It’s hard to believe, but my time studying abroad is quickly coming to a close. My classes, with the exception of a few essay deadlines, have all but wrapped up. And in just one month’s time I’ll be boarding a plane, heading back to the States. It’s amazing how fast this experience has come and (almost) gone!
Now that I’m no longer buried deep in textbooks and assignments, I’ve been able to take a step back and actually think about all that I have experienced and studied so far. When you’re so focused on school work all the time, it’s easy to forget just how cool of an opportunity it is, studying in another country, in classes you are truly interested in. I for some reason had the bright idea of taking six courses. While the workload was stressful at times, I really did enjoy each of them.
If I had to pick one course that I would call “my favorite” (and I do have to pick one, because that’s this week’s blog topic), I would choose the course called “Introduction to Finnish Education System”. Outside of the actual topics of the course, which I found interesting, the course offered us students the chance to actually visit local schools and see the education system “in action”. It was great to observe classes and pick the brains of both teachers and students about their experiences in the school. Another reason I enjoyed the course so much, was the professor was truly amazing. He was a soft spoken, witty, grand-father like older teacher. Besides his engaging personality, he also had a very interesting background in the world of education, he was even a founding member of a local primary school that based its educational philosophies on his values. It was always interesting to hear his stories, sometimes it didn’t even feel like we were in class!
Taking six courses did have its drawbacks though. There were times the workload got quite intense and I really had to hunker down and focus on my studies. Back at Northeastern, my favorite study spot on campus was always Afterhours. There’s something about a hot cup of coffee and actively blocking out the comings and goings of others that really helped me focus when I needed to get things done. My study habits haven’t changed here! Besides being a good places to study, visiting numerous local coffee shops has been a great way to add some variety to my study environment and see different parts of Helsinki. And, well, coffee is always good too!
