What you should include on your luggage for Finland? (Shopping List '09)

At the moment, you all might be wondering what to buy and what not to bring to Finland. So, I have prepared a shopping list for you all by including the stuffs what you must bring.

SHOE AND SOCKS

1. Snow Shoe - 1 Set
2. Sports and Warm Shoes like HiTech shoes - 1 Set
3. Light casual shoes like Summer shoes - 1 Set
4. Summer Sandal - 1 Set
5. Socks (Very Warm) - 5 Set
6. Socks (Medium) - 5 Set

PANTS

1. Jeans Pant - 5 set
2. Cotton pant - 1 set (Optional)

Being cold country, Jeans are all time favorite here. So, Cotton Pant are not preferable.

T-SHIRTS

1. Winter T-Shirts - 4; (Very Warm, full sleeve)
2. Summer T-shirts - 4; (Full and Half Sleeve; similar as you wear in Kathmandu)
3. Thermocot - 2 sets (Thermal Inner wear for Winter; can be found in Nepal Wool House, Bhotahiti)

SWEATERS

1. Very Warm Type - 1
2. Medium - 1
3. Thin (Summer Type) - 1

JACKETS

1. Very Warm and Multi-layered Jacket -1 ( North face type)
2. Warm jacket -1 (Like the one you wear in Kathmandu during Winter)
3. Hood (Warm) - 1 (Optional)

CAP AND GLOVES

1. Cap (Topi) covering ears -2 (Might be Woolen Topi; do not think about Fency; you feel the fashain during Winter at -30 degree)
2. Gloves - 2 set (Warm; very warm and comfortable to ride on Bicycle as well)

OTHER CLOTHING

1. Normal Cloth set for wearing inside the room - 2 set (Since all of the rooms will be heated and temperature maintained; average cloths as you wear in Kathmandu during Summer will work for all seasons.)
2. Half pant/Trouser - 1/2 set
3. Bed Cover (tanna) - 1 set
4. Sports Wear (Optional)
5. Towel - 1

BAG/MOBILE/OTHERS

1. Mobile set - 1 set (Mobiles are relatively expensive here than in Nepal).
2. Bag (backpack) - 1 (It is better to think about laptop bags to be carried back side so that you can comfortably ride bicycle as well).
3. Memory stick (pen drive) - 1
4. Ball pen - 1 dozen
5. Hair Cutting Machine/Scissor - 1 (Hair Cutting is really expensive here)
6. Umbrella -1
7. Raincoat -1
8. Sewing needles and sewing threads (सियो धागो) - Few

UTENSILS

1. Pressure cooker - 1 (medium size; might be of 2/3 Ltr.; while packing separate the cover and pack on luggage bag; do to close the cover of pressure cooker)
2. Multipurpose non-sticky frying pan
3. Plate, Spoon, glass (though these items are widely available on second hand stores as well, but it might not be easily available on your city; so it it better to bring minimum required set)

COSMETIC

1. Shaving Set (Shaving Cream, razors; also include extra razors)
2. Toothpaste and brush 2/3
3. Shampoo - 1/2 (larger)
4. Bathing gel/soap - 1/2 (larger)
5. Nail cutter - 1
6. Perfume - 2/3 (Optional)
8. Chip stick or lip guard (MUST for Winter) - 2/3

MEDICINE PACK

Bring general purpose medicine pack (tablets for Cetamol, Asprine, Metronidazol, Betadin, Aciloc , bandage, Handyplast, Cuttons, Thermometer) since medicines are really expensive here and can not be bought without prescriptions. Medical expenses are really high in Finland.

SOUVENIRS AND GIFT ITEMS

Yes, do not forget to bring a flag of Nepal. Also, include some souvenirs related to Nepal, it would be much helpful to freshen up the memory of your family, friends and Nepal. Also bring some gift items like postcards of Nepal, symbolic gift objects about Nepal. It would be useful for gifting your International officers, your professors and international friends. They could be also very good attractions for foreigners on cultural programs. Do not forget to visit Nepal Tourism Board at Bhrikuti Mandap; they will also give you a pack of stickers and postcards related to Nepal; free of cost.

