Follow the jump links to learn more about Finland:
Lifestyle and Family Living
Teen Life
Dress and Appearance
Diet and Meals
Educational System
Geography and Climate
Population
Language
Government
Religion
Spending Money
Safety and Support
Fun FactsLifestyle and Family Living
Finns tend to be perceived as shy and reserved at first, but as you get to know them they show themselves to be warm, affectionate, gracious and open-minded. They maintain high ideals of loyalty and reliability, and they appreciate good manners, respect for others and punctuality. Family life is important.
There is lots of interaction within Finnish families. It is normal for both parents to work, and it is common for everyone to share the daily chores. Plan on making your bed and keeping your room in order. Teenagers are normally brought up to be independent about making decisions for themselves and to be responsible for their actions.
Most Finnish families are busy during the week and do not always spend a lot of time together. You will probably have a weekday curfew and a later one on weekends, and the family will expect you to keep them informed of your whereabouts and activities. Let them know if you will not be home when expected.
Most AFSers are placed in small towns and rural areas. Finnish host families, like all AFS host families worldwide, are volunteers and are not paid. They open their homes to students in order to share their community and culture as well as to enrich their own family lives.Teen Life
As an exchange student, you will live a normal Finnish life, with homework to do and not much free time on weekdays. Some schools offer photography, computer sciences, drama, sports and language clubs, which may take up some of your time.
Finns spend their free time in a variety of ways. If you participate with your exchange family in its interests and activities, go for walks, visit the excellent local libraries, meet friends, and get involved in after-school activities, you will enjoy yourself and feel at home.
On weekends, teenagers like to go to movies, discos and parties, and those with driver’s licenses like to go driving. Much of the time, young people go around in groups of girls and boys, meeting at popular places for socializing. If you go out on a date, it is not polite to let your date pay for everything. Normally daters pay for themselves.
Students are usually invited to join school trips, community and regional events (e.g., festivals) and to give presentations about their own countries.
Finns love sports such as camping, swimming, jogging, bicycling, skiing, basketball and ice hockey.
Saunas are a traditional way for people in Scandinavia to relax. One thing to keep in mind is that Finns, like their Nordic neighbors, tend to be liberal and open-minded, and those who take saunas typically do so naked, even when both genders are present.Dress and Appearance
Finns tend to dress casually. Teenagers like T-shirts, jeans, shorts (in the summer), sweats and sweaters. Most girls wear pants instead of skirts.
On special occasions more formal dress is expected: for women a dress or blouse and skirt; for men a jacket, slacks and tie.
Clothes tend to be expensive in Finland, so it might be a good idea to bring with you what you need.Diet and Meals
Everyday food tends to be simple but nutritious, and meal times are less formal than in some other countries. The Finnish diet is based on meat, fish, potatoes, pasta, bread and dairy products.
Vegetables in the northern climate tend to be seasonal. Although vegetarianism is not rare, vegetarians are difficult to place.
Coffee is a favorite beverage, even among teenagers. Salads and smorgasbord are popular.
Lunch at school is served around noon and is free and usually quite healthy. At dinner time, if family members are on conflicting schedules, each person warms up his or her own food, perhaps in the microwave. On weekends, many families live a more communal life and often dine together.Educational System
The education system in Finland is composed of comprehensive schools, upper secondary schools, vocational and professional education institutions and universities. Compulsory education consists of a free nine-year comprehensive school starting when students reach the age of seven. Students may continue their studies either in upper secondary schools, in vocational institutes or in commercial colleges. Some pupils enter working life after completing comprehensive school.
Upper secondary school is academically oriented and about 50% of the age group attends it. Most upper secondary schools are run by the municipality and only a few by the state or privately. A nationwide student exam is taken after three years of upper secondary school and is usually required for entry into a university. Most AFS students are placed in the first or second class of upper secondary school, because final year students must concentrate on studying for this exam.
Most subjects are compulsory, but there are also elective courses that are worth looking into. You should have at least 25 hours of school per week. You will have several subjects, but you will engage in intensive study of only a few of them at a time, then continue on to other subjects. This is because the school year is divided into five or six terms, and the weekly schedule is different during each term.
Subjects offered by Finnish schools are: Finnish and Swedish, foreign languages – English, German, French and Russian (some schools also offer Latin, Spanish and Italian) – mathematics and physics (basic and advanced), chemistry, biology, psychology, history, physical education and student counseling.
All teaching, with the exception of foreign languages, is done in Finnish or Swedish. In the beginning, you may find it hard to follow, but as you learn more of the language, school will become less challenging, so be patient!
