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Student Exchange Finland
Finland
is a land of dualities, of wilderness and urbanity, primitiveness and
sophistication, melancholy and joy. Although the Finns have created
some of the most beautiful and elegant home designs, no one loves nature
more than they do. The Finns will drop the trappings of civilization
to run for the hills; they will leave the warmth of the sauna to plunge
into the icy sea; they will spend the day skiing across rugged terrain
in the coldest and darkest of weather, then come into town to dance
the night away at a local nightclub.
This duality is apparent in other areas too. For years, the extremely
difficult Finnish language was considered the language of peasants,
scorned by the Swedes and Swedish-speaking Finns. Now Finnish and Swedish
co-exist, with street signs in both (the Finnish version appears first),
and towns are often referred to by both their Finnish and Swedish names.
In the matter of food, as well, Finland offers two distinct cuisines.
There is, so to speak, a fork in the road to the kitchen, with attention
given to Russian as well as Finnish cuisine.
It is said that the Finns are a silent people, and many Finns, on first
meeting, do appear somewhat reticent and shy—but once they have crossed
the barrier of introductions and the usual polite exchanges, they are
not in the least tongue-tied. In fact, these feisty residents of the
fifth largest country in Europe have had to speak up loudly and clearly
to retain their own identity and gain their independence. Having clawed
its way out of the grasp of both Sweden and the czars, in the late 20th
century Finland has proven itself the equal of any nation. No longer
do people speak of "little Finland." The only country to pay off its
war debt, Finland has emerged from centuries of struggle with pride
in its own accomplishments and identity.
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Program Details
Academic Year
Prerequisites:
None
Dates:
August to following July*
Accommodation:
Homestay placement in a family
Placement:
Throughout Finland
Academic Semester
Prerequisites:
None
Dates:
Fall September:
August to January*
-- Spring Semester:
February to July*
Accommodation:
Homestay placement in a family
Placement:
Throughout Finland
Summer Individual
Prerequisites:
None
Dates: Four to six week
programs with flexible dates
from June to August
Accommodation:
Homestay placement in a family
Placement:
Throughout Finland
Language Classes:
Optional
Summer
Group
Prerequisites:
None
Dates: Two to four week
programs with flexible dates from
June to August
Accommodation: Homestay placement
in a family
Placement:
Throughout Finland
Language Classes:
Optional
Registration forms:
»
Online Pre-application
Education:
»
Schools in Finland
Requirements:
»
Programs
in Finland
* Please note that these dates
are tentative and may vary depending on the time of enrollment in the program.
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