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International exchange students

Welcome to Luksia!

We are happy to have you as exchange student in Luksia, perhaps completing your on-the-job training in a Finnish company, or spending some weeks with our students at Luksia, Western Uusimaa Education and Training Consortium.

On this page, you will find practical information on Finland, living in Western Uusimaa region, and links to further information.

 

Survival guide to Finland

  1. Accommodation
  2. Daylight
  3. Food and shopping
  4. Health
  5. Language
  6. Media
  7. Mobile phones and internet
  8. Money, banks and ATMs
  9. Post
  10. Transport
  11. Tourism
  12. Weather
  13. Useful websites about Finland
  14. More information about Western Uusimaa region

 

Accommodation

For Luksia's foreign exchange students, accommodation can be arranged in these three locations:

Student dormitory, Lohja:

  • Next to the school (furnished single or double rooms), address Toivonkatu 4, 08100 Lohja
  • Cost: 150 € / month per person, including breakfast (Monday to Friday, 6.45-8.30) and dinner (Monday to Thursday, 15.30-16.15)
  • Apartments include shared kitchen and bathroom
  • Only for younger students (under 25), and only if free rooms are available. Students may have to share a double room if there are not enough free rooms available.
  • Open only during school year (from mid-August until Christmas; and from early January until the end of May)

Student apartments, Nummela:

  • Address: Majatuvankuja 1, 03100 Nummela, 200m from the bus station, 1,5km from Luksia
  • Furnished apartments with three or four bedrooms, each student has his/her own room and WC/shower
  • Kitchen is shared with flatmates
  • Simply furnished rooms: bed, mattress, desk, closet, one set of bedsheets, one pillow and blanket
  • Simply furnished kitchen: fridge, stove and oven, a few dishes and basic cutlery included
  • Average rent for one room: 320€ / month

Daylight

The amount of daylight and darkness changes quite strongly even in southern Finland, although in Lapland, above the polar circle, it is extreme. In Lohja, for example on 1 January, the sun rises at 9.25am and sets at 3.30pm. On 1 March, the sun rises at 7.19am and sets at 5.53pm. On 1 June, the sun rises already at 4.06am and sets at 10.37pm. You can check the daily sunrise and sunset times for example here:

https://sunrisesunset.info/cities-finland/time-sunrise-sunset-lohja

Food and shopping

Biggest supermarkets include “Citymarket” and “Prisma” both in Lohja and Nummela. They sell everything from food to household items and entertainment. Smaller grocery shops include "Lidl" or “K-Market”. There are small shopping malls both in Lohja ("Lohjantähti") and in Nummela (across the bus station). Helsinki has a wider selection of shopping malls and specialized stores.

Remember that tap water is drinkable in Finland so you do not need to buy any drinking water from supermarkets.

Finland is unfortunately one of the most expensive countries in Europe when it comes to the price of food. Some examples:

  • milk 1,50 € /l
  • toast 1,70 €/300 g
  • orange juice 1-3 €/l
  • pasta 1,30 €/ kg
  • yoghurt 0,60 € / 2dl
  • coca cola 1,80 €/0,5 l
  • Big Mac meal 7,95 € 
  • pizza or kebab in a fast food restaurant 8-10 €

Health

If you get sick, inform your work place and, if necessary, also Coordinator of International Affairs. During day time, you can visit the school nurse (Ojakkalantie 2, Nummela or Toivonkatu 4, Lohja).

At night (from 4pm until 8am), on week-ends and holidays, in emergency cases you will need to go to the hospital located in Lohja (Tynninharju health centre, “Tynninharjun terveysasema”), address Sairaalatie 8, Lohja. Tel. +358 19 369 2900

Important telephone numbers in case of emergency:

  • General emergency number (ambulance) 112
  • First Aid Call Centre +358 100 84 884
  • Health Care Centre - Night Emergency Duty +358 100 84 884
  • Toxicology Information Centre + 358 (0) 9 471 977 or +358 (0)9 4711

Language

The official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish. Sami, Roma and sign language are official minority languages. Although many people in Finland speak English and your main working language will most likely be English, it is very useful to know a few words of Finnish to help in everyday life and encounters with people at the work place.

