Artikkelit

Julkaistu

Koronapandemian vaikutukset matkailuun

Vaikka ilmastonmuutos on ollut tapetilla jo pitkään, on sille viime vuosien aikana uhrattu enemmän palstatilaa, ja se on saanut normaalin kuluttajan pohtimaan yhä tarkemmin päivittäisiä valintojaan.

Paljon on ollut puhetta ”arjen pienistä teoista”, joilla voi kuitenkin merkittävästi hidastaa ilmastonmuutoksen etenemistä. Yksi suurin huonoa omaa tuntoa aiheuttanut tekijä on ollut matkustaminen, sillä matkustamiseen kuuluu lähes aina jokin kulkuväline, joka harvemmin liikkuu pyhällä hengellä. Matkailualaa voidaan kritisoida myös sen aiheuttamista luonnon maisemien tuhoamisesta, eläinten ja paikallisten asukkaiden häiriintymisestä sekä jäteongelmista. Lista on oikeastaan melko pitkä, mutta siihen on myös reagoitu moniulotteisesti kehittämällä matkailusta kestävämpää.

Matkailuala on suuri, jopa merkittävin elinkeino useille maille, ja se työllistää miljoonia ihmisiä ympäri maailmaa. Esimerkiksi Afrikan maat ylläpitävät suojelualueiden hoitoa niiden sisäänpääsymaksuilla, jotka tuottavat arviolta 142 miljoonaa Yhdysvaltain dollaria vuodessa. Koronapandemian myötä matkailun ollessa suljettu, ovat monet suojelualueet ja niiden ympärillä elävät yhteisöt eläneet kuukausia ilman tuloja. Tämä näkyy suojelualueiden hoidon katkeamisena, suojeltavien eläinten salametsästyksenä ja asukkaiden toimeentulon loppumisena. Suojelutoiminnan loppuminen voi siis vaikuttaa luonnon monimuotoisuuteen erittäin radikaalisti.

Covid-19 pandemia herättää meissä ymmärrettävästi enemmän negatiivisia tunteita. Matkustusrajoitukset ovat vieneet monta matkailualan yrittäjää konkurssin partaalle, lentoemännät ovat päätyneet töihin sairaalan tapaturma-asemille, ja normaalisti aurinkorannoilta kirjoittelevat matkabloggarit ovat joutuneet tyytymään kotimaan nähtävyyksiin, tai pysymään kotisohvillaan. Mutta matkustusrajoitukset ja turismiaktiviteettien sulkeminen on merkinnyt myös luonnon ja sen eliöiden palautumista. Etenkin massaturismista ja sen seurauksista kärsineet kohteet ovat saaneet hengähtää ja parantua matkustamisen ollessa tauolla. Lisäksi kotimaan matkailu on lisääntynyt, ja ihmisten suhde luontoon on parantunut.

Vaikka pandemialla ei ole YK:n raportin mukaan ollut suurta muutosta ilmastonmuutokseen, on se vähintään muuttanut ajattelutapaa ja luonut täysin uusia, virtuaalisia matkustustapoja. Ja vaikka jo pitkään on kehitetty kaikenlaisia ympäristöystävällisiä ratkaisuja, on korona-ajan vahvistama lentohäpeä yhdessä koronan vuoksi lisääntyneen ilmastokeskustelun kanssa saanut ihmiset arvioimaan matkustustarvettaan entistä kriittisemmin. Mehän tiedämme, ettei kotiin jääminen ole vastaus ongelmaan, vaan meidän tulisi matkustaa ilmastoa ja ympäristöä säästävästi, pidempään ja harvemmin. Itse uskon, että Covid-19 liittyy vahvasti ilmastonmuutokseen, jossa elämme tällä hetkellä, ja sen vaikutukset näkyvät matkailualassa pitkään. Matkailualan tulee sopeutua tähän muutokseen vastaamalla asiakkaiden arvoihin jatkuvalla kehityksellä.


Teksti: Nanni Valkonen, Matkailun tutkinto-ohjelman toisen vuoden opiskelija
Kuvat: Pixabay

Julkaistu

Työhaastattelussa pöydän toisella puolella – opiskelijan mahdollisuus oppia ja vaikuttaa

Osallistuin alkuvuodesta 2022 opiskelijaedustajana SAMKin uuden palveluliiketoiminnan lehtorin valintaprosessiin. SAMKissa opiskelijaedustaja on tasavertainen jäsen uuden opettajan valintaprosessissa ja osallistuu päätöksentekoon yhdessä muun henkilökunnan kanssa. Opiskelijajäsenenä tehtäväni oli tuoda rekrytointiprosessiin opiskelijanäkökulmaa. Tämä on erittäin tärkeä, sillä opiskelijat ovat juuri niitä, joiden kanssa opettajat tulevat työskentelemään. Mielestäni on erittäin hienoa, että SAMKissa opiskelijoille annetaan mahdollisuus vaikuttaa ja osallistua opettajien valintaan koskevaan päätöksentekoon.

