{"id":690,"date":"2011-11-16T14:51:34","date_gmt":"2011-11-16T12:51:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/?p=690"},"modified":"2017-01-04T12:36:23","modified_gmt":"2017-01-04T10:36:23","slug":"helsinki-summer-school-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/summerschoolsblog\/2011\/11\/16\/helsinki-summer-school-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Helsinki Summer School Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

During August 2011 Desiree Daniels attended the Helsinki Summer School; here is her report:<\/p>\n

Leading up to the school: \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am completing my MPhil in Management Coaching, and while a student at SU I was eligible to apply for the exchange programme.\u00a0 I thought this would be a great opportunity to extend my experience as a student as this may be my last chance to qualify.\u00a0 After considering various exchange programmes offered by SU, I opted to do the course on Inter-organisational Relations offered at the Helsinki Summer School (HSS) as this was a keen interest of mine.\u00a0 The partnership arrangement is that fees and accommodation costs are covered.\u00a0 In addition to this, I was very fortunate to qualify for a travel bursary.\u00a0 So the only expenses I had was my food and entertainment.\u00a0 This sounded too good to be true as without this scholarship I would not have been able to pursue this route.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In April, when I was accepted at HSS and my travel bursary was approved, I immediately started making arrangements as this opportunity would also afford me the chance to pursue another dream I had which was do join a friend to do the Camino de Santiago in Spain.\u00a0 So I made the necessary bookings and arranged my Schengen visa.\u00a0 As I was going to spend a few more days on Finland than Spain, I had to apply to the Finnish Embassy for my visa and since not many South African\u2019s go to Finland, the application process was quick and easy \u2013 no long queues.<\/p>\n

Before I left, I had to complete my first assignment and to do so I had to order a text book which took about 14 days arrive.\u00a0 I was very pleased that I had allowed sufficient time for this.\u00a0 So with my assignment sent off, and my MPhil research report in 2nd draft, I was all set to leave on 20 July 2011.<\/p>\n

An Experience of a Life Time<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Now doing the camino was an experience of a life time.\u00a0 I followed the French Way, and walked 285 km over 11 days to Santiago de Compostela.\u00a0 I had lots of time to think and experience different things \u2013 beauty, silence, my shadow, perseverance, aching muscles, no worries, new ideas about life, the wonder of feeling rejuvenated after a few hours of rest, and then ready to get up and go the next day.\u00a0 I met all kinds of people, stayed in a variety of places, saw different scenery, ate interesting food \u2013 all on a budget of around R200 per day.<\/p>\n

Of course one of the concerns I had about Finland was the language.\u00a0 However, while I did not meet any Finns on the camino, I met a few Swedes and Germans who had been to Finland and who assured me that the Finnish speak English very well.\u00a0 I also learnt a bit about the country from speaking to various people.\u00a0 So going to Spain beforehand was useful in that it also helped me to orientate myself to going to bed when the sun is still shining, cars driving on the right hand side of the road, using good public transport, lots of walking and giving way to cyclists as we had to share the paths on the camino with numerous cyclists.\u00a0 After spending the last few days in a bustling Madrid, I left for Helsinki which also helped to shorten my journey and lessen the jetlag.\u00a0 By now I was ready to get my brain working again and I was excited about having a completely different experience in Helsinki.<\/p>\n

In Helsinki: <\/strong><\/p>\n

On arrival in Helsinki, I took a taxi to Pihlajamaki (fondly referred to \u2018pijama\u2019 like \u2018pyjamas\u2019) where I was to stay.\u00a0 There I was welcomed by a HSS representative and taken to my apartment.\u00a0 I had a spacious apartment with a bathroom and kitchenette, so I was self-contained.\u00a0 I was advised that if I needed food I would have to rush to get to the local supermarket just down the road before closing time.\u00a0 Fortunately I took a sleeping bag with me as there was no linen.\u00a0 I was one of the fortunate one to have a pillow and crockery and cutlery in my apartment \u2013 enough to share with fellow students who had none.<\/p>\n

Helsinki is a land of contrasts \u2013 green gold (forests) and water and Nokia \u2013 that is very expensive.\u00a0 Helsinki appears to be quite laid back since there are not many people around except of course at the train stations.\u00a0 Certainly no traffic jams to contend with.\u00a0 For at least the 1st week, I found myself walking in the cycling lane on many occasions.\u00a0 And they really speak English very well as a 3rd language or higher.
\nThe Finns live a healthy lifestyle with lots of walking, cycling and suana.\u00a0 Their diets include lots of brown rice, rye bread and little or no salt.\u00a0 Recycling is very prominent.\u00a0 Being a student qualifies you for many special deals.\u00a0 I met a few Finns who were busy with their 2nd Masters degrees \u2013 each taking around seven years since they work part-time.<\/p>\n

