What's the music scene like? (I heard metal is actually mainstream) Are the people nice? Is it really expensive everywhere, or are there areas that are less expensive? Is it dangerous or depressing? Is it hard to meet other people? Do others also understand English or would I need to learn fluent Finnish? Is it hard to get a job for a college student with not too much experience? Anything else I would need to know? If you live/visit Finland could you please tell me what you thought of it and if you think it would be a good idea for me to move to Finland for college.
Other - Europe - 4 Answers
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1 :
Sorry. I live in Colorado.
2 :
Hi.. Music scene? from one side to another.. the metal scene is quite heavy. Are people nice? depends from the people. Generally yes but not always. are there less expensive areas? Not really. Obviously the Helsinki district is expensive. Is it dangerous to wonder off to sahara or the grate wild in northern America? yes. pass out outside winter time and your dead. wonder off to wilderness and your in big trouble. how ever, our safety net is quite substantial. Depressing? That depends from a person. If you can cope long times without sunlight then your probably ok. otherwise the extra vitamin D would be in order. It gets dark here in the winter times (3-4 hours of sunlight per day). It is not hard to meet people, but it might be a bit hard to make friends with the locals, we are a private bunch. How ever once known is known and that's that etc... Most of us understand English to a degree. Especially the younger folks, but you would certainly do your self a favor by learning some basic Finnish. (we don't have english sings). Fluent Finnish we do not expect you to handle. our language is not indoeuropean (like English, Swedish or German). It's quite hard to master. Most people will expect you to speak english.. and that's not because of your language skill but because they want to be efficient.. We do not "chitchat" that much. but most people will help if asked. Jobs are rare without experience. We have some unemployment and its not rare to see someone with masters degree to do what in other countries would be considered "mundane work" for such a degree. If you are okay with the fact that your trash driver is on your level in society how ever far you manage to get. Then your homing in to the right place. Vanity we usually despise. Snobs we abhor. otherwise welcome. :)
3 :
Greetings from a genuine Finn! Not bad at all to live here I think, though then again I'm not mainstream as I don't like heavy metal music that much (in fact not at all)! People here should be nice, especially in the summertime, though there are some grumpy ones around as well (well, they are everywhere anyway). Many Finns do drink too heavily and may get aggressive, but most of the time it is safe to be out and about here. Though common sense is always wise to have! As around 90% of all schoolchildren choose English as their first foreign (compulsory) language, English is spoken and understood quite well across the country, so one should not have any problems to be understood, except when discussing with older (60+) people. But it doesn't harm you to learn some Finnish words just in case...! As the economical downturn is still upon us in Europe, it is not very easy for foreign people to get a study place/job over here though, but never say never!
4 :
I think you're right, that metal is a lot more mainstream, but there are other concerts going on, too. I've noticed more Finnish folky-indie stuff coming out recently, so there are alternatives! I think a lot of bigger acts tour there in the summer. The people are extremely helpful--anytime I had a question, whoever I asked made sure it was well taken care of, so nice for sure in those terms. I wouldn't say it's a "friendly" place in that people will not smile at you on the street or start up small talk while waiting for the bus. YOU have to make that effort, which can be kind of intimidating (I'm kind of shy and hate to think I might be bothering someone!) Nearly everyone speaks a very high level of English--it is so easy to get around. If you do make the effort to learn Finnish, I've heard it's much easier to make friends. However, when I tried to practice what I learned in class at the store, people always answered in English and continued so I finally gave up trying to learn :\ Many universities offer lots of classes in English or at least the exams, too. I'm not sure about the job market...I think everywhere is difficult right now, and if you don't speak Finnish, I think most places are much less likely to hire you unless it is specifically for international dealings (which they are perfectly capable of handling themselves with their English skills, so you should be otherwise very highly qualified!) It is a gorgeous country with a really interesting history. If you go, I think you will enjoy learning the culture, it's a rewarding thing to unlock! I want very badly to go back and work or at least visit for longer! I loved studying there, it is a really wonderful place to discover! I lived in Tampere--Helsinki is much livelier with lots more variety, and Turku is supposed to have wonderful history (I never made it!) and there are lots of other lovely towns. I encourage you to go! lots of exciting design (my interest) and definitely on the forefront in lots of things like engineering and technology.
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