Valintaprosessi alkoi työhakemuksien läpi käymisellä. En osannut odottaa, että hakijat ja hakemukset olisivat olleet niin erilaisia. Monimuotoisuus työelämässä nousi hakemuksista vahvasti esiin. Ymmärsin hakemuksia lukiessani, että maailma on todellakin mahdollisuuksia täynnä. Vaikka jokainen meistä tuleekin valmistumaan ammattikorkeakoulusta tietyn nimikkeen alle, ovat työelämämahdollisuudet lähes rajattomat. Jokaisella on mahdollisuus hyvin erilaisiin urapolkuihin omien kiinnostusten kohteiden mukaan.

En ollut koskaan aikaisemmin osallistunut työhaastatteluun haastattelijan roolissa, joten haastattelutilanne tuntui aluksi todella jännittävältä. Pyrin haastattelukysymyksilläni kartoittamaan ensisijaisesti haastateltavan ominaisuuksia opettajana ja tapoja toimia opiskelijoiden kanssa. Mielestäni oli tärkeää selvittää, millaisena he kokevat opiskelijoiden kanssa työskentelyn. Halusin myös kuulla, olivatko he aikaisemmin opettaessaan keränneet toiminnastaan palautetta ja millaista palautetta he olivat saaneet.

Hakijat olivat valmistaneet haastattelutilaisuuteen opetusnäytteen, jonka lopussa oli englanninkielinen tiivistelmä. Opetusnäytteen aiheena oli myynnin tavoitteenasetanta ja seuranta pyrkimyksenä matkailualan pk-yrityksen kannattavuuden parantaminen. Tarkoituksena oli luoda opetustilanne, jossa haastattelijat näyttelivät kolmannen vuoden restonomiopiskelijoita. Opetusnäytteet olivat keskenään hyvin erilaisia ja tehtävänantoa oli lähestytty eri näkökulmista. Toiset esittelivät suunnitelman koko aihetta käsittelevän opintojakson sisällöstä, kun taas toiset keskittyivät itse aiheen opettamiseen, kuin kyseessä olisi ollut luento keskellä meneillään olevaa opintojaksoa. Annettu aika opetusnäytteeseen oli rajallinen, joten monilla oli haasteita saada kiteytettyä kaikki haluamansa aiheesta. Itseeni vaikutuksen opetusnäytteissä tekivät erilaiset opetusmenetelmät, kuten ryhmätyöt ja yhteistyöprojektit työelämän kanssa. Myös asiantuntijuus ja luonnollinen esiintyminen opetustilanteessa erottivat hakijat toisistaan.

Lopulliseen valintaan vaikutti moni asia ja päätöksenteko vaati keskustelua sekä erilaisten näkökulmien tarkastelua koko valintaryhmältä. Koen, että mielipiteeni huomioitiin ja sain todella vaikuttaa lopulliseen valintaan. Valintaprosessissa mukana oleminen oli mielenkiintoista ja opetti minulle paljon. Harva työelämään valmistuva nuori pääsee lukemaan toisten, varsinkaan eri alojen ammattilaisten työhakemuksia ja kokemaan työhaastattelutilanteen haastattelijan näkökulmasta. Harvoin näkee myöskään kanssahakijoiden haastattelutilanteita, joten oli opettavaista verrata omia työnhaku- ja työhaastattelutilannetaitoja muihin.  Tämä kokemus oli mielestäni loistava työelämään valmentava tilaisuus ajatellen omaa työnhakua ja mahdollista esimiestyötä tulevaisuudessa.

Teksti: Julia Roumio, Matkailun tutkinto-ohjelman kolmannen vuoden opiskelija
Kuvat: Microsoftin kuvapankki


Julkaistu

I don’t need no beach vacations, as long as I have the sea!

Airplane’s tires hit the ground. I get out of the plane, and the humid warmth hits my face like a wall. It’s almost midnight, but it’s so warm. Finding the right taxi that was ordered for us is a challenge. 40 minutes’ drive after the flight feels like ages. Can’t wait to get to the marina. Smell the sea and the fresh air.

