child, Matti Kauppi thought to become plant breeder or biology teacher. If there wouldn’t be a vacancy in the university, it would also be nice to work as gardener.

He didn’t become biology teacher, like many others, and like he was originally supposed to. Not a plant breeder or garden director either, although he did work as the latter for a year.

But 81 years of his life Kauppi has been in a good shape, maybe thanks to his gardening hobby.

The university has given him this memory as well:

On the university’s opening day, Matti Kauppi wanted to see the fireworks that he city of Oulu organised over the Koskikeskus. When the view wasn’t satisfying enough from his own balcony, he went up to the fourth-floor balcony in Domus Botnica.

The fireworks had drawn a lot of students to the balcony. Suddenly Kauppi was pushed aside – some important-looking man cleared space in the balcony. The reason was the prestigious guests: governor Kalle Määttä’s spouse Jenni Määttä and president Urho Kekkonen’s spouse Sylvi Kekkonen were also interested in the fireworks.

“I remember that there I was, watching the fireworks over the Mrs Kekkonen’s shoulder.”

In addition to Matti Kauppi’s interview, other sources used in this article are Kauppi’s interviews in the Yliopiston arki project (“Life in the University”, interviewers Tiina Kuokkanen and Tiia Salo) and in Aktuumi volume 2/08, Oulun korkeakouluseura’s (nowadays Oulun yliopistoseura, “University Society of Oulu”) publication on the opening ceremony of the University of Oulu, the history of OYY Uunosta Välkyksi – Oulun yliopiston ylioppilaskunta vuosina 1959–2009 (2009) edited by Anna Nieminen, and an issue of Kaleva published on the 4th of October 1959.

The story translated by Essi Ranta. All quotes have been translated from Finnish to English.

Matti Kauppi

» One of the alumni who started their studies in the University of Oulu autumn 1959.

» Graduated from the University of Oulu as master in 1965, licentiate in 1972, and doctorate in 1980. Subject for master’s thesis was grazing’s effects on the vegetation of seaside meadows in Liminganlahti, subject for licentiate thesis was using lichens as fertilizers and indicators for pollution. The subject for doctoral thesis was using lichens in studying air pollution.

» Started off by working as an assistant in the plant anatomy course in the University of Oulu spring 1962. Worked in different positions in the University of Oulu until 2000.

“A lot has changed in Oulu since the university was founded, and quite many of the changes have happened thanks to the university. I can only be glad that I have been given a chance to tell about this in the pages of Oulu Student Magazine after 60 years. I wish joy and confidence for everyone working and studying in the University of Oulu!”

In Finnish

The Student Union of the University of Oulu (OYY) has made a new arrangement regarding the provider for an electronic student card. At the end of summer, OYY has terminated co-operation with Frank Students and has made a contract with Pivo, which is part of OP Financial Group.

Pivo is a mobile app published in 2013 which can be used to pay in online shopping and cash registers as well as send and request money regardless of your own or the reciever’s bank. There is also a digital student card in Pivo which is used in 20 student associations – and now in Oulu as well.

In January students of the University of Oulu also gained access to student ID in the Tuudo mobile app. So from this fall onward students can use either the electronic student card found in Tuudo or Pivo’s card. The nationwide Frank App can still be used even though OYY has terminated their contract.

“Students can use the card under the JOLLA accumulator connection until we have a new register, after which we will confirm for example the student status of University of Oulu’s students using it”, says Frank’s CEO Tiia Lehtola.

Chair of Board Miriam Putula justifies the collaboration with Pivo by the fact that Pivo and Tuudo are different as service providers.

“Tuudo offers a platform for different services which a student needs. Pivo offers student privileges negotiated by Slice in addition to a card. The service concept is quite different, very similar to Frank.”

OYY’s board decided in August that it won’t renew the contract regarding the delivery of a student card with Frank. Putula won’t comment on the contents of the contract with Frank but she says it contained clauses which weren’t beneficial to the Student Union.

“We want to offer students as wide an array of services as possible and there were obstacles concerning that.”

After the contract with Frank has ended OYY will order new plastic student cards from Antenna. An ordered and operational Frank’s plastic student card can still be used as usual.

