General information for students
The more you know about living in Finland and the exact destination of your exchange the easier it will be for you to make the transition and settle in. This section contains a lot of information for the Summer School students and we strongly encourage you to read the information available before applying for the Summer School. When you are accepted as a student for the Summer School you will receive more specific information from Xamk about starting your studies here.
There will be many new experiences and challenges to overcome and you will find your journey to Finland to be truly educational – perhaps in ways you never imagined. We hope that you will be able to combine your studies with the opportunity to visit places of cultural and historic interest in Finland, and in a few of our neighboring countries.
If you have any questions regarding the Summer School, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Welcome to Finland – The happiest country in the world!
Contact information
Ulla Vuorinen
International Student Advisor
South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences
ulla.vuorinen@xamk.fi
Entering Finland
Further information on entering Finland
Learn about Finland
Read moreLearn about studying in Mikkeli - The city, Campus area, accommodation & more
Read moreLearn about Xamk
Read morevisit helsinki
Helsinki is the capital of Finland and it’s a beautiful summer city located right on the shore of the Baltic sea. There’s tons of things to see and do in Helsinki on a nice summer day and the city is easily reachable (just 1,5 hour train ride from Kouvola and 2,5 from Mikkeli). Please find out more about the city here: My Helsinki. In Helsinki there’s for sure something for everyone, so we definitely recommend you find you favorite activities in the city and spend at least one day there!
Visit st. petersburg, Tallinn or stockholm
During your time off you also have a great chance to make short trips outside of Finland. For example, you could easily visit St. Petersburg in Russia, Tallinn in Estonia or Stockholm in Sweden.
St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and many consider it to be the country’s cultural capital. They offer for travellers a mixed experience of culture and history combined with modern urban city life. You can read more about the city at Visit St. Petersburg. For entering Russia you should apply a tourist visa. More information about acquiring a visa is available at Visa to Russia.
Tallinn is very easy to reach by a ferry ride from Helsinki. It’s a lovely city for a day trip with a large selection of museums, shops, restaurants and of course the most well-known attraction, the Old Town. More information about Tallinn is available at Visit Tallinn.
Stockholm – just like Tallinn – is easily reachable by a ferry ride either from Helsinki or from Turku which is located in the South-Western coast of Finland. As an old coastal city with a lot interesting locations and cultural activities, Turku can also offer a very interesting stopping point for a traveller before they continue over the sea to visit the capital of Sweden. Stockholm is a very modern Nordic city and well worth the trip. More information about the city can be found at
Visit Stockholm.
visit lapland
The Northern part of Finland – called Lapland – is maybe best known for it’s beautiful snowy landscapes in winter and of course it’s also the home for Santa Clause. However, Lapland is just as full of wonder and beauty during the summer months. The summer in Northern Finland offers you a truly unique nature experience with its endless forests and lakes – and beside the nature itself there’s countless activities available for eager travellers.Read more here and start planning your Lapland adventure at Visit Lapland.
