Zili Gao

What international experience did you go on, and why did you choose it?

I did a semester exchange at Aalto University in Finland. Aalto offered the courses I needed for my degree, and Finland is an amazing country with a unique culture and the highest rated education levels in the world. Helsinki, the capital, has a world class infrastructure and history. 

How did you find your experience?

I loved it. Finland gets a lot of snow during the winter, which was definitely a new experience. The Finnish summer is also worth looking forward to – that’s when Finland’s nature really goes on show. My course load was manageable, so I was able to take the time and truly experience living in a big European city.

What did you like most about living in Finland?

Everywhere I went had great public transport options. I found Helsinki’s to be the best, but I also went to other countries like Poland, Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark. It was especially useful because I lived on the west side of Helsinki and all my friends lived on the east, but the system made it easy for me to go over to them and hang out.

What was your course load like? 

Exchange students normally take a full course load of 30 ECTS, which is equivalent to 60 points at UC. This would consist of five courses; in the January to June spring semester, this would be spread across three 7-week periods. However, because I took summer school in NZ in my first year, I only took four courses (worth 24 ECTS), and I split it across the first two periods. Summer school really helped me lighten my load.

How did you find your courses, lecturers, classmates, and the facilities?

Classes were small, which made it easy to talk to the lecturers. Some of my lecturers were quite well established and discussed their real-world working experience, which was really cool. I took some master’s courses, so my classmates were a varied bunch. It was great meeting new people for group projects. One of them was even a pilot for Finnair, so during the week he’d fly Finnair’s Helsinki to Paris route and then come to class!

The facilities were amazing. The university has its own underground metro station as well as a light rail station and a bunch of bus stops. Finland also has lots of student restaurants where you can get a full, big meal for only 2.95 euros. That was an absolute godsend for me. 

What were your accommodation arrangements?

I applied with an organisation called HOAS, which provides accommodation for students in the Helsinki metropolitan area. All the exchange students I knew – and most of the Finnish friends I made – were staying at HOAS apartments. I lived in an apartment with two other exchange students.

How did you find life at your host university and in Finland?

Aalto’s buildings and facilities were nice and modern, and there were always plenty of events happening to keep you occupied. Finland was on the more expensive side compared to some other European countries but the cheap food at the student restaurants helped a lot. Overall, Finland is a nice modern country to live in with great infrastructure. 

What useful insights did you gain from your experience?

For me, the most educational part about the whole experience was actually planning the exchange and what I would do while over there. Having to arrange everything around timings, visa requirements, accommodation, and transport taught me a lot about how the world works and the steps you have to take if you want to travel. This taught me to plan ahead and become a more meticulous person, which will no doubt be useful in any job.

How do you think the international experience will help you in the future?

Growing up, travelling by plane was rare for me. I always thought of it as super expensive and reserved special for occasions. And then I went to Europe and hopped on a plane every few weeks. This experience opened my eyes and taught me how I react in a completely unfamiliar environment where I don't know anybody, and I feel it has also helped me mature and prepare for my next phase of life.

Would you recommend other students take part in your international experience?

Of course! In the name of transparency, the exchange did stretch my finances. But whenever I start complaining about how much I spent, I try to calculate how much the experience was worth. I think of the things I experienced, the places I went to, and the friends I made and realise that I can’t calculate a figure because it was priceless.

Any tips for future students?

Be on top of everything, do your research, and start saving ASAP.