Pivo’s digital card has been in use for a few years in Tampere Student Union and beginning this August in The Student Union of the University of Vaasa as well. In Pivo’s app and website are also listed The Student Union of Lappeenranta University of Technology (LTKY) and The Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY), although LTKY’s own website lists Frank as a student card provider and ISYY’s Frank and Pivo.

Oulu Student Magazine told about the upheaval of electronic students cards in the start of the year. You can read the story (in Finnish only) here.

Pivo and Slice to Co-operate

Pivo itself has had announcing to do in the late summer. Pivo and Slice, which was founded in the Satakunta region, announced their collaboration 7th of August.

Business owner Matti Rusila says that in principle the collaboration means that Slice can offer student benefits which it has negotiated to the organizations that have signed a contract with Pivo. Additionally, the organizations which used to be users of Slice’s own student card now came under Pivo’s card.

“Slice’s strength are benefits, we on the other hand have a big platform. Thus collaboration is a good choice.”

How does Pivo benefit from the collaboration? According to Matti Rusila Pivo wants to offer their card as widely as possible and be a significant actor in the market. Because student card market is — according to Rusila — quite fragmented, Slice and Pivo discovered that joining forces would be reasonable.

How Are You Doing, Frank?

But what’s going on with Frank Students? Frank was a pioneer of digital student cards in Finland: Frank App was launched three years ago. Although the idea of a digital card was thought of as progressive and good, the app got critiqued because of ads and various issues in using it.

Oulu Student Magazine talked about the critique in a story published earlier this year. One of the targets of critique was that the digital card needed to be paid for.

Frank App’s digital student card has again been available for free starting from the 25th of June. Now Frank’s digital card is free with or without Danske Bank’s plastic card with a payment feature. A new perk is also that the student gets a free five-year international ISIC student ID (worth 16 euros). When ordered from Frank, just the plastic card without the collaboration with Danske Bank costs 16,10 euros plus the delivery fee.

Earlier investment in developing the service is visible in Frank’s earnings. In the end of the fiscal year 2018, the equity ratio was negative 68 percent. Revenue was 952,000 euros last year and the profit was negative by 362,000 euros. That is, however, a fair rise compared to the year 2017 when the profit was negative by 674,000 euros.

Frank’s CEO Tiia Lehtola says last years numbers were what was aimed at.

“It’s a fact that there are big investments in the backround, growth requires investment. Starting from 2016, we have invested in the development of our digital service. In last year’s numbers, the operating profit, earnings and net sales excluding non-recurring items got better. It’s always an open question how to increase the slope of growth and we have open discussions concerning it.”

Now Frank is on the path which it wants to be on, Lehtola says.

“The early year’s results have been good. We are on the path we have planned and desired.”

When it comes to universities of applied sciences, Frank is currently only collaborating with the Student Union of Police University College (PolAmk) and the Student Union of Åland University of Applied Sciences. Others have terminated their contract.

“Of course we are sorry that student unions have not seen the added value in our service which we can provide. We would obviously want to be the one student unions choose because we believe that we are building additional value for student unions and we can work even better than before in recruitment of members in the future. We think collaboration between student unions is very important and that’s why we also develop new services for them – in addition to individual students”, Tiia Lehtola says.

Lehtola wishes that the organizations which have already terminated their collaboration would become interested in Frank’s services again: namely, the company would like to support the the recruitment of new members. When talking about new services aimed at organizations, Lehtola mentions communication related to student council election, which is aimed at student unions and will be piloted with Aalto University Student Union (AYY). In addition to this there will be “something cool” in store for subject societies.

“We’ll tell more about it when the time is right.”

SYL Not Intending to Sell

Frank is owned by travel agency Kilroy and the national student associations National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL), University of Applied Sciences Students in Finland (SAMOK), The Union of Upper Secondary School Students (SLL) and National Union of Vocational Students in Finland (SAKKI). With the sales made in 2017, Fank now owns the majority of Kilroy.

But what is the situation like for SYL, if their member student unions decide to give up Frank? Should student unions be owners in the future? After all, student unions of Oulu, Vaasa and Tampere are still owners of Frank through National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL). Tampere is different when compared to others in the fact that Frank was not used there in the first place. The higher education in Tampere didn’t take part in Frank or Lyyra, which preceded Frank.

