December 14th 2023

Of northern lights and study adventures

Jana Gufler and Eray Isik report on their semester abroad in Finland

Experience Helsinki up close? Jana Gufler and Eray Isik, two of our Management, Communication & IT bachelor's students, did just that. In our latest interview, they give insights into their exciting time at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences.

Arriving & settling in:

The photo with the camper was taken on a road trip with our two fellow students Elias Meier and Lukas Kendlbacher, when we were traveling in Norway before our actual study stay in Finland and Sweden.

Studying at the partner university:

Teaching at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences is definitely more relaxed compared to MCI. The focus here is very much on group work and presentations rather than exams. This in turn has a significant impact on getting to know other students. The number of courses is much less. We only had courses twice a week, half of which took place online.

Our highlight:

Life in Finland is varied, warm summer, cool fall and very cold winter. People here are very introverted and hardly talk to each other. You should also take enough money with you, because you can very quickly file for personal bankruptcy over a beer, to put it bluntly. Last week we traveled to Lapland which was truly amazing. The landscape, the northern lights, the reindeer.... simply unforgettable!

Our conclusion:

All in all, we can say that the semester abroad in Helsinki was a fantastic experience. The time here was great and went by so quickly. We will both be flying home with tears in our eyes and looking back on this wonderful time.

A report that will perhaps also awaken your wanderlust!

Contact
Prof. Dr. Peter J. Mirski | Head of Department & Studies Bachelor's program Management, Communication & IT
Prof. Dr. Peter J. Mirski Head of Department & Studies +43 512 2070 - 3500