Information on Mikkeli and Finland for incoming exchange students
First of all warm welcome to all of you coming to Finland and Mikkeli!
Arriving in FinlandWhen you get to Finland, you will arrive at the Helsinki-Vantaa international airport located outside Helsinki. Best way to get to the downtown is to take a local bus #615 or Finnair bus which run frequently to the railway station of Helsinki. From there you can take a train to Mikkeli or a bus from the bus terminal Kamppi and usually a tutor will be waiting for you in the station. If not, the easiest way to get to your apartment is by taxi, telephone number to call a taxi is +358-(0)-60030055.
HealthcareThe level of health care in Finland is high. There are two systems: sector financed by the government and the private system. A foreigner may use either the private or public services. All foreign students should have sufficient health insurance for the entire period of study at Helsinki School of Economics. Health insurance policies may be purchased in Finland but we strongly advise you to purchase a travel insurance policy before leaving your country. Citizens of the EU countries with an E 111 form may be treated in municipal facilities for a fee of 11 euros. For others the fee can go up to 60 euros per visit.
General information about FinlandFinland is perhaps best known for its beautiful nature and peacefulness. Forests, a unique archipelago and thousands of lakes present a beautiful mixture of wooden hills and water. Finland is also a modern country with a high standard of living and advanced economy and technology.
Finland is situated in Northern Europe between Russia and Sweden. Finland belongs to the east European time zone; the standard time is 2 hours ahead of GMT. The capital is Helsinki.
Finland is the seventh largest country in Europe (338 145 km2). The population is approximately 5, 2 million. Major cities apart from the metropolitan area of Helsinki are Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Kuopio and Jyväskylä. Finland is officially bilingual with 92,3 % of people speaking Finnish and 5,6 % speaking Swedish as their mother tongue. Finnish is the mother tongue for only five million people in the world so Finns usually speak foreign languages, especially English.
The official religions are Evangelical-Lutheran Church and the Orthodox Church. Finland has been independent republic since December 6, 1917 and it is a western democracy with a President elected every six year. Finland joined EU in 1995 and the used currency is Euro. Most of the international credit cards are accepted; MasterCard, visa and Eurocard are recommended.
The electric current is 220V (230V), 50 Hz with plugs of two pin continental size.
WeatherMost typical features of Finland's weather are cold winters and warm summers. Finland is low in humidity so it does not always feel as cold as the temperature says. As one of the most northern countries in the world, Finland has a vide variety of temperatures and climate conditions. During the midsummer in Finland it does not get dark at all but during the winter there are only about 6-7 hours of daylight. In southern Finland the snow usually arrives in December and melts around April. The mean temperature of whole year in Mikkeli is approximately +3degrees so proper and warm outdoor clothes are required.
Useful tips-
Be on time as Finns are very punctual
Wait in line paying in shops, boarding a bus or purchasing a ticket
No smoking in public places or inside homes. Permitted in some restaurants and cafés.
Turn off your mobile phone while in class
Take off your shoes before entering someone's home
Say thank you especially after meals and coffee