Secretary General Eero Manninen says SYL hasn’t discussed their ownership. Thus, there is no known intention of selling.

Even though SAMOK, which represents university of applied sciences students, is selling their share, Manninen says that the rest of the owning organizations have committed to their ownership.

He deems the choices made by student unions to give up co-operation to be regrettable. Still, the conversation with both Vaasa and Oulu has been good and constructive, he says.

“I got the impression that the possibility for co-operation in the future hasn’t been completely ruled out.”

“In a way I’d hope that people would understand the uniqueness of Frank. At least in the European countries that I am aware of, Frank is the only one in which student organizations are in a major arena, owning and making decisions. Seeing the value of that in student unions and the field of higher education would be great. But that is not enough in the modern world: there needs to be, obviously, a service students enjoy to use.”

Frank has garnered criticism from students in both App Store and Google Play and also at the SYL General Assembly last November. The General Assembly is the highest governing body of SYL, which gathers once a year, and to which every member of the union sends their delegation to decide the union’s course of action for the next year as well as economical questions and to choose the board for the coming year.

Eero Manninen says that last fall was hard. He understands why there was so much criticism, though.

“In hindsight, too many things were done in too short of a time. I get the discontent: the service wasn’t working as well as it should have. We went through the feedback together with Frank and the student unions. This year has been going smoothly. We hope that things will stay that way.”

Manninen says the criticism Frank got in the General Assembly was sudden, and that SYL hadn’t prepared for it. The conversation could have gone better, Manninen estimates.

“The conversation didn’t go deeper into ownership, the way things worked and the fact that the digital card wasn’t free were the points of discontent.”

Frank Opening for All

At the moment, students must be a part of a student organization co-operating with Frank to get their student card. This is changing, possibly even during this fall, Tiia Lehtola says.

Frank is currently preparing a second path for students to get Frank’s card, whether they are a member of a student organization, or if their organization is co-operating with Frank or not.

Lehtola won’t tell the launching date as of now.

“We’ll communicate when the matter becomes topical. The development of products is cyclical. But the initial schedule is that it would be in use this fall.”

Lehtola says that the change will be made in stages: this means the service won’t most likely be open to all students at the same time.

Will Pivo offer their student card in other ways than through an organization in the future?

“The confirmation of student status could be obtained in other ways that from organizations. We’ve thought that the fairest way is to co-operate with the organizations, which means offering the card to members of the organization,” Matti Rusila says.

The Future Looks Positive

The opening of student information records has opened a new kind of market for student cards.

Now that the card market is going through changes, why should organizations even own a single student card?

Eero Manninen, Secretary general of SYL, has many reasons for that. One the most important reasons hasn’t changed in these years of turmoil.

“The basic principle remains unchanged: the fact that we get to be a part of developing and telling our wishes to the largest company offering student ID. Getting up to date service which takes into account the wishes of students has a value of its own.”

Of course there is a possibility to make money by owning Frank, Manninen says.

“If we could get a hold of that market in a big way and go international, it would be a huge source of revenue. It’s been thought about ever since Frank was founded. Many commercial partners see it as a very significant added value that the national student organizations are a part of the company. The student organizations’ input is crucial to the other owner, Kilroy, as well.

With so many card providers and the option for both organizations and students to choose between a multitude of choices, why would they choose Frank of all the options?

Tiia Lehtola has a list of advantages. There’s integration with online shopping, ease of use and collaboration with ISIC to name a few.

A major selling point are the offered benefits, which means various student discounts: on Monday 19th of August, a quick search yields a trip to Thailand with as much as 70 percent discount, a student ticket to see the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (8 euros) and a 25 percent discount in sportswear shop Stadium.

Local advantages for anyone who’s not from Helsinki are relatively scarce.

“We have focused on national benefits because we serve secondary and higher education students on a national level, and on known brands, because we have deemed them to interest students. But we also want to increase the offering of local benefits. Local benefits are at the moment free to enter our service”, Lehtola says.

Is going international still in the plans for Frank?

“It’s still a possible scenario for the future. We are investigating and having conversations of the matter. No decisions have been made.”

Where will Frank be in five years, Tiia Lehtola?

