It seems appropriate to compose a personal blog this week, to reflect on my experiences in Finland as a whole. As time has passed I have come to realise that I have been living in Turku for a little more than two months now (half-way through my time here). My ‘normal life’ back in Northern Ireland seems so far gone it almost seems unreal, although regular contact over the Internet with family and friends has kept things in perspective. Therefore, I am happy being away from my comfort zone.
My lifestyle has changed somewhat in comparison to being a part-time student in Stranmillis, to a full-time Erasmus student. For example, I am much more conscious of cutting back on purchasing luxury items, firstly because things are more expensive here and secondly because I am relying on my own personal savings to accommodate my time in Finland. Therefore I do not eat out often (in placement I try Finnish food - for free) and search for the cheapest items in the shops!
Furthermore, it has been a long time since I have worked as a student in placement in a daycare/school; I have had to adjust and accept that it is not an employment with a salary and that I do not have the same level of responsibilities as I would normally.
In addition to this, the student lifestyle appears to include attending many parties and events (more so than I am accustomed to when living back home). However I understand that it is important to attend these so that I can continue to make new friends and find out about other cultures.
I am continuing to attend Finnish language classes at University and still find it a difficult language to learn. On the other hand it seems that language has not become a barrier in everyday life. I find that constant reading of signs and hearing people speak Finnish helps me recognise the language and is all part of my learning process.
My experiences in Finland up until now have encouraged me to reflect on my own culture and personal views. As a person I have developed more confidence to embrace new experiences and become more open to meeting new people from other cultures. So far the Erasmus experience has been great and I look forward to the remaining time here. I hope to bring home with me my enhanced knowledge and understanding that there is more to experience outside of Northern Ireland.
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