I haven’t travelled much. Just your occasional cruise to Sweden and Estonia. A few trips to Russia were pretty mind opening. A car trip to Copenhagen through Sweden was fun. I haven’t been to any beach holidays, but I might not even want to take those, after I have been sailing several times in the Mediterranean Sea.

I can’t swim properly. I’m afraid of water, but yet, I feel the connection to the sea. The power of it is so strong, you must be very humble in front of it. But then again, it’s so calming. You can look at an ocean for so long and have no idea how much time has passed. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have lived my entire life by the sea.

If you have the possibility to go on a sailboat, I highly recommend it. And even better, if possible, to go on a yacht abroad and sail away…

I don’t recommend big cities. The large tourist traps. Sail the sea and visit the small villages. The ones with the real heart of that country. The little villages you want to visit all over again, because of the authentic people. The authentic music. The authentic nature.

There’s nothing better than drinking your morning coffee on a boat’s deck. Feel the warmth of the sun as it rises.  Or at night, when the sun has come down, sit on that deck. Listen to the little waves touch the boat and hear the happy noises from the village. Whenever I’m sad or stressed, I go back to those memories. And those memories confirm that yes, that is where I want to go again. I don’t need no beach vacations, as long as I have the sea.

I went sailing first time in 2001. My parents had gone a few times before that. I had never heard about that kind of possibility. Never even seen an advertisement on this subject. So, I’ve been thinking: How much different possibilities does traveling have? Why don’t people know about these things?

Hopefully, in my future career in tourism, I will have the chance to change that and show the people how wonderful our world really is.

Text and pictures: Heli Kulju, first year International Tourism Management student

Julkaistu

Practical training might be a way to your dream job

My name is Kalle Kaseva, I’m a 23-year-old third year student studying International Tourism in Satakunta University of Applied Sciences. After our second year of studies, we had the privilege to apply to a practical training that correlates somehow with our area of studies.

Me at work

Practical training means that during your second year of studies in International Tourism in SAMK, you will complete a five month internship in a business related to your field of studies. The main goal is to utilize the things you’ve learned and learn from hands on experiences within the field.

My practical training in Sokos Hotel Vaakuna

I completed my practical training here in my hometown Pori, as a receptionist in Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna. The main job description entailed for me to work as a receptionist in the lobby in shifts varying from day shifts to night shifts. The practical training lasted for 5 months, and it was a great opportunity to gain a better understanding of what I hope to be the type of job I’ll be doing for the rest of my life.

In the beginning of the practical training I was preparing breakfast in order to know how its prepared and served which in turn could help me answer potential questions from accommodating guests. Also, I was working with the housekeeping in order to learn about the layouts and preparations of the rooms. This came in handy when I needed to prepare extra beds for guests.  I learned a lot during these five months, about hotels in general as well as the services they provide for visiting guests.

I got to meet many interesting people, as well as complete various engaging tasks through my job. The best thing about my practical training was the opportunity to work with so many great people, whom I hope to work with in the future as well. One of the benefits during the practical training was that the hotel itself provides a free meal from either the breakfast lounge or from Amarillo as a form of compensation for your practical training time, and if you are lucky, you might be able work there after completing your practical training as I have.

Also, if you are a pet-person, you are in luck! The hotel also provides accommodation for guests travelling with pets!

If you are curious of applying into Sokos Hotel Vaakuna Pori, I recommend it strongly!

Text: Kalle Kaseva, third year International Tourism Management student
Pictures: Sokoshotels website and Facebook

Julkaistu

Mass tourism – what are the consequences and solutions?

Mass tourism is a phenomenon observed in many popular destinations and it has many negative consequences on the environment.

Mass tourism is when there is such a concentration of tourists in one place that there are social, economic or ecological consequences. Venice, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, for example, are cities particularly affected by mass tourism but there are also natural places like Komodo Island, Machu Picchu, or Maya Bay in Thailand. Several reasons attract tourists to these places such as famous monuments, popular beaches, famous sites due to film or series shootings…

What are the consequences of mass tourism?

Firstly, mass tourism can also have positive aspects. Indeed, tourism generates money for the local population and the country. Moreover, it can create new jobs. But unfortunately, the negative consequences are more numerous. The major problems caused by mass tourism are :

  • A high production of CO2 caused by the very polluting transports such as planes or cruise ships. The transportation industry is a major contributor to climate change.
  • A rise in rents in the cities and a lack of space for locals. In the most touristic places, hotels and vacation residences are not enough. To compensate for this lack of space, many accommodations are transformed into Airbnb or are rented to tourists, which does not leave much room for locals.
  • The destruction of natural areas for the benefit of touristic infrastructures. The constructions destroy fauna and flora, which can lead to the extinction of certain species.

