Yang Zhilin (centre, green t-shirt) and friends from the BIT

My name is Yang Zhilin. I’m 20 years old from Beijing, China. This is my first time studying alone abroad, and my first time living in Europe. I've lived and studied in Oulu, Finland, for nearly four months already. Thank you for giving me the chance to share my feelings about my stay so far.

Studying in a Nordic country has been a big dream for me since I was young–studying in Finland especially. Finland is to my mind quite traditional among other EU countries. People are conservative and even shy to speak, but when you get in touch with them a while, you’ll find them approachable and kind– and to foreigners.

Finns are more liberal and don’t discriminate on grounds of racial or ethnic origin, another important reason I choose to study in Oulu. I feel at home here. Also, Finland has high-profile, systematic, quality education. Before coming here I’d already heard something about the University of Helsinki and the University of Oulu, which are becoming more and more widely known even among Chinese students. I believe I can get a good education here.

My schedule this first year is full but also, hopefully, realistic. I put school first: I have to finish and get a good credit in each course. This is an important mission for me. Luckily I found the course easier than I’d thought at first. My second plan is to find chances for practical training, not just to earn money but to have the chance to communicate with different people and learn more from them.

Writing here is an opportunity for me too: 65 Degrees publishes articles on many different, interesting topics. At the same time you never feel lonely or anxious working for the team.

My school - the Oulu University of Applied Sciences - has three campuses located in Oulu, Oulainen, and Raahe. My subject is Business Information Technology, or BIT for short; also International Business (IB). I chose International Business because I really feel strongly about it. In recent years Finland has improved and improved its International Business, particularly in trade. I think studying in a country that’s good at your subject is the smart choice.

All the courses are taught in English. The 25 students in the group are friendly in and outside class. Most of the students are Finnish, but the rest, 12, are from China, Canada, Norway, The Ukraine, and Nepal.

Lunch is a highlight of the day for every student. My feeling is that the lunch provided by the school is fabulous. You pay just 1.4€ a time and it’s completely fresh. My favourite is the spicy chicken risotto. Chinese food is totally different than western. Anyway, lunch time makes me excited!

Of course, my feelings about the school are not just based on the delicious lunch. The teachers are lovely here. I love them all. They speak English well and never speak Finnish to us; there are no barriers to communicating with them and there’s never a sense of nervousness taking to them. It makes us feel warm and respected. They’re also quick to give responsibility and even strict sometimes.

During my more than three months of study, I’ve found the two biggest differences between my school here and in my hometown, two obvious characteristics of a Finnish classroom, are more emphasis on self-study and more concentration on teamwork. The teachers will never command you to do anything: the point is what you want to do.

Living in Oulu is quiet and comfortable, though the winter can be gruelling. The streets are clean and the air is fresh. The city is ringed with green. Before I came here, I was very worried and confused about how to apply for accommodation. I didn’t know how it would work, as this is my first time living alone abroad. However, my confusion disappeared when I received the admission offer from my school.

Under it was a booklet about all sorts of useful things a freshman should do first in Oulu, including how to apply for student accommodation. Because of the booklet I successfully contacted the local student housing company, PSOAS, and made a reservation for my room. Where I’m living is very close to my school, just a 10 to 15 minutes walk. How lucky am I!

During school, I often spend my time in the class room and the library. The library is actually very small, but looks pretty warm. When I have free time after class, I always go and sit there. Not only for reading, but also to relax. Outside school I like to do sports, such as basketball, football and running.

Living in Finland, learning Finnish is becoming part of my life. Studying Finnish isn’t as difficult as many people have said. The most important point in studying Finnish is that it depends on your interest and activity. I always carry a mini Finnish dictionary in my pocket in case I misunderstand words somewhere and I’ll write it down in my notebook. I think this is a really good way for a beginner to study Finnish; also talking more with Finns – my class-mates, for instance.

As I said, I feel home at Oulu. I’m glad I made the choice to study here and don’t regret it one bit. I’ve planned that for the next three years I’ll pursue a master’s degree in Europe or the US if possible; achieving an MBA degree has been my goal since I was in middle school. So, God bless us!!