Exchange students’ get-together day in April 2022

The day is considered a remarkable event for exchange students at SAMK. This time, together with Soteekki, Student Deacon & Pastor, SAMK International Office welcomed over 80 young and energetic exchange students to participate in the day. The main purpose of the day is to create an opportunity for exchange students to make friends and learn and experience aspects of Finnish culture.

The day started off with some informative presentations for the students. The first presentation was about Finnish culture in general. The presentation was entertaining; including a Finnish F1 driver press conference, vlogs on some cities in Finland and Gordon Ramsey trying out traditional Finnish Easter food.

As all students might face difficulty when coming to a new place and experiencing new things, a well-being group was introduced to the students to let them know who they can go to for support. This also led to discussions about Finnish Easter culture.

For the rest of the day, exchange students got a close exposure to Finnish culture, particularly regarding Finnish Easter. Easter in Finland is well-known for its traditional delicacy – Mämmi, and also “virpomisvitsat” – willow twigs with colourful feathers and attractive decoration to celebrate this special occasion. Other food such as leipäjuusto (bread cheese) and grillimakkara (grilled sausage) were also introduced to everyone.

In addition, our exchange students were interested in other recreational activities, such as Easter egg hunting, hot sauna and cold plunge to the sea as a part of Finnish culture; jumping rope and trivia quizzes.

– Outdoor activities and sauna are the best way to enjoy life as a Finnish person, says Wang Junyi, a representative from SAMK International Office.

The event ended successfully with students making more connections and learning about the Finnish traditions which adds a fun experience to their exchange program.