What are the solutions adopted by the destinations?

Some destinations are forced to take drastic measures to fight against mass tourism. Among these measures there are quotas, regulations, limited duration of visits, mandatory reservations, taxes for visitors or even temporary closure of certain places. Here are some examples:

  • Santorini, a popular destination for cruise passengers, has imposed a cap of 8,000 visitors per day for cruise ships.
  • In Amsterdam, Airbnb owners can only rent their property for 60 days a year and for a maximum of 4 people. This prevents too many party-goers in the party-heavy city but also prevents all properties from being owned by investors which leaves no room for locals.
  • The island of Boracay in the Philippines has totally closed its access to tourists for 6 months to let the biodiversity regenerate and to make a big cleaning.
  • The site of Machu Picchu in Peru also had to adopt many measures. From now on, you have to book a time slot to be able to visit it. The visit cannot last more than 4 hours and it is obligatory to be accompanied by an approved guide.


What are the solutions to travel more sustainably?

You can make your travel more sustainable by adopting small habits. Here are a few tips:

  • Travel with sustainable transportation. Use public transportation such as trains or buses which have lower CO2 emissions. You can also opt for the bicycle.
  • Avoid traveling in high season to avoid the big tourist flows. If possible, do not travel at the same time as families and regular vacationers. Traveling in low season is often cheaper and more sustainable.
  • Opt for micro-adventures. As we have noticed during the Covid 19 pandemic, you don’t have to travel very far from home to experience things. Let yourself be surprised by the hidden places around you.
  • Support the local economy by shopping at local businesses. Locals are often the ones who suffer the most from mass tourism, by going to local restaurants and stores, you support the locals financially.

Text: Camille De Borman, exchange student from Haute École Galilée University of Applied Sciences in Belgium
Pictures: Pixabay


Sources :
https://www.thestorytellersmtl.com/tourisme-de-masse-destinations-2020/
https://www.businessinsider.fr/ces-14-destinations-ont-du-prendre-des-mesures-face-au-tourisme-de-masse-138064#bloemenmarkt-amsterdam
https://www.lefigaro.fr/voyages/quotas-taxes-interdictions-les-mesures-de-12-
destinations-contre-le-surtourisme-20210731


Julkaistu

Korona teki minusta karavaanarin

Vuonna 2020 meillä oli varattuna matka Kreikkaan heinä-elokuun vaihteeseen koko perheelle. Matka oli todella odotettu: itse en ollut matkustanut ulkomaille kymmeneen vuoteen ja lapset eivät olleet vielä ikinä käyneet ulkomailla. Kuitenkin, kuten kaikki tiedämme, korona iski keväällä 2020 lujaa ja kesän matkahaaveet sai heittää romukoppaan.

Alkujärkytyksen jälkeen aloimme miettimään voisiko matkan kuitenkin korvata jollain muulla, ehkäpä kotimaassa? Punnitsimme eri vaihtoehtoja ja päädyimme lähtemään elämämme ensimmäiselle karavaanarimatkalle asuntoautolla. Reitti mietittiin tarkkaan, samoin kohteet. Monet kiinnostavat paikat olivat kuitenkin kesällä 2020 kiinni ja niitä varten pitää tehdä vielä joskus uusi reissu!

Reissumme alkoi Imatralta ja loppui Rovaniemelle. En muista edes tarkkaan kaikkia kohteita, joissa kävimme, mutta parhaiten jäi mieleen Imatran Kylpylän Taikametsä, Parikkalan Patsaspuisto, Ranua Zoo, tunturit ja gondolihissit, Levin rinteeseen kiipeäminen ja siellä ns. Joulupukin mökin valloittaminen, sekä tietysti joulupukin pajakylä Rovaniemellä.

Kuvat kertovat enemmän, joten tässä pari:

Kotimaan karavaanireissumme oli onnistunut ja turvavälitkin saatiin reissussa hyvin pidettyä (paitsi ehkä kylpylässä). Tästä innostuneena lähdetään varmasti uudestaankin karavaanailemaan, suosittelen muillekin!

Teksti ja kuvat: Satu Laakso, Matkailun tutkinto-ohjelman ensimmäisen vuoden opiskelija


Julkaistu

How I became a tourism student

I am Kashish and I am a migrate student from India, currently I am pursuing my study in tourism at Satakunta University of Applied Science, Pori, Finland.

