[Erasmus Report]
Host University: University of Eastern Finland: Joensuu, Finland Program: Clinical Linguistics
During my exchange at the University of Eastern Finland, I primarily took courses within my program of study, as well as an elementary Finnish language and culture course (3 ECTS). I completed the following Clinical Linguistics courses: Experimental linguistics laboratory course (5 ETCS), Linguistics Reading Circle (3 ECTS), Methodology (3 ECTS), Neurolinguistics (3 ECTS), Statistical Analysis in Linguistics 1 (3 ECTS), Methods in Speech Research (2 ECTS), Psycholinguistics (3 ECTS), Brain Plasticity (3 ECTS), Language and Autism (3 ECTS), Language deficits in schizophrenia (2 ECTS), Neurolinguistic aspects of aphasia and
developmental language disorders (2 ECTS), and Eye-Tracking and Brain Imaging (2 ECTS), resulting in a total of 37 ECTS.
The courses at the university expect a high degree of independence from the students.
Most of the courses were either an online-only format, or only had two or three meetings
throughout the course. I would have preferred a more traditional learning format for some of the more practical courses, e.g. statistics. While working with very little guidance is at times
frustrating and demanding, I do feel like I learned a lot by working independently. Additionally, the instructors all used the online platform Moodle to upload course materials, supplementary reading materials or videos, and in some cases even exams. However, it was frustrating that most of the instructors did not provide a syllabus at the start of the course, and in some cases it was unclear what was expected from the students each week.
Exchange students at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) were very well-received.
At the start of the semester, there was an introductory week with lectures on Finnish culture and things to do around town. The events also included presentations from several student
organizations, including the debate club and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN). I attended multiple cultural events during my time abroad, and overall my impression was that student culture is very active at UEF. Examples of events include international student dinners, a Chinese Student Association gala for Chinese New Year, African Student Association dance workshops, and music or choir concerts.
Additionally, ESN hosted trips for students to go to Lapland (northern Finland), Stockholm (Sweden), St. Petersburg (Russia), and Lofoten (Norway). However, I did not participate in these trips due to the high cost.I did participate in a cross-country skiing event organized by the student union, during which they provided skiing lessons and the group went out of the frozen lake (there are many beautiful lakes around Joensuu!). The student union also
rents out ice skates and organizes trips to Koli National Park and IKEA (at the beginning of the semester).
Housing was affordable in Joensuu compared to prices in Groningen. It is easy to find a room through the housing service Joenuun Elli, which owns multiple apartment complexes throughout the city and coordinates housing for students. Most apartments have three bedrooms with a shared kitchen, bathroom, and balcony, and cost under 300 euro. There is a convenient option to rent a furnished room with a bed, desk, and bookshelf. I should note, however, that students need to apply well in advance if they want to receive this housing. I would suggest applying a minimum of three months prior to the start of the semester.
The overall cost of living in Finland is quite high. As a student on a budget, many of the restaurants in town were too expensive to regularly dine at, and the prices in the supermarket are also comparatively quite high. However, UEF offers students a discounted rate at their campus restaurants, at which students can get a large portion of a hot meal for under 2 euro. This is where most students eat every day. The student union also offers second hand kitchen and household goods for a very low price; around 50 cents per item, which is very helpful when you first move into a new apartment. There are also many second-hand shops in Joensuu where you can buy winter clothes and furniture or decorations for your apartment.
Joemsuu is easy to get around by bike, weather permitting. When it is too cold (it was around -25 Celsius for a few weeks this winter!) to cycle, there are buses that go from areas with student housing to the city center and campus. There is a monthly bus pass you can buy for around 50 euro per month.
Overall, I did not have major issues during my time in Finland, and the mobility office staff at RUG has been able to answer my questions. A suggestion for improvement would be to make it easier to fill out the “during mobility” form later in the semester, because courses at UEF are of varying lengths and some shorter courses may start as late as December. It was not
established in the during mobility timeframe which courses would become available later in the semester.
