Students wishing to study abroad from Akita University
Reports on study abroad experiences

Moi! Here, I would like to reflect on my study abroad experience in Finland. I stayed in Rovaniemi in Lapland, the Arctic region of Finland, for a year from January 2017. It is famous as a Christmas city with Santa Claus and rich in nature. My year abroad was full of new experiences and discoveries that I had never experienced before in my life.

I studied at Lapland University of Applied Sciences, which is more like a vocational school. The classes here were quite different from typical Japanese lectures in that we always worked in groups, thought together, expressed our opinions, and always collaborated on assignments and tests. In the spring semester, since we were studying tourism, we actually went to a tourist spot and thought of new ideas to increase revenues and attract more people to the spot, and worked on customer care, which was very practical and made me realize that all of this is possible because there is great trust in students by adults. In the fall semester, I majored in forestry, and while traveling around Lapland, I was able to delve into the characteristics of the trees, the lives of reindeer, moose and people, and the traditions and culture of the Sami, the only indigenous people in Europe, and to learn about various aspects relating to the natural environment of Lapland experienced through the five senses.
 
Living next to nature all the time was really great. Saunas, fires in the fireplace, snow hiking, ice swimming and the aurora borealis that I could even see from my apartment. I enjoyed these things on a daily basis with my international friends. By spending a whole year in the Arctic Circle, I was able to experience the flow of the seasons, the polar night in winter and the midnight sun in summer, which was also a valuable experience for me.
 
This year, Finland was chosen as the country with the highest level of happiness in the world. I think the reason for Finland’s high level of happiness is that people understand the importance of rest, relaxation, and living life on their own terms. Finland is a developed country just like Japan, and there is no shortage of things to do in life, but unlike life in Japan, where we are always busy, time flows slowly. I think one of the biggest changes that came from studying abroad was that I was able to look at my country of birth and upbringing more objectively. By experiencing every aspect of life in Finland and the people I met there, I felt as if my previous self was expanding, and every moment was truly wonderful. The year I spent studying abroad is an invaluable asset in my life. I am happy to be able to walk through the rest of my life with this asset firmly in my hands. Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who was involved in my study abroad experience and for their kind support. Thank you very much, Kiitos!