Hello, my name is Alessa, I am 20 years old and an exchange student from Germany. I have been working at the youth centre in Toppila since the beginning of October and will stay until just before Christmas. As an English speaker, I was a little worried before my trip, but these worries quickly disappeared after my arrival. The children, young people and my colleagues have welcomed me very warmly and I can always communicate and have interesting conversations.
Experiences in Finland
At work, I particularly enjoy talking to the children about Finland and its culture, learning about their lives and, of course, playing billiards or board games. I also have a great time outside of work. Where I live, I have met lots of nice exchange students with whom I can do lots of things together. We went to an ice hockey game, visited the city and went on lots of walks together in the snow. During my holiday, I was able to travel to Helsinki, Tallinn and Stockholm with another person, which was really nice. Next week, I’m visiting Rovaniemi and Inari and I’m really looking forward to seeing more of Finland, especially in winter.
I definitely don’t regret my decision to come to Finland as an exchange student and would do it again in a heartbeat. I’m looking forward to the last few weeks, but I already know that I’ll miss my time here.