This post will explain you about the things that happen in a life of a tourism student and a traveler – from being part of a successful business in New Delhi, India, for 5 years to turning into a traveler, and then studying tourism in Finland.

After my schooling in India, I started to work with my father at his business. I thought of studying some degree, but I was not sure what to study. During those days when I was in business there was a lot of travel involved and most of the trips were day trips or one night stay trips. Apart from that, the months in which we expect not much business, I used to go to nearby hill stations for 3-4 days trips. The enjoyment that it gave me was of another level. I have been traveling since my school days, but it was like once-a-year travel which took place in summer holidays with my parents. After joining the business, I learnt that traveling was the thing that brings me joy and feeling that it gives is truly amazing.

Traveling is the thing that brings me joy!

In India parents are very protective of their children. In my school days, I was not allowed to travel for school trips which took place for 3-4 days. As I got into my twenties travel came easier for me as there were no restrictions. I traveled to some destinations in India which I could not have gone to if I was younger. I even went to three foreign destinations – Indonesia, Dubai and Thailand. As a traveler, I could say that best life lessons could be learned through travelling to different places. It broadens your mind and you can create memories for lifetime.

This picture was taken at Uluwatu Temple, Bali, Indonesia, in my first international trip in 2018. This trip was so memorable because of an earthquake that happened while I was there: the quake was of 6.6 magnitude, and it literally shook everything, even our beds were dancing!

This picture was taken at the Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE. Travelling to Dubai in 2019 was my best trip abroad. Dubai is a place where everyone can find something for enjoyment. This place offers a lot of activities and one can visit many times as they will find something new there every time they go .
This picture is from the Big Buddha Temple in Phuket, Thailand. I went there in 2020 and it was my third international trip. I liked the views that it offers, the beauty of nature and the weather but on the other I didn’t find people there that helpful. People there mostly want to earn as much as they can from tourists.

As a traveler, I understood that I can not combine my business and travel together. I understood that I am not made for staying in a single place and work for several hours, and I wanted to pursue my career in a field that was related to my interests. Tourism was a thing that I loved to gain knowledge of when I was in business. I watched travel vlogs and travel documentaries on YouTube and Netflix for 3-4 hours daily.

As I was passionate to gain knowledge about tourism, I thought why not study it as my bachelor’s degree and find a job related to this field. The variety of jobs that this field offer will certainly help me combine my work with travel!                                                 


Text and pictures: Kashish Gosain, first year International Tourism Management student


Julkaistu

Sharks returned to Maya Bay

When I travel, I try to make small gestures that wouldn’t overwhelm nature too much. One small ‘’green deed’’ is for example using the same water bottle if possible and filling it up whenever you can. In Thailand, you can’t drink tap water, but most stores will have refilling spots. I’d like to talk about preserving nature and tourism spots and use Thailand as example, since I have the most experience from there.

I think that visiting popular destinations should be restricted somehow. There should be fees to enter different places – the fees would be used for preserving the nature i.e. payment for the people taking care of the area.  For example, to enter an island called Koh Lanta in Thailand, you will have to pay 20 baht to get in. 20 baht doesn’t even equal to 1 euro, and I think it should be more than that. For a tourist, paying 100 baht (around 2,5 euros) wouldn’t be too much. They use the money to clean the beaches and areas around the island. Also, in the National Park of Khao Sok, you must pay 300 baht (around 8 euros) to enter. The money goes to preservation of the area. I think more places should do this.

The popular Maya Beach in Thailand was closed because the different tour operators were just after the money, and they took thousands and thousands of tourists a day to a beach that is only 250 meters long. It is no surprise the nature there got very damaged. The multiple speedboats a day didn’t help the corals and other life in the proximity of the beach. According to statistics, the Maya Beach was visited by 1,2 billion tourists between October of 2015 and May of 2016. That is an insane amount of people for just 6-7 months.

Thailand closed the beach and the whole Koh Phi Phi Le’s island from tourists in 2018. It has only been a few years, and the sharks that used to live in the area close to the beach have returned. I think it’s amazing how nature heals so fast when humans aren’t there to disrupt it.

Photo: Wikimedia

I think that popular destinations should have maximum capacities per day, so the areas wouldn’t get too overwhelmed. I would be happy to wait for my turn or pay a fee to get to somewhere if it meant that nature would be preserved. The destinations could also have some kind of a reservation system, where you can book a day and a time to visit. This way the tour operators can keep up well with how many people have visited and travelers can confirm their visit to the location. Waiting some time or paying a little fee shouldn’t hurt. Would it hurt you?