“Frank is a service for every Finnish student, or students studying in Finland. We have come to the situation that every student can find the benefits we offer. Our collaboration with ISIC has gone really well in Finland and we’ll see whether there is something to offer on an international level – I can see at least these things in my crystal ball. We’ll see what other developments there will be in the field.”

Eero Manninen, secretary general of SYL, feels positive about Frank’s future.

“We will see what the future has in store. Frank has a good product and the ideas for development are good stuff. Let’s hope that we’ll get things off the ground and that it would be a profitable business in the future and the national number one actor in the field in the future as well.”

But if SYL would end up selling their share, who would be making the decision? Eero Manninen considers this scenario to be highly unlikely but he estimates that, depending on the situation, the decision would be made either by SYL’s board or in an additional General Assembly.

“But I would hope, since it’s a business decision, that it would be something else altogether than a decision of organizational politics.”

Translation: Helmi Juntunen.

In Finnish.

Bruno Gioia Sandler was not supposed to end up in Oulu, let alone stay here.

However, when he was studying marketing and business abroad, he met Jenni from Finland.

“You could say I came here for love.”

Five years after coming to Finland, Gioia Sandler is still in Oulu. The reason he stayed was finding a field that felt like his own, even after a rocky start.

The first time Gioia Sandler felt like an outsider was the day of the entrance exam.

“I saw all these young Finnish people and all their markers and their mind maps, and I was there, an older guy with two pens.“

The feeling of foreignness didn not end even when he got accepted into the University. Gioia Sandler was the only international freshman in OLO ry, the organization for students of educational sciences, and the freshman guide didn not have an English word in it.

The struggle did not discourage Gioia Sandler, instead it fed his desire to make an impact.

From personal to the battlefield

“I have a utopian world in my head, and I try to work for that”, Gioia Sandler says.

In the utopia people work for common good and everyone can have an impact, not just the people who have the right cards in their hands.

Personally Gioia Sandler feels like he was dealt a good hand, and that makes it his responsibility to act.

After facing inequality as an international student, Gioia Sandler wanted to improve the situation of everyone facing the same issues at University. In his second year he joined OLO’s board and attacked an issue familiar to him: language.

“If there is no non-Finnish person, you might not even notice something isn’t available in English”, Gioia Sandler says.

Soon the desire to change things grew and Gioia Sandler ran for the Student Council, edari. To his surprise, he was elected.

As a member of the council Gioia Sandler wanted to make international students’ experiences heard, but he was the one who saw things he had been blind to.

“Before then I didn’t have contact with students from other faculties or programs. Edari showed me that all the students are suffering from really similar things”, he says.

These days Gioia Sandler is making an impact in the umbrella guild of the Faculty of Education, Kaski ry, as a founding member and the current president. He says fellow students come to him with their problems. Despite his busy schedule, he does not mind, instead, it makes him happy.

“In my first year I felt like I had struggles one after another and didn’t have someone I could talk to or get advice from. That’s why I’m humbled that people come to me.”

Gioia Sandler wants to stress that regardless of his visible role, he has not been alone, and that there have been a lot of people supporting him and fighting along.

“I hate this picture of the hero. Some people have asked me how do you do it. It’s not just me, there are a lot of people who have been on board”, he says.

Even though he will not agree to being a hero, the president is glad to help.

“I can’t solve almost anything, but at least I can point to who to bother.”

Teaching is a way to make an impact

Before studying intercultural teaching, Gioia Sandler studied mechanical engineering, car mechanics, and business and marketing in Spain. Despite multiple different fields, he did not find the right fit.

Teaching was at no point Gioia Sandler’s first choice or dream career – quite the opposite in fact. Where his classmates tell stories of wanting to be teachers ever since they were kids, the thought of becoming one did not hit Gioia Sandler until later in life.

“For me teachers have been a bit the enemy all my life. I’ve struggled with many teachers”, he says.

Bad experiences with teachers did, however, make Gioia Sandler think about the responsibilities of a teacher, both negative and positive ones.

“I understood teachers affect what the world will turn out like. That’s when something clicked in my head and said ‘this could be my thing.’”

Despite his utopian idealism Gioia Sandler aims to find concrete tools to make a change. For him, teaching is one of these tools: a way to affect his environment.

