Anika Heinonen- Blog Abroad

Blog #1

September 2026

Arriving to Tampere!

Hello! Or in Finnish, moi!

My name is Anika Heinonen :) I’m a sophomore at UNM studying nursing, and I decided
to take a semester abroad before applying to nursing school this following spring. My mom and
her family are from Finland, and I grew up in Santa Fe with many Finnish customs, traditions,
and even the language, but the older I got, the more difficult it became to hold on to. While
growing up in Santa Fe, NM gave me a wonderful childhood, I’ve always felt a little
disconnected from my Finnish heritage. So, when the study abroad program between the
University of Tampere and UNM became an option, I took the opportunity. My hope for this
experience is that I get to understand my Finnish heritage better and feel more connected to
that part of myself. I want to become closer to my Finnish grandparents who live in Jarvenpää,
and I want to get the language back well enough to the point where I can have small
conversations with my mom in Finnish. This time will be for learning about myself through
travelling, culture, events, food, people, and making mistakes. And I hope to give some insight
into what studying abroad is like in Finland as there are so many things to unpack living as a
student here!

Upon arrival, it was already pretty chaotic because I still did not have an apartment set
up (don’t wing it and assume you can find private housing like I did, just apply for student
housing with TOAS as soon as you can and take whichever apartment they offer you :’)). So,
figuring out where I was going to live was a whole adventure as this year, there is an extremely
high demand for student housing and apartments. I ended up in a long-term hotel called UNITY
located in Pyynikki which is surrounded by the forest, is two minutes from the lake, ten minutes
from the city center by bus, and houses a handful of other exchange students as well. Arriving in
Tampere was so exciting. It's a large enough city that there is plenty to see and do, but small
enough that it’s easy to navigate, and you will definitely run into people you know randomly once
you start making friends. You really get the best of both worlds as there is a vibrant city life right
next to lots of forest, parks, and lakes. I found the integration into exchange student life really
easy to make as the University of Tampere assigned each student group ‘tutors’ based on your
major to pick each student up personally and individually upon arrival from the train station,
escort them to their accommodations, host fun events, and answer any questions students may
have. I’ve found them to be less of tutors and more of local friends in Tampere that help you
navigate the city and student life.

Right from the beginning, there were so many events offered to students and so many
opportunities to meet new people and try different things: sauna evenings, beach parties, and
scavenger hunts. One of my worries before going on study abroad was if I would be lonely or
have a hard time making friends. But my tutors held a small gathering among exchange
students which gave me the chance to meet people and make friends on a smaller scale and in
an environment that was less intimidating and overstimulating. From there, it was easier to form
friend groups and group chats and always have people to ask if you want to attend an event or
get lunch or just hang out with someone. I feel like it’s really important to remember that every
other exchange student is in the same situation as you are: in a new country, making friends
from scratch, and trying to figure out a million new things at once. And it helps that you see a lot
of the same people in the classes you take that are offered to exchange students.

I haven’t had too much culture shock yet. I think because I visited Finland every other
summer growing up, living here long term just feels like getting to know more of the place that
was such a big part of my childhood summer holidays. Some things that differ from the United
States that I think are cool so far are how every time you are waiting for a service, there’s a box
that spits out a ticket with a number and you wait for your number to be called before you get
helped. It completely beats standing in a physical line. The public transportation is also really
good and it feels so whimsical to take the tram or a bus around the city while listening to music.
And I absolutely love the forest and how many lakes there are and I’ve taken to swimming every
now and then even though it is really cold :’). So far, it’s been a good start and I’m so excited for
the big journey ahead!

Moikka (bye), Anik