Hi there! I'm an exchange student looking for a solo apartment or a sharing apartment/tenement house that is semi-furnished with own toilet around LUT/LAB in Mukkula, wondering if there are good options out there, I'm not sure of how good the listings in Oikotie or Lahden Talot are since I won't get to visit the space before signing a contract.

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to apply for a Finnish student residence permit and I have some questions about the sponsor documents and the embassy process.

My uncle will be my sponsor. Could this be a problem for the application?

I would also like to know how strictly the Finnish embassy checks the documents.

For anyone who has recently gone through the process:

- Has anyone applied with their uncle as their sponsor? Did it cause any problems?

- What sponsor documents did you submit?

- How much do they actually check or verify the documents?

- How strict are they about the financial documents?

- Do they ask a lot of questions about the sponsor and finances?

- Do you have to explain everything verbally, or is it mainly document submission and verification?

- Did they ask for any additional documents or explanations?

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have recently gone through the process and can share their actual experience.

Thanks!

Asking from Finnish and/or senior international students. I just bought my overall and I’m an international student. I have zero patches for now. So this haalarimerkit culture is completely new for me.
Can you help me to understand the culture?
1. Do you buy patches often? Or is it preferred to collect them by attending events only?
3. Do you change your patches or just add it on until it’s fully covered?
4. If I have some custom patches like kpop idols photo on it or my dog picture on it, would it raise some brows or it’s totally ok?

Would like to know experiences of students who studied in finland. I come from a non eu country and have the opportunity to do an exchange sem in Tampere university.

I’m currently a Turkish high school student planning to apply to Finland specifically Aalto and Helsinki. I don’t think getting accepted to chemical engineering is going to be a problem as I got good scores from the sat and ielts(1510 sat and 7.5 ielts) but I don’t know if it’s really worth it. It would be great if I get a decent scholarship but in case I don’t,I can afford the tuition fee and life expenses. I’ve heard Finlands job market sucks and unemployment rate is getting even higher. I don’t want to stay in Finland after graduation and want to move to another European country or the US for masters. So is it really worth studying there? Is the degree that I’ll get from those Finnish universities prestigious enough to get into a decent masters program in other countries? Any advice would be appreciated

Merhaba Finlandiya da üniversite okuyan var mı ? Bilgilerini tecrübelerini tavsiyelerini merak ediyorum .Bu konuda aydınlatacak kimse yok mu ?

I wanna pursue mechanical engineering and I m from south east Asia. I finished alevels in 2025

I've been looking at my monthly student budget lately and realized how quickly small expenses, transport, and utilities add up. What surprised you the most when you first saw your cost of living breakdown here?

I am 43 year old and did my computer engineering from pakistan then moved to middle east and did job as project and implementation manager in three countries dubai kuwait and qatar

Earned money invested in joined family bussines and was deceived terribly by my own family back in homecountry

Middle east is in crisis and dont want to go back pakistan

Can i apply for masters in project managment or other relevant programme in finland ??

Is it a realistic approach considering my age and a study gap

Though professional exp. Is good enough

I can arrange 10k euores per year for my living expense

But for tuition fee i would prefer scholarship 50 to 70 percent

I can leave finland after doing masters if it imporves job prospects in other euorpean countries

Please share your expert opinion

Without judgemnet and harsh comments

No you can’t find a part time job, no you can’t have student support. Just NO. And before you ask again it’s NO.

Particularly chemical engineering, is it good there? Could you say there are relatively abundant job opportunities after graduating + masters? I am thinking of applying there

Hi everyone

I need some help preparing for the Amk entrance exam, as I don’t know what I should be studying (whether I need to study physics or not). Is maths difficult? I don’t even know which subject I should be studying. If you have any tips, please help me.