“You see a lot going on in the news and it feels the world is collapsing and things are out of our hands. Maybe that’s why I continue with what I can have an impact on. I try to bring that fight to the field I have”, he explains.

Failing is the greatest lesson

The path has not always been easy or rewarding, but to Gioia Sandler the most important lesson is to be found in difficult times.

“It might suck and it’s gonna be painful but you can take something out of it.”

To Gioia Sandler the biggest lesson at University has been how to deal with difficulties and get over them.

“Most of the time I’m crashing against the walls and getting frustrated.”

What if the wall will not budge?

Well, then you back up a bit and go in again, faster the second time. You can also try with a friend or try a different angle. And if all else fails, bring a big hammer, Gioia Sandler says.

There are rewarding times too. Gioia Sandler thinks the best is seeing how his own battles have helped others. He thinks that there have been big improvements in taking international students into account.

“I almost got a tear in my eye when I saw that everything in the new OLO freshman guide was bilingual”, he says.

Only five years ago Gioia Sandler was alone, without the needed info or connections. Now thanks to him the new students have it a bit easier.

And even if most students will not see the change, Gioia Sandler does not mind.

“Maybe there is only one student, who it matters to. But thinking that when do something for a minority, it might give them hope.”

Bruno Gioia Sandler, what advice would you give to people starting their studies?

1. “Be active. University is a safe place to practise. If you cannot participate, at least support those who do. Build more than you destroy. ”

2. “Get to know yourself by leaving your comfort zone. By knowing yourself you’ll notice when you need to take a step back, and you will not burn out.”

3. “If you do not know, ask. More experienced people will gladly help. Try to lean on others when you need to.”

4. “Don’t care about Jodel.”

Who?

Bruno Gioia Sandler

» 31 years old.

» 5th year intercultural teacher education student.

» Lives in Oulu with his girlfriend.

» Born in Argentina, raised in Spain and has lived all over.

» The president of Kaski ry and a member of the Student Council of the Student Union of the University of Oulu.

» Fluent in Spanish and English, speaks a little bit of Finnish and French.

» Was granted the University’s Equality and Diversity Award in 2018.

» Hobbies include bike polo, cycling, reading and skiing during winter.

» Favourite Finnish word is ‘pistorasia’.

» If he could time travel, he would get involved in student organizations in his freshman year.

Rika Nakano, 22

Exchange Student for One Semester

Studying Primary Education & Japanese as a Second Language

Japan

“I think the University of Oulu has more liveliness and eagerness for learning or research compared to my home university.”

Why did you choose to come to Oulu?

What brought me to Finland and Oulu is its education system. I want to be a primary school teacher to be able to make a positive difference on the future of children. Studying in an environment so different from Japan helps me to expand my thinking and change my fixed beliefs that I have created throughout my own educational background. For me, this exchange study is a great challenge.

Has your view of Oulu changed during your time here?

Yes! People say that Finns are calm, polite and rarely enter into the conversation. But, people that I met in Oulu are friendly and helpful to foreigners. I’ve stayed in Oulu for just a month, but I already love the city and the Finnish people.

Do you feel welcome here? Do you find it easy to get to know local students?

I made friends easier than I imagined because there were a variety of welcome events for the exchange student. They were very nice. I have some local student friends like my Kummi and students coming to cafe lingua. But I want more opportunities to get to know local students and people in Oulu.

How does the University of Oulu compare to your home University?

I think the University of Oulu has more liveliness and eagerness for learning or research compared to my home university. Also, the systems like the student app and learning management system are well organized and easy to use, even for the exchange students.

What would you like to change in the University of Oulu?

The procedures were complicated so I wish there was a To-Do list for the exchange student.

Britta Bornhorn, 24

Exchange Student for One Semester

Studying Education with a focus on Math & Biology

Germany

“In terms of the people living in Finland, I am surprised over and over again with their unique peculiarities, such as visiting the sauna often or feeling comfortable when no one is talking.”

What was your first impression of Oulu?

