25.06.2024, Ellimaija Ahonen

Mentor ry x Learning Scoop: A Glimpse into the Life of Finnish University Students

We at Mentor had the pleasure of hosting a group of teacher students from The State University of New York. Mentor ry is the subject association of Lifelong learning and education students at Tampere University. We spent a morning together discussing Finnish student life. As a warm-up, we played a game of Kahoot with more general facts about studying in Tampere. Through the game the SUNY students were able to see pictures and learn about the campuses of Tampere University, Finnish student overalls and caps, engineering student traditions and Wappu, which is the longest and most important student event of the year.

We were excited to cooperate with Learning Scoop once again, but to offer a more thorough overview we asked for reinforcement from our umbrella association Kasvo ry. We were accompanied by four classroom teacher students who were happy to share their experiences on being a teacher student in Tampere.

After the Kahoot, the Finnish teacher students introduced themselves and gave a presentation. The presentation covered teaching methods, typical study days, student friendliness of the city and the vast range of student associations and events. The group was encouraged to ask questions and we ended up with great discussion about student life in comparison to the US. One of the most striking differences seemed to be the cost: Finnish students don’t have to pay for their tuition, we can borrow course books from the library, and we get government support for studying and housing. In the US, however, students pay a significant amount of money for their tuition and have more debt. Also, the role of parents seemed different as most Finnish students can be financially independent from their parents.

After two hours of discussing US and Finnish student life, we moved to the nearby Sorsapuisto Park which is a common spot for students to hang out. There we played a traditional Finnish game, Mölkky. After learning to pronounce the name, we tried to find a word for the wooden pieces that the game consists of. Turns out that they are called skittles, which was amusing as most of us only knew Skittles as the famous American candy! At the park we also continued our previous discussions and played fruit salad by telling facts about ourselves. At the end of our time together, we played elephant football, which is a common game for Finnish teacher students. Everyone seemed to have a blast, and the weather was wonderful for hanging out at the park!

We were happy to be a part of the SUNY group’s week, and it seemed to be reciprocated judging from the good feedback we got. Cooperation with Learning Scoop is always a remarkable opportunity for us to get to know people from abroad and learn about their experiences! These encounters also provide us a chance to reflect and grow, which is what being an educational student is all about. Thank you to SUNY students and Learning Scoop, hopefully there will be more of these encounters to come!

Outi Ahola
Anniversary Official at Mentor ry