Adventures in Lapland
Earlier you could read about different topics in the English Pages such as the introduction of foreign Erasmus students or some interesting facts regarding the history of our university. So far, we have not written about our fellow students’ participation in Erasmus programs. Not long ago, 3 Hungarian students shared their experiences and memories with our interested audience about their stay in Finland. They spent their last semester in Rovaniemi, which is the biggest city in Finnish Lapland, apart from being the official hometown of Santa Claus. Two students, András Klopfer and Dániel Hutvágner told some Finnish stories about their adventures.
András explained that he has always planned to spend a semester abroad since he had started his studies in 2010, and he finally made the decision last winter. He always wanted to go somewhere in the North that’s why he chose Rovaniemi in Finland. He revealed that Veszprém and Rovaniemi are twin-towns and they have very good relations. Several students from each city spend exchange semesters in the other city. Before applying, he asked around some students who were there in the previous years and they all recommended him to take the opportunity to go to Rovaniemi. As there wasn’t any specific course for environmental engineering students, he applied to a special non-degree program called Artic Studies Programme. It is taught by the university in cooperation with a local research institute called Arctic Centre and it offered a wide range of courses about local issues. He observed a lot of differences in the education system of Hungary and Finland, e.g. the structure of the academic year. In Finland, there is no exam period because you are expected to pass the exams during the semester. Throughout his stay he lived in an apartment in Kuntotie which is a small place with 2 buildings and almost 200 exchange students. A lot of events, trips and parties were organized there and it was impossible to be bored. In addition to this, he travelled with his neighbors to Northern-Lapland, Lofoten Islands, and Nordkapp, too. He recommends this exchange program to everyone who would like to meet other students from all over the world, learn languages, or live abroad for a while because an Erasmus semester is always special.
Dániel, the other student, had a little bit different motivation when he decided to spend a semester abroad. Primarily, he wanted to experience the ‘plus’ that is given when somebody study abroad. Although he enjoyed being a student in Veszprém, at that time he did not have a lot to look forward to. As a young man, who will suddenly leave the university with a diploma, he was confused about the immediate future. He did not have any specific plan for the coming years, but he hoped that an Erasmus semester could help him decide and give him useful impulses. He also choose Finland and as he said he did not get disappointed. He gained experience about many things such as the Northern Lights from his window, education in the nature, sauna in the student hostel, practical knowledge about reining reindeers or meeting with the real Santa Claus. He also participated in trips as longs as he could afford it. He realised that the amount of the scholarship offered by the Erasmus program was not enough for everything. He had to complete it every month, but he said that it was due to the lifestyle. He explained that less costly places also exist, so everybody can find the best for him or her. All in all, according to Dániel, it is worth to spend a certain amount of time abroad because it helped to improve self-dependence, neatness and readiness for life before leaving the safety of the university. So, he advised to participate in Erasmus programs because it can give unique experience and unforgettable memories.
If you would like to know more about Erasmus possibilities you can find further information on the official website of the university, or personally from the officers of the International Mobility Office in building ‘A’.