My first impression of Oulu was – funnily enough – sun! I arrived at the end of August, and it was warm! You could sit in the sun, showing off your nice t-shirts and sunglasses. Well… if you had any. I had packed for four months of deep, dark cold winter. As if it was -35°C and zero hours of sun here in August. I should have had a closer look at the climate graphs.

Has your view of Finland changed during your time here?

Yes! So far the weather is better than I thought. I have also learned a lot about Finnish history and politics in some of my classes. Whereas I didn’t really have much of an opinion (to be honest, not even a lot of knowledge) about Finland before I came here, now I am impressed by how Finland has developed so differently after WWI than any other country I know. Even if I cannot really say what opinion of Finland I had before I came here, I can now say that I am impressed with the Finnish welfare state. I’m also impressed by the equality and high standards of living it has accomplished. In terms of the people living in Finland, I am surprised over and over again with their unique peculiarities, such as visiting the sauna often or feeling comfortable when no one is talking.

What has helped you adjust to your new life abroad?

Learning Finnish! … kidding. Finnish is just the hardest language. Eight, acht, huit, ocho … kahdeksan?! This project is going to cost some time. However, everyone speaks very good English. So that helps. In the short term (for which I am here) that’s more effective than me learning Finnish, I guess.

What has been your favorite memory so far?

Biking to Hailuoto. At this point, I do not want to brag about myself. I am aware that this must sound quite impressive. Chris Froom? Amateur. Also I don’t want to complain about how sore my legs were, or that the seat of the bike ripped a hole into my pants. I am a person that likes to keep this for themselves.

That said: it was a really great day! We went with a couple of exchange students, we had amazing weather and the Marjaniemi Lighthouse and the beach were just stunning.

Lindsay Jamerson, 20

Exchange Student for One Semester

Studying Peace & Conflict Studies and History, with a minor in Women & Gender Studies

USA

“All exchange students are coming in with the same open-mindedness, so take advantage of that during the first few weeks.”

What have been the challenges of living in Oulu?

One challenge I have found myself facing is the language barrier as I have dietary restrictions. Thankfully, I have been able to pick up on certain keywords that have allowed me to identify the foods that I can and cannot eat.

Another thing that has been difficult is acclimating to the new cultural norms. For example, one of my friends is from Germany, and I made the mistake of not taking my shoes off when I entered her apartment. She politely informed that what I was doing could come off as disrespectful, although she knew that that was not my intention. Since then, I have tried to pay more attention to other people’s behavior so that I can do my best to respect their cultural values. There are a lot of things that I never realized would be different between cultures.

How does the University of Oulu compare to your home university?

Demographically, they are the same, which is one of the reasons why I picked the University of Oulu. One thing I really like about Oulu is that the entire campus is connected, whereas at my home university, the buildings are all separate and house different departments. I also enjoy the food selection on campus in Oulu, because it is cheaper and tastier than that at my home institution.

What piece of advice would you give to new exchange students?

All exchange students are coming in with the same open-mindedness, so take advantage of that during the first few weeks. Everyone is in the same position and trying to make friends. Also, try to make friends with people who aren’t from your home country. It’s a lot easier to be with people who are familiar with your culture, but the purpose of studying abroad is to push yourself and experience new things.

What are some things in Oulu you’d like to take home with you?

Bio-waste. One of the things I appreciate most about Finland as a whole is their attitude towards environmental issues. I think that my home institution would not only be open to the idea of incorporating bio-waste facilities, they would wholeheartedly support it. ‘

Helerin Raikkerus, 30

Studying Medicine

Exchange Student

Estonia

“There is no such thing as bad weather, if you have the correct clothing.”

What has been the biggest challenge so far?

It is sometimes difficult to accept that everybody dies at some point. A doctor always wants to help his or her patients, but, for example, sometimes the patients have many diseases. When they get an acute, for example surgical problem, and might otherwise be saved by surgery, sometimes it can be even more risky to operate. As a student it is difficult to watch others making these kind of decisions, and it is probably harder for the real doctors to make them.

What are you most looking forward to during your time in Finland?

Hmm… I’ll answer about Oulu. I’m here for an internship at the University Hospital. I hope to learn a lot.

If you could give someone one tip before visiting Finland, what would it be?