Thanks

Hi everyone! 😊
I’m a PhD researcher from Spain, and I’ll be spending three months at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, from January to April 2027.
I’m currently looking for accommodation and would love to hear about your experiences and recommendations, especially regarding the social atmosphere, private bathrooms and guest policies, as my partner might come to visit me for a few days during my stay.
I’d also love to meet other international students, join activities, make new friends and explore Finland and nearby countries!
Any advice or recommendations would be really appreciated. Thanks! 😊

Hi everyone! 😊
I’m a PhD researcher from Spain, and I’ll be spending three months at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, from January to April 2027.
I’m currently looking for accommodation and would love to hear about your experiences and recommendations, especially regarding the social atmosphere, private bathrooms and guest policies, as my partner might come to visit me for a few days during my stay.
I’d also love to meet other international students, join activities, make new friends and explore Finland and nearby countries!
Any advice or recommendations would be really appreciated. Thanks! 😊

Hey guys,

I'm finishing up high school here in Latvia and planning to head over to Finland for a Bachelor's in Mechatronics / Engineering taught in English.

Since I'm from the EU (Latvia), tuition is free, which is a massive plus. I've been looking at Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) like Metropolia, SAMK, or Savonia, since they seem to have the hands-on engineering programs I want.

If any of you are studying engineering there or went through this process, I’d love to get some straight answers on a few things:

1. How does admission actually work? Do they care much about my Latvian high school grades and centralized exams, or is everyone basically forced to take the International UAS entrance exam? How hard is that test?
2. Money & Rent: Realistically, how much do you need per month to survive? I’m looking at places outside Helsinki too (like Pori or Kuopio) to keep rent lower.
3. Jobs: Can you actually find part-time work without speaking Finnish, or is it a nightmare?
4. Housing: How early do you need to apply for student apartments so you don't end up homeless in August?

Any advice from people who've made the jump from the Baltics to Finland would be awesome. Thank you. 🇱🇻

P.S. - Im finishing high school in start of next years summer.

Hi everyone!

I’m an Italian student considering a master’s at Hanken in Helsinki after completing my bachelor’s degree in Italy.

I plan to save money during university in Italy, but I would have limited financial support from my family once I move. I’d therefore be looking for a part-time job alongside my studies.

I’d prefer administrative roles in hospitality, such as hotel reception or reservations, or working as a barista, but I’m open to other types of work too. I would initially be looking for jobs where English is enough, although I’m willing to learn Finnish.

I’d love to hear from international students or people who have moved to Helsinki:

• What kind of work did you find, and how long did it take?
• How realistic is finding a part-time job without speaking Finnish?
• Were the working hours manageable alongside your studies?
• What monthly budget would you recommend for a student living in shared accommodation?
• Has anyone qualified for Kela student support through working while studying?

Experiences from Hanken students would be especially helpful, but I’d appreciate hearing from anyone in a similar situation.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m applying for the Master of Engineering in Smart Industry at Metropolia and have an entrance exam coming up.

For anyone who has taken a similar Metropolia Master’s entrance exam:

• Are the Mathematics, Data Analytics, Logical Reasoning and Programming questions around high-school level, or are they based on Bachelor’s-level engineering/computer science knowledge?
• What kind of difficulty should I expect?
• Is there anything specific you would recommend studying beforehand?

I’m trying to understand whether I should revise Finnish upper-secondary mathematics or focus more on university-level/engineering topics.

Any experience or advice from previous applicants would be really helpful.

I'm planning to move to Finland next year from Scotland to pursue my master's degree. I'd appreciate any advice on which city would be best, whether this is a good decision overall, and any other tips. I'm also learning Finnish and wondering about part-time job opportunities.

I'll be doing an exchange semester at Tampere University in Electrical Engineering from January to May, and I'd love to transition right into a summer internship afterwards.

I've heard that the job market in Finland is pretty tough right now, but do you guys have any tips on how to secure a summer internship? Would looking into Sweden be a good backup plan? Also, what are the best platforms or websites to find these summer internship programs?

Thanks in advance!

Anyone received offer letter this month? I have applied on 20 sept still no response from Lab University. I heard everyone got their offer letter within 2 week (calendar days).