Text: Viveca Antila, second year student in the degree programme in Tourism

Julkaistu

Kotona kaikkialla – minustako diginomadi?

Rakastan matkustamista. Rakastan sen mukanaan tuomaa jännitystä, joka saa oloni kutkuttamaan jo ennen lähtöä. Päästelen sisäisiä riemunkiljahduksia kun lentokoneen pyörät irtoavat kiitoradasta tai kun auto starttaa kohti uutta ja tuntematonta. Tunne on niin voimakas, että se kutittaa mahan pohjassa asti.

Perillä matkakohteessa katselen uteliaana vierasta ympäristöä, tunnustelen sen ääniä, hajuja, makuja. Ihailen itselleni eksoottisia maisemia, trooppisen vehreitä tai karun paljaita. Seurailen paikallisia päivittäisissä puuhissaan toreilla ja kylän raitilla. Mietin, millaista tänne olisi asettua pidemmäksi aikaa.

 Kuvittelen letkeää elämää riippumatossa ja kotoisassa bungalowissa. Söisin joka aamu tuoreita hedelmiä suoraan takapihan hedelmäpuusta ja kävisin vilvoittavalla aamu-uinnilla turkoosissa meressä. Nauraisin hassuille ravuille, jotka kipittävät minua pakoon valkoisella rantahiekalla.

Diginomadina voisin työskennellä mistä päin maailmaa tahansa, kutsua mitä tahansa paikkaa kodiksi. Levoton sieluni janoaa kuitenkin jälleen jännitystä. Se janoaa nähdä uusia kohteita, joissa en ole vielä vieraillut ja löytää ystäviä, joita en ole vielä tavannut.

Rinkka selässä jatkan jälleen matkaa eteenpäin, kohti uusia seikkailuja!


Teksti ja kuva: Sofia Viertola, Matkailun tutkinto-ohjelman ensimmäisen vuoden opiskelija

Julkaistu

My Erasmus exchange in Finland

I chose Finland as my Erasmus exchange study destination because Finland is a country known for its educational system, which is very different from Belgium. I heard so much about it that I thought I would try it by myself and make up my own mind. Moreover, the Finnish population is known to be one of the happiest in the world – so I went to buy some warm clothes and packed my bag!

The Finns

Once I arrived in Finland, I discovered that the cold was not just about the weather: the Finns are very aloof and like to have their own space. But once I got to know them, I realized that it was only a facade and that in the end they are kind, benevolent and you can even have a lot of fun with them.

Life in Finland

Life in Finland is gentle, everything here is very natural. I realized that Finns spend a lot of time outside, even in winter! There are a lot of infrastructures like barbecues, benches and shelters, which are available to everyone. It is common to meet around a fire to drink hot chocolate, grill a sausage, or cook pancakes, even under the snow.

I had the opportunity to go for long walks in the forest or on the beach. Here I also discovered the sauna culture: almost all Finns have a sauna at home and if not, they just have to go to the city pool. And contrary to their usual shyness, in the saunas there is no more shyness, they drop the swimsuits!

Studying at SAMK

A very important part of my Erasmus is the university, after all, that’s why I’m here! The first time I visited the university, I was impressed by the modernity and the possibilities. There are places to relax, to work alone or in groups and even to have fun with a pool table.

The teaching is indeed very different from Belgium. Here, the students call the teachers by their first name, the timetables are light and group work is encouraged. What I find most interesting is that students can really choose their study program according to their interests, they don’t have to take the same courses as everyone else and there are many alternatives such as concrete projects that can be included in the credits. The school also places much importance on well-being, there are a gym and group classes that are open to everyone.

The Erasmus experience

Being on Erasmus means leaving your comfort zone, going to a country you don’t know and living with people you don’t know. But thanks to this challenge, you grow, you discover a new culture and you meet great people of all origins. You learn to be independent, to live in a community and to accept each other with our differences.

Traveling

Being a tourism student and therefore a travel enthusiast, I have taken advantage of being here to visit Finland and also the neighboring countries. We organized trips to Tallinn, Stockholm and Copenhagen. Of course, there were a lot of us so I was able to practice my travel planning skills. I think it’s good to take advantage of these four months to see as much as possible because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.   

Text and photos: Camille De Borman, exchange student from Haute École Galilée University of Applied Sciences in Belgium