Hey, My name is Paul. I’m from France, and I’m studying law in Grenoble. I’m in Lapland for one year of Erasmus, and I really enjoy living here. Studies at the University of Lapland is really different from home, and I’m glad I discovered this country and this new way of studying. (Paul was a exchange student in Lapland during 2020-2021)
First impression of Lapland
I was really excited and in the same time, really impatient to arrive and discover how will be my new place of living for the next 10 month. I was impressed by the nature everywhere, the mix between the forest and the water of the river, the impression to be in the middle of the nature. I was really not expecting such nature close to the city and the airport.
Reason to chose Lapland for studies
I had the choice between England, Spain or Lapland, but while I’m from France, it’s “easy” for me to go in Spain or United Kingdom for holidays. So, I told myself that this would surely be the only opportunity I would have to spend so much time in a country that I don’t know at all, and that I dream of visiting. I was also thinking that it was a good way to discover close countries as Sweden or Norway. I already accrossed in many part of Finland and especially in Lapland. I discovered many wilderness places, and I travelled to Norway !
The functioning of the university is really different from that of the university in France. First of all, the contact with the teachers is much more important than in France. Here, the professors are available, listening, and we feel really helped in our studies. Moreover, the grading is not the same and the fact that you can redo an assignment that you would have missed is a mentality that I like very much, very different from that of French universities. Here, the feeling of going to university to learn new subjects more than “to succeed” is much more present!
Living in the arctic circle
I had a little trouble getting used to the nights getting longer and longer starting in October. It has had a huge effect on my morale, but I really appreciate the Arctic winter, as well as the beautiful scenery, the animals, and the experiences you can have here.
Most of my day I work on my classes at the university, eat at the university restaurant, and then I go home. Then it depends on the day, sometimes I go ice-skating, some afternoons I like to walk on the frozen lake or go up to Ounasvarra. Some evenings I drink a few beers with my friends and talk about everything and nothing. The most interesting things are the studies and functionnement of university, the landscapes and the countless number of hike to do through Lapland, but also, in this particular year, the sanitary situation really safer compared to France. This year I have learned the importance of nature and that it belongs to everyone. But also, that the world is huge and that I still have a lot of new cultures to discover. Because I have discovered and learned about the workings of Finnish culture, its history and heritage, which was unknown to me until then.
Best experience in Lapland
My most beautiful experience is a hike I did in the Pallas- Yllästunturi National Park. Two days two hike with one night spent in an open hunt, with four other friends, in the middle of the clear and snowy landscapes of Northern Lapland. We even had the chance to observe aurora borealis at night. An incredible experience! For me Lapland is a place where people are in contact and have a great respect for nature. Where animals are respected, at their true value. But also a place where different cultures and traditions are mixed. In short, a place where it is good to live.
Corona Days in Lapland
Coming to Lapland was a real relief for me compared to France, where the health situation is very bad. In August, when I arrived, I went from a very restrictive country where the situation was getting worse, after having spent 4 months in confinement, to arrive in Finland, where I could meet people from all over the world, go walking in nature, party, make several trips and live crazy experiences. So I was not sensibly impacted by the health situation, except for wearing the mask at the university, which honestly is not a superhuman effort. And when the restrictions became stricter, we as students took our responsibilities.
The protection of nature and the desire to travel more and more, to discover new places as beautiful as Lapland.
⇐ By Claudia Martens/ Visit Lapland ⇒
