How to meet Finns

Tim Zumpe, an exchange student from the Ansbach University of Applied Sciences in Germany, was an exchange student in Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences during spring 2024. In this blog text he is giving his tips on how to meet and get to know Finnish students. Most Finnish students study in Finnish speaking programmes, which means there is a limited opportunities to connect with native students during the exchange study period. However, this is not impossible!

Tim’s  tip on how to meet Finns is to join SAMO, Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences Student Union and especially in Tim’s case SAMO’s  sport events.

– Since it is unfortunately impossible to come into contact with local Finns due to the courses at the university. The best solution is SAMO membership and the associated opportunity to take part in SAMO sports activities. I definitely recommend this. These daily sports programmes were probably one of the best things about the exchange. One of the reasons for this is that you get to meet as many people as possible, both known and unknown. Doing group sports with your friends adds a lot of depth to the whole exchange.

Cultural differences and codes of socialisation can be hard to break down, but Tim took steps to try his best to break the cultural and social barriers. He stepped out of his comfort zone of socialisation – and succeeded in it. Here is his advice for other international students. Not to let the Finnish appearance of being reserved in the beginning be a turn off, instead make an effort to spend time and get to know people. And best scenario there will be new friendships made.

However, even in team sports such as volleyball, it turned out that the Finns are extremely reserved and only ever wanted to stay and play with their group of friends. So it was always exchange students against Finnish students. However, as this is not the actual purpose, random teams were often formed later in the semester by those responsible. This inevitably resulted in a mixture of Finnish and exchange students. As this only led to the desired success to a limited extent, Tim decided to change things and take more initiative.

– At the next game, I simply stood in the middle of the Finns’ pitch and asked them nicely if I could play in their team. After some initial hesitation, they finally agreed. The first hour seemed very tense, but we quickly realised that we could rely on each other. So the first hour passed silently and quietly. However, we had made a start. KEEP GOING!, Tim says.

He then decided to build on this. He chose to ask the Finns if he could play along for the next two lessons. After the third lesson, they slowly warmed up after winning some difficult games together as a team.

–  The Finns opened up and we gradually exchanged names, ages and personal details. This was made possible by the badminton that took place after volleyball, which was much less competitive and, after the strenuous volleyball (and also due to a lack of space on the badminton courts), was also used more and more for long breaks. We all sat together and got to know each other and swapped stories.

When Tim was asked by the Finns in the following volleyball lesson whether he would like to play in their team, he couldn’t stop grinning. In the weeks that followed, they chatted at every game and also did things outside of university. The whole thing ended with a party where they all celebrated together.

In the end, the effort to get to know Finns was paid off as Tim says the full warmth and friendliness of Finns became apparent.

– The Finns and I took each other to our hearts and once we had warmed up to each other, the full warmth and friendliness of the Finns became apparent.

And that is Tim’s advice to all subsequent Erasmus students: Approach the Finns actively and almost pushy, but also not too pushy (don’t pressurise them) and sit freely in the middle of a group of Finns according to the motto: “So here I am, take me with you”. This way you will get to know the beautiful side of these great people.