A culture shock maybe that degree programs are very different here to at home. In the UK, our degree was mostly decided from the second that you signed up for a course, it's destination and road set. You got a few limited choices to advanced courses but 80% of the course was compulsory study. So you made friends and they were with you 80% of the way.
In Finland, this is not the case the destination of course is set but the road you choose to get there is limited only by the major and minor departments you choose when you enrolled. So I have a few courses I have to take but they were ones I wanted to do so that's no loss!
The other strange thing is you plan the entire two years of your course from the first few weeks of being here. It has taken me two days to build my degree the way I want it too be and to reflect what Renewable Energy and it's future are to me. You also have to take some culture studies which is fine by me as I have 4 more Finnish language courses, some speaking courses (autumn semester one does not fit my timetable)
Today was a proud day for me (also for Eero, he seemed really happy about it) as I sat in a Finnish only lecture for two hours and understood 70% of what was said... not bad I don't think for only a month of the intensive course in speaking and listening practise! I also have a goal to be taking Finnish courses next Autumn so far it's looking promising!!!
Also got to know quite a few lecturers who I have studies with. One even remembered my application and was very happy to talk to me, ask me questions about life, my degree past and present. I also enquired about internships which I don't have time for now but I plan to write up my profile and letter to try to find something by December for a spring/summer post. I am hopeful about this working out, I normally get lucky with these things.
Tomorrow is my last day off until Christmas so I am going to take some more photos out and about, recycle my bottles and then hopefully go see Marlen, Jenny and Britta tomorrow for dinner =) Finish learning my Finnish before the language school restarts on Friday
Life is so chaotic at the minute but it is so worth every second of it!
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