Before coming, take a quick look at the weather forecast. The nature in Finland is beautiful and we have four seasons. There is no such thing as bad weather, if you have the correct clothing. Be prepared for hot sunny days during the summer, some rainy days and extremely cold weather during the winter months. Be prepared and have fun.

Zsuzsi Máthé, 31

Studying for a PhD in Cognitive Linguistics

Visiting Student doing research

Transilvania

“One aspect that stands out in Finland is the support that you get as a student or researcher, both from teachers and the system.”

Why did you choose to come to Oulu?

When I was in high school, one of my dreams was to go to Finland. In fact, I wanted to experience the real north, which is why I chose Oulu.

In Oulu, I feel like I am literally and metaphorically on the top of the world! Before coming to Finland I have travelled extensively. I’ve experienced different cultures and lands, mostly by doing volunteer work, which gives me a frame of reference and a sense of appreciation towards the unique traits of each culture and country. It also gives me the ability to see how Finland stands out.

What was your first impression of Oulu?

It was love at first sight. It is not easy to put into words the experiences of four months here, but at first I thought Oulu was special for three reasons: the people, the nature and the culture/education.

Nature here has many faces, and each can be enjoyed to the fullest; you just need a bit of courage. Whether it is summer and the sun never sets, or it is winter and dark and freezing, there is plenty to do and see around Oulu.

The University building, although in some areas it reminds me of an airport, is cozy, well equipped and has a good vibe. There are people of all kinds and a variety that is really enjoyable. You can find everything you need, from numerous student restaurants and cafes to hangout rooms and even dark corners if you want to hang out alone.

In addition to all this, Finnish people are fantastic. Don’t believe the rumors that they are shy and cold. They make incredibly caring, thoughtful, helpful and loyal friends. I am forever grateful for the friendships I have formed here and the people that I met. They are truly special and more than I ever could have hoped for. I am looking forward to making new friends at the Festival of Cultures.

How does student life in Oulu compare to your home University or country?

I don’t really like making such comparisons; each country has its own charms. One aspect that stands out in Finland is the support that you get as a student or researcher, both from teachers and the system. It is a huge privilege and more than I could have hoped for. This is the type of support, which is much harder to come by at my home university.

What has been your favorite memory you’ve made so far in Oulu?

It’s hard to pick just one! So far I have enjoyed reindeer racing (although I only won second place), ice swimming on Valentines Day with sauna, seeing the northern lights on Toppilansaari, ice cycling, adventurous backcountry skiing in Lapland, snowmobiling, and meeting Santa Claus (the real one!). I strongly recommend everyone to try all of these.

What advice would you give to someone coming to Oulu?

My advice to Oulu students and visitors is not to stay inside. Go outside, even though it is dark and cold in the winter, and definitely enjoy the long summer days. Take advantage and enjoy to the fullest all that nature has to give up here in the north, which is really special and unique. Don’t be afraid to dive into the ice cold water in the winter and if the light is not letting you sleep on summer nights, go outside and watch how beautiful the sky is with the longest sunset you have ever seen. Get a bike and get lost on the city at least once, it’s the best way to find some of the most beautiful parks, lakes and neighborhoods that you wouldn’t come across otherwise. Help others if you can if they cannot adjust well to the darkness, get them outside into the awakening bright snow. Your time here is not only a great opportunity to get a good education; the experiences that you make here will always be with you and will shape you into your future self.

Interested in getting to know some exchange students? Meet some of these students, as well as other exchange students at the University of Oulu’s Festival of Cultures on October 3rd.

Read more: University in the USA vs University in Finland: An Honest Comparison

As a university student in the United States, you often hear about Finland and how incredible the school system is here. Headlines from across the globe compare the quality of education between these two countries, almost always ranking Finland higher than the United States.

Just typing the words “education in Finland” to Google results in a long list of articles explaining why Finland is so great.

“How the Finnish school system outshines U.S. education”

“How Finland beats America on education”

“Eight reasons Finland’s education system puts the U.S. model to shame”

And so on.

With so much emphasis placed on the Finnish education system, I was full of excitement upon my arrival here in August. Immediately, I began to notice a stark contrast between my home university and the University of Oulu. Life in the USA and life in Finland may be very different, but there are also many similarities. Here are five things I’ve noticed so far during my time here.

