Europe
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How Studying in Finland had an Impact
By Ria Mair, University of Helsinki, Finland Learning about different cultures Through my social circle, I learned a lot about different cultures during my year abroad. In the first semester, my friendship group consisted of people from various countries, and so we hosted a ‘bring your own dish night’. I had the opportunity of trying French quiche, Dutch ‘Poffertjes’ and even a New Zealand ‘mousetrap’. Beyond food, I became aware of other cultural differences. For example, when listening to music with my friends, I was introduced to different genres, and now I have a more broadened taste in the arts. I learned about different structures of language, as my French…
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A must do Nordic trip – hiking in Lofoten
By Ria Mair, University of Helsinki, Finland The Lofoten Islands, a beautiful archipelago located above the Arctic Circle in Norway, was the most breathtaking and fulfilling trip of my study abroad in Helsinki… The Cabin in Kabelvaag My home for the trip was a cosy little cabin right by the sea, which was perfect for a trip of long and exhausting hikes. I shared the place with my good friend from the University of Helsinki, and three other exchange students that I did not know – my little family for the next week! Showering, cooking and resting in the cottage became the prize after each day of physically pushing ourselves…
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The Best Eats of Helsinki
By Ria Mair, University of Helsinki, Finland Sushi Buffet Something all tourists should do when visiting Helsinki is try a sushi buffet. There are several dotted around the city, and all are delicious. With fresh seafood from the Baltic Sea, and plenty of vegetarian options, it is the perfect tourist spot. The nature of Finland is that the country is very trusting, and sushi buffets are an excellent depiction of that: you can trust that everyone will be respectful and tidy up after themselves. Although many things in Helsinki can be expensive, in comparison to the UK, sushi is one thing that is loads more affordable in Finland – and…
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An Insider’s Guide to Activities in Finland
By Ria Mair, University of Helsinki, Finland Walks + Hikes Around Helsinki, there are plenty of scenic walks to go on. My favourite one was from the harbour by the Market Hall, and then along the rocky coast until the beach. During Winter, along this walk, you would come across outdoor ice-skating rinks and Christmas lights. I preferred Helsinki in Summer, watching the sunset from the coast, watching people play volleyball at the beach and seeing more happy faces about. Just outside Helsinki, in Vantaa, was Nuuksio Park – an expansive hiking spot. When friends and family from home came to visit me, I always took them to Nuuksio, an…
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a complete guide to: KONINGSDAG (king’s day)
a blog by Chiamaka 🎀(Universiteit van Amsterdam in the Netherlands) The city is fully recovered from King’s Day celebrations this past April 27th. The streets were filled with orange, the sun was shining and speakers were blasting. In this blog I will prepare you for the most anticipated bank holiday of the year. It is a annual bank holiday celebrating the Dutch monarch’s birthday. It was originally Queen’s Day (the Netherlands had a queen for 123 years), but the current monarch is a man. People take to the streets for parades, festivals and markets, and the streets are decorated in orange. People also celebrate King’s Night the day before. There are…
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Saariselkä, Lapland trip – spotting the northern lights three times!
By Ria Mair, University of Helsinki, Finland A must-do trip while studying at the University of Helsinki is to visit the beautiful northernmost region of Finland, Lapland. Experiencing the expansive snowy landscapes, Arctic wildlife, and cosiness of my cabin made the trip once in a lifetime, filled with joyful memories. 17 hours travelling… The journey there is one I’ll never forget. 17 long hours, tucked up in my thermals amongst a busy coach full of excited exchange students, waiting for the hours to pass and reach Lapland. Along the way, we made several stops at service stations, which all had that functional Nordic feel. Every station came with a massive…
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Learning A Third Language in My Second on My Year Abroad: First Impressions
By Miranda Dreisin, (Universität Leipzig, Germany) I grew up only speaking English in an area where a lot of other people spoke another language fluently at home, and I distinctly remember from childhood wishing I were able to do the same. I was put in a German class in Year 7, and really enjoyed it, and by the time I was 16, being able to be proficient in another language was very important to me. I thus chose A-Level German, and at 18, decided to carry that passion through to degree level. Three years later, I am now studying in Germany, where having learnt another language from scratch is hardly…
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Manchester vs ELTE: A Comparison of Teaching Styles
Nadine Brachi – ELTE University, Budapest As a preliminary point, I would like to emphasise that this blog post is not criticising either university and is instead intended as an interesting comparison of culture and education. Having now studied at ELTE for two semesters, the sometimes subtle, sometimes not‑so‑subtle differences in how law is taught here versus at Manchester have been very intriguing. Although I am an Erasmus student, an experience which might well have me living through rose‑tinted glasses, the observations I have made regarding variations in teaching styles, student attitudes (both held and expressed), as well as assessment procedures, offer a perspective that may be of use to…
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Returning to the Bloc: Student Life in One of Leipzig’s GDR Plattenbaus
By Miranda Dreisin, (Universität Leipzig, Germany) Living in Leipzig means living among history – and in my case, inside it – in an apartment block defined by the housing policies of communist East Germany. My block belongs to a type of housing called Plattenbau, roughly translating to a prefabricated building or an industrial apartment block. For decades, Leipzig stood on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain, shaped by the socialist policies of the German Democratic Republic. When I chose to spend my year abroad here, it was a choice influenced by my desire to better understand the history that is strongly written into the city. Leipzig’s Communist Past From…
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Travelling Hungary: Day Trips to Escape the Capital
By Nadine, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary Existing as one of Europe’s most vibrant capitals, Budapest is often remembered for its prosecco cruises and ruin bars. What if I told you however, some of Hungary’s most memorable experiences lie just beyond it. From historic cities to hidden gorges, these day trips offer an ideal escape from what can be an intense capital-centric lifestyle. Esztergom: perfect for history lovers Once the old capital of Hungary, Esztergom is a beautiful city located approximately 46km north of Budapest. Taking the direct Z72 train from Budapest’s Nyugati train station, the hour-long journey passes through towns including Pilisjászfalu and Piliscsaba. I was lucky enough…
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spreek je nederlands ? (do you speak dutch?)
a blog by Chiamaka 🎀 (Universiteit van Amsterdam in the Netherlands) In this blog, I will hopefully clear up your language concerns. You don’t need to speak Dutch. That’s the simple answer. I only know a little. Since every internet source I consulted said that everyone speaks English, I assumed that everything (street signs, ingredients etc) would have small print in English too. Imagine my surprise on my first trip to Lidl when NOTHING was in English. Obviously this makes sense – it’s a foreign country duh – but hopefully I’ll save you some shock. Some ingredient lists have it in French too (Belgian influence), which was my saving grace…
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Prague in Winter: The Best Things to See and Do
By Miranda Dreisin (Universität Leipzig, Germany) One of the best things about living in Central Europe is how easy it is to travel – often on a whim, and usually without much hassle. Last month, I planned myself a very last minute weekend trip to Prague, which is only around 3 hours drive from Leipzig, Germany where I am currently studying. I took a cheap FlixBus before sunrise, and woke up having already arrived in the Czech Republic. I’d only visited Prague once before, and that was in summer, so I was curious to see how to make the most of a winter visit in just two days. I unfortunately…
