Change of Geography
Nicholas Craig from the UK came to study at University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Science as an Erasmus exchange student. During the academic year at Kumpula Science Campus, he aims at learning new approaches to his major, geography.
Nic Craig. Photo: Sakari Tolppanen.
Nicholas Craig, 20, is originally from London, UK, and studies geography at University of Exeter. “To me, the most interesting areas of geography are climate change and the environment.”
In his second year at the University, Nic decided to try and gain different perspectives to his major and applied for Erasmus student exchange at University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Science.
“I also wanted to experience a different culture, and I’ve always been interested in travelling to the Nordic Countries,” he says. Also the Finnish education system and the good reputation of University of Helsinki appealed to him.
Now, after five weeks in Finland, Nic feels good about his decision. “I have been welcomed here very well by the tutors and orientation staff. If I have any questions, there is always someone to answer them.”
Nic is going to spend the whole academic year in Helsinki and take a mixture of courses in geology, geography, economics, and Finnish language. “Maybe by the time I leave, I’ll be able to speak a few sentences,” he says laughing.
“During my stay here, I would like to get a slightly different approach to things I’ve studied at home. The emphasis of teaching is different here. I’m also taking this year as an opportunity to study things like economics, which I didn’t get the opportunity to study at my home university.”
Nic is pleased with the opportunities provided to him by the University of Helsinki. “They teach lots of stuff in English, which is obviously really handy for international students.”
The only difficulty he has faced so far is trying to fit the courses into the British university system, where the courses are more extensive, consisting of 15 or 30 credits, compared to the Finnish system where the student’s timetable consists of several courses worth fewer credits.
Nic is part of the Erasmus Student Network that organizes many activities for Erasmus students, but he is even more interested in participating to events that are not only for international students.
“It’s actually nicer to go along to all the Finnish things,” he says and adds that he especially enjoyed ‘fuksiaiset’, the initiation party for first-year students, and other events organized by the several student associations of Kumpula Science Campus.
“If you go to an event where two people don’t speak Finnish, then twenty people will all speak English just so that you can understand.”
Later on, Nic is expecting to experience the coldness of Finnish winter. “I’m looking forward to seeing the contrast between early autumn and what it is going to be like in two or three months when there’s snow and minus 15.”
He is also planning on visiting cities like Stockholm and St. Petersburg in neighbouring countries as well as other parts of Finland. “Everyone says Helsinki is completely different to the rest of Finland. This is an interesting country that varies so much from North to South and East to West.”
After the year in Finland, Nicholas will return to the UK to finish his Bachelor’s Degree. He has not yet made up his mind on whether to pursue Master’s studies, but has already a possible field of career in mind that would combine his interest in the environment and economics. “I’d probably like to go into energy industry.”
This article has been published also on the Admissions & Studies website of University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Science. Visit also Studying at UH site to find out more about the study possibilities at the University of Helsinki.
Elisa Lautala works as web editor for University of Helsinki's Faculty of Science. Elisa likes all kinds of cultural events, good books, warm weather, and aqua-jogging.