Student Housing: Where do students live?

At my home university, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, first-year students are required to live on campus in a dorm. Typically, two students share one room, which usually includes a bed, desk, wardrobe, and chair. The convenient part of the dorm-style rooms is that students don’t have to worry much about cleaning or cooking for themselves during their first year at Uni. Instead, most students have a meal plan through the school, where they can walk to the dining hall and eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You typically pay a set price for the entire year, which could be anywhere from 4000 to 7000 euro. Space is very limited and it takes a lot of time to adjust to sharing such a small space, which prompts many students to move out of the dorms after their first year, and into an apartment nearby. Our campus isn’t very big, so you can easily walk to and from your housing to any event or class that is taking place on campus.

Here in Oulu, I live in a PSOAS apartment. I was pleasantly surprised by the size and space of my apartment, which I share with two other exchange students. We have a kitchen, bathroom, shower, and dining room. My dorm room last year was the size of my kitchen now, so it has definitely been an improvement. My apartment here isn’t too expensive, somewhere around 270 euros per month. I expected the cost of living to be a lot more in Finland, but I’ve found that cooking at home and keeping a budget has helped me a lot.

I really enjoy the convenience of being able to walk to the store, or go places by bus. I never rode the bus at my home university, so it took a lot of getting lost to figure out the buses here in Oulu. However, I have gained a lot of confidence in myself through this process, and am happy to say that I haven’t gotten lost in a whole 3 weeks!

Student Life: What do students do?

I was very surprised by the student life here in Oulu. Back home, the school does not advertise or openly support on-campus parties. Most parties or events are thrown by the athletes or fraternities on campus, and our school discourages underage drinking at any school-related events. Keep in mind, the drinking age in the U.S. is 21, so that means a majority of our students are not legally allowed to consume alcohol.

However, in Oulu, there seem to be a lot of events for students, and something is always going on. Especially in the exchange student housing, there are events or parties almost every night. These student events are a really nice way for students to meet each other and connect with local students as well, which can sometimes be quite difficult otherwise.

Classes: Workload, meeting times, & tests

Classes in the USA are very different than here in Oulu. All of my classes back home begin in August, and last until early to mid-December. You meet at the same time each week, sometimes twice a week. After every class, you are likely to have some kind of homework assignment that needs to be done in time for the next class. There are frequent quizzes, which are usually taken once a week or so. There are also many tests and essays, depending on the course that you are taking. Many of my classes had three tests during the semester, and a final exam at the conclusion of the course. So, it was a very nice surprise to hear my professors in Oulu apologizing for such a heavy workload, when I was assigned to read a few articles and write a concluding essay.

I’m studying Primary Education, so I am taking a lot of ITE courses and some courses from the Scandinavian Studies program while I’m here. So far, they have been very interesting, and I actually enjoy attending class. I am getting credit back home for some of my classes here, but others I am taking simply because I am interested in the topic. Those classes have been my favorite, it’s a lot more calm and enjoyable to just take in information and learn new things that I can take back home with me.

Relationships to teachers: Informality & mutual respect

So far during my classes in Oulu, I have noticed that the relationship between students and teachers is much more informal than in the U.S. In the States, we would typically call our professors by their last name, or by their title, which could be something like Professor or Doctor. Depending on the style of class, there may or may not be opportunities to interact one-on-one with your teacher. It is a new concept for me to call my teachers here by their first name, and has definitely taken some getting used to. I really admire this system as I think it’s a great way for students to learn from their professors in a way that promotes mutual respect and appreciation.

Cost: Free education vs $20,000 a year

One of the biggest differences between the U.S. and Finland is the cost of attendance. Whereas Finnish education is free, American students have the opportunity to apply for scholarships, which provide financial assistance to pay for school. They can also receive “Financial Aid,” based on the income of their parents.

However, many students do not receive much money, and pay around $20,000 (17000 euros) per year. Most students have to work while they are attending University, and graduate with a large amount of student debt. Seeing the impact of free education in Finland has really caused me to analyze the system in the U.S. Not having to pay for school relieves a big stress for many students, and encourages people to attain higher education.

Read more: Student Culture, Four Seasons, Fantastic Finnish People, & Sauna: Life in Oulu as an International Student.