I had been in touch with the other South African students who were coming to Helsinki beforehand so we agreed to meet up \u2013 it was really nice finding out a bit about them before the welcome ceremony.\u00a0 The registration went smoothly and we were all invited to attend the welcome ceremony which was quite emotional event as over 400 students from over 60 countries stood up when the name of their country was called out.\u00a0 After the cocktail party where we had a great opportunity to meet fellow students, we were all set to start our official study programme, at different campuses throughout Helsinki, the next day.
\nI<\/p>\n

arrived at the Hanken School of Economics early and keen to start.\u00a0 We were 12 students attending the Introduction to Inter-organisational Relations course.\u00a0 The three German MBA students were doing the course as their foreign elective.\u00a0 Then we also had another German, two Russians, a Spaniard working in Rwanda, a guy from Turkey, one from Italy and one from Japan, and someone from the Caribbean.\u00a0 Our ages ranged from 20 to over 50.\u00a0 The course was certainly interesting and I was exposed to a new vocabulary and many new insights after applying the theory to our case studies.\u00a0 I found that it was the older students who were a lot more engaging around the course content probably due to our work and life experience.\u00a0 However, the younger people in the class had some interesting views but they were not very participative.\u00a0 My experience of the course itself was that it was very basic and the quality was average compared to what I believe we would have offered back home \u2013 but it all really depends on the lecturer.\u00a0 We had no exams but we had many assignments to complete while there for two and a half weeks.<\/p>\n

The Social Programme that formed part of the HSS was absolutely stunning.\u00a0 We were exposed to a variety of interesting activities to introduce us to Helsinki and life in Finland.\u00a0 We went on a city tour, a wild life excursion to a lake where we canoed, picked berries and used the sauna.\u00a0 We played Molkky \u2013 a tournament which my team won.\u00a0 We did Nordic walking, Finnish dancing and went on a Baltic dinner cruise, amongst other things.\u00a0 Many of the activities offered food as an incentive which was well received.\u00a0 Since it got dark late at night, there was also enough time to do other things such as visit museums, markets, clubs, restaurants, etc.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I even joined a few students from my class and went by ferry to Tallin in Estonia \u2013 what a beautiful old town \u2013 no wonder it was awarded the title of The Culture Capital of Europe for 2011.
\nWe met up with a Finnish student currently studying at Stellenbosch university as well as students who would be commencing their studies here next year.\u00a0 It was interesting to hear their views since they were very excited about studying in S.A.\u00a0 I also visited a Finnish family for dinner one night so I was quite spoilt while really getting closer to their way of life.<\/p>\n

Back home<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Before I knew it, my time was up and I had to pack up to return home.\u00a0 By now I was ready to dump my sleeping bag and get back home to my daughter.\u00a0 It took me about a day and a bit to catch up with what was happening back home.\u00a0 I also had to quickly get back into work mode and to focus on my research report as the next deadline was looming.
\nI am always amazed at how swiftly one can get back into things, especially old habits.\u00a0 As life would have it, I was very blessed to arrive home in time to spend a few hours with a close family member before she passed away.
\nSo, my Helsinki trip was a wonderful opportunity to gain new insights, meet new people, experience many different cultures, learn a new vocabulary, see places, learn more about theoretical perspectives pertaining to inter-organisational relations, get to know myself and broaden my horizons.\u00a0 It also allowed me to be rejuvenated and come back to look at my research through new lenses.\u00a0 Thank you Stellenbosch University for making this happen for me!!!
\nAnd the cycle of life continues!<\/p>\n

Tips<\/strong>
\nSome tips which may be useful to future students
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0It is advisable to arrive a few days before the start of the programme to familiarise yourself with the place, maps and public transport system since you either have to walk, use the public transport or cycle as many, many people do.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0When booking your flights, make sure you know what else you plan to do either before or after the trip since an opportunity like this does not come easily, and to change certain cheap tickets afterwards is pricey.\u00a0 While I chose to fit in a holiday and do sight-seeing before the HSS, many other students added on a few days, and even weeks, afterwards to do sight-seeing and catch up with friends.\u00a0 If you can, then at least stay for the weekend since they tend to have many festivals at this time of year.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0The transport system in Helsinki is highly efficient and service orientated.\u00a0 If you purchase a transport ticket make sure you know how best you can use it to get the full value out of it, e.g. you can use it on all buses, trams and trains, as well as on the ferry to the sea fortress \u2013 very worthwhile visiting.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Before rushing to shops on arrival to purchase a LAN cable etc. check what is available in the room, e.g. I found a LAN cable.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Engage fully in the academic programme in order to gain maximum value from it.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Also attend as many social programme activities as this trip is a lot more than just studying.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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