These websites may be useful for learning the basics of Finnish language:

Taste of Finnish - University of Helsinki's free online course for exchange students

Venla - Finnish for foreigners

Easyfinnish - elementary online Finnish course (not functioning on mobile devices)

Supisuomea - Real Finnish - online course

Media

Programmes and movies on Finnish television, except for children's shows, are usually in original language and subtitled in Finnish. TV programmes of YLE, the public broadcasting online can be watched at http://areena.yle.fi. More TV programmes on Finnish channels at www.katsomo.fi and www.ruutu.fi.

For English news online, check http://yle.fi/uutiset/news/ or www.helsinkitimes.fi.

Mobile phones and internet

You can buy a prepaid calling card for example at R-kioski. R-kioski is a kiosk marked with blue-white-yellow stripes and they offer beverages, magazines, lottery, candies etc.

There are several phone operators (eg. Sonera, Saunalahti, Tele Finland, DNA) selling prepaid sim cards which also include unlimited 3G or 4G data access. The monthly cost for unlimited data is around 20-25 euros. Different options are listed here: http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Finland 

Many coffee shops provide free Wi-Fi for their customers.

Money, banks and ATMs

In Finland the ATMs where you can withdraw money are marked with a yellow OTTO sign or "Nosto" sign. You should check already in your own country that your own bankcard functions abroad. Just in case also find out at your own bank which is the cooperative bank in Finland. 

Post

The post office in Finland is called Posti. You may also buy stamps in many supermarkets or eg. at R-Kioski.

Nummela: Posti, K-supermarket Nummela, address: Keskikuja 3, 03100 NUMMELA. Open from 7am until 9pm from Monday to Friday, from 8am to 9pm on Saturday, and from 10am to 8pm on Sunday.

Lohja: Posti, K-citymarket Lohja, address: Ojamonharjuntie 61, 08200 Lohja. Open from 8am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday, and from 10am to 6pm on Sunday.

Transport

Bus tickets for Western Uusimaa region (Nummela/Ojakkala in Vihti, Lohja, Raasepori etc)

  • Fare depends on the length of the journey: minimum fare is 3,30€, up to 6km distance

You can buy the single ticket from the driver. The card for monthly tickets can only be bought at Matkahuolto office at Lohja/Nummela bus station. The price of the card is 6,50€.

You may check all bus schedules, both for local buses in Western Uusimaa as well as regional and national lines at www.matkahuolto.fi/en.   

Trains: www.vr.fi; buses: www.matkahuolto.fi; check special discounts both on VR website for trains.

Taxis are expensive in Finland. There are several different apps and phone numbers for different taxi companies.

Tourism

Lohja: Tips from Luksia's students

Nummela (Vihti): Tips from Luksia's students

  • Outdoor activities: many nature tracks for running, sports fields and halls for football, Finnish baseball, ice hockey, swimming, fishing…
  • Vihti Ski Center (www.vihtiski.fi/) and Golf Center (www.vihtigolf.fi)
  • Carting track
  • Vihti Bowling (www.vihtibowling.fi)

Visiting Helsinki

Weather

The weather in Finland is quite unpredictable. Prepare with many layers, wind and water proof clothing, and not only with winter clothes if you are coming in the spring! You can expect anything between +10 and +35 in the summer time (from June until August), and between +10 and -30 in the winter time (November to March). Autumn and spring can include both chilly and snowy, or sunny days with pleasant, mild temperatures. Even in the spring you might already need sunglasses, swimsuit and sunscreen! Usually there is snow in Western Uusimaa between the months of January and March, although the first snow may come already in October.

You can check average temperatures, rainfall and snowfall online, for example here: https://www.worldweatheronline.com/lohja-weather-averages/southern-finland/fi.aspx

Useful websites

InfoBank pages contain important basic information for people moving to Finland in 15 different languages: on the functioning of society, culture, social and health care etc.

The official tourism website for Finland in 9 different languages.

This is Finland – website by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with news articles, facts and practical information in 6 different languages. 

Guides about life in Finland in English and in 10 other languages, prepared by the Ministry of Internal Affairs

A Guide to Finnish Customs and Manners

More information on the Uusimaa region and Helsinki

 

Back to main page in English

 

 

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