School begins in mid-August and ends in the beginning of June at the latest.
School is free and AFS will pay for the traveling costs to and from school if you must use public transportation. Schoolbooks, however, are expensive, and because you will need each book for only a short time, you should try to borrow schoolbooks from your host siblings, your contact teacher, the library or the AFS office. If, however, you need to buy some books, AFS Finland will purchase them for you. Other school supplies (such as pencils and notebooks) as well as the class photo you will have to pay for yourself. Schools do not require uniforms.
While it may be possible to obtain academic credit for the coursework you successfully complete abroad, AFS cannot guarantee this. Please discuss your plans with your school before you go abroad.
Geography and Climate
Finland is located in Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden, Russia and Norway.
Archipelago Finland begins in the southwestern coastal waters and ends in the Aland Islands. Coastal Finland is a band of clay plains extending from Russia to the Swedish border. Seldom exceeding a width of 100 kilometers, plains slope upward to a central plateau with an interior lake district. This core region contains more than 55,000 lakes set within country’s densest forests. Rising above the central plateau, upland Finland extends into Lapland, where forests gradually yield to the harsh arctic climate. Above the timber line are barren sections of land and numerous bogs. Upland Finland is crossed by country’s largest and longest rivers.
The climate of Finland is relatively mild considering Finland’s proximity to the Arctic Circle. This is due to the influence of the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic Drift currents moderate temperatures somewhat; though winter still lasts up to seven months in the north, and most years the Gulfs of Finland and Bothnia freeze, making icebreakers necessary for shipping. Long days in summer permit farming far to the north. Continental weather systems can bring warm summer temperatures and severe cold spells during the winter.
In Helsinki, late June and July are the brightest and warmest time of year, with 20 hours of daylight and an average temperature of 17C° (64°F).
Population
The population numbers about five million. Helsinki is the capital and principal city.
Language
Ninety-three percent of the population speaks Finnish, a language that has common roots with Estonian and Hungarian. Swedish is also an official language, and both are spoken in bilingual areas.
Government
Finland is a western parliamentary democracy. The President is elected for six years by popular vote and appoints a cabinet. The 200 members of the legislature serve four-year terms. Finland has maintained political neutrality with the major political powers and is on good terms with both the East and the West. Finland became a member of the European Union in 1995.
Religion
The majority (82%) of Finns belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, but churchgoing does not always play a big role in family life. Freedom of religion is important to the Finns; you should feel free to worship as you wish.
Spending Money
The Euro is the official currency in Finland.
Your program and country information packet (provided in the months prior to your departure) will give you an idea of how much spending money is appropriate and whether you should arrive with any amount of the local currency in hand.
Host families pay only for ordinary family events in which you are expected to participate. When you do such things as shopping for yourself or going out with friends, the expenses are your responsibility. Depending on the cost of living in your host country, we recommend you budget about $100-$300 per month. (For the Short Summer Homestay Program, we suggest you budget at least $300 – $400.)
Remember: never travel with large amounts of cash. Instead, bring travelers checks or follow the advice in the country and program information packet. Another option for obtaining money while overseas is to use a debit card linked to a checking account back home (but try not to use a debit card for daily purchases since there are ATM and currency exchange fees). Or, you can transfer money using wiring services such as Western Union.
You and your parents should determine a budget and preferred money transfer plan before you depart so that you are not caught without spending money while abroad.
Be conscientious of your spending since conspicuous consumption may not be viewed favorably and spending more than your peers and family may create a distance between you and them.
Safety and Support
AFS has the utmost concern for the welfare, safety, and security of our participants. We’ve been exchanging participants throughout the world for 60 years—that’s six decades of history and experience in international education with an exemplary record of safety, security, and service.
AFS maintains a network of experienced staff and trained volunteers who provide support in each country. In the event of an emergency, 24-hour assistance is available to students, their parents, and the host families. Furthermore, your AFS tuition includes comprehensive medical insurance coverage to ensure that medical care is available to our participants anywhere in the world and at all times.
While we have the above support structures in place, we also encourage you to take responsibility for your own safety and we give you the guidance to do so. Many of the AFS orientation activities, both at home and abroad, are intended to give you the tools to stay safe. We also provide country-specific safety tips to each participant prior to departure.
Learn more about the AFS safety and support network.
Fun Facts
- Ten percent of Finland’s territory is constituted by lakes, which number more than 187,000.
- In Lapland (northern Finland), which is above the Arctic Circle, the sun never sets in early summer and never rises in early winter.