What about books and Stationary?

You need not to bring any books to Finland. Libraries of Colleges are well equipped and flexible enough that you can manage with library books. Moreover, online reading is the most common way of study here. So, the importance of printed books are really minimal during studies.

About Copies or notebooks, you need not to bring any. Though notebooks are very expensive here, you can manage with blank sheets (A4 Paper) by converting them to notebooks. Your luggage weight is the main obstacle to bring notebooks.

About, pen, it is better to include minimum a dozen of good ball pens. You can also include highlighters, staplers with pins, paper tape, gum etc if you use them often.

What about Foods?

We eat Nepali dal-bhat daily as our main meal. So, don't worry about regular foods. But, spices of curry, chillies and typical Nepali foods are almost impossible to find. However, there are Indian Shops in most of the towns and cities and they sell all kinds of spices, chillies and all kinds of Indian stuffs (which are quire similar to Nepali taste); but my personal experience with them is that they could be better than Finnish spices but they can not give you the real taste of Nepal. So, I suggest you to pack enough amount of curry masala, other spices and chillies as well. It is better to include some dry meats, your favorite typical nepali foods and related iteams as well. You will miss the Momo here.

What about electronic goods like laptop or computer?

Electronic Goods are not so cheaper here. If you have heard about Laptops being so cheap in US, don't ever imagine that, price in US and in Finland are really much different. So, I suggest you either to bring a laptop from Nepal itself OR to manage for first few months here without computer since you will have laboratory in college where you can wisely use computers. Even some colleges issues Laptop to students from their libraries. Later, after making a good saving amount, you can buy a new one here. You can buy a good laptop here between 600-800 Euro.

You can also buy second hand computer and laptop here if you wish. Buying second hand is also a good idea; but if it causes any small problems, maintenance is really a difficult problem. So, think twice and check the laptop properly before buying a second hand one.

Confirmation to College and Resident Permit Process for 2009

Congratulations to all of those who got admission for 2009 August Session !

Good News! Don't worry anything about the place and locality since in almost every city where you are admitted, you will find at least few other Nepalese students and as you know Nepalese are very cooperative and helpful for helping their friends.


What Should you do after getting Admission on a college?

• Confirm your position on college by filling Confirmation form received on Admission Package
• Fill and return Housing Application Form as well to ensure your accommodation. Start looking and booking other housing facility located on that city as well since finding a room on most of the city is another big headache.
  
• Apply for Resident Permit (it is Student Visa of Finland).
  
• Get yourself familiarize with Finnish society, culture, environment and some basic greetings in Finnish language.
• Change entire 6000 Euro amount as Traveler's Cheque and some very minimal cash in case of some emergency on arrival before changing Traveler's Cheque. IMPORTANT: Bank Drafts are Discouraged since it takes time to deposit to your account and also deduction by banks of both sides while changing makes a significant amount of loss.
  
• Book a plane ticket and buy it immediately once you get Resident Permit.
• Do the necessary shopping and travel arrangements.

I will post the Shopping List for this year and various routes to travel a bit later.


Confirming your Position to the college

Acceptance to admission means certainty of your admission. It means are already selected for your further studies in Finland. Now, you need to follow some formal process to confirm your seat, this confirmation process means you ensure the college that you are coming to that particular college for further studies. When your admission package reached you, you will find three most important documents on the pack along with some other readable materials.

1. Letter of Acceptance: It proves that you got admission on this university. This is the document on which basis you will apply to Embassy for Resident Permit. Resident Permit is the visa name for Students.
   


2. Confirmation Form: This form is to confirm and reserve your seat on this university. You are supposed to fill it and return back to this university to confirm your seat that you accepted your admission and will be coming to that particular university before the deadline as mentioned on the form. If you have applied to other universities of Finland as well and waiting for their admission results, do not send it immediately, since you can not confirm on multiple universities. But, be careful about the deadline to confirm your seat.
   


3. Housing Application Form: This form is to apply for Housing for your accommodation during your studies. Finding rooms is really much difficult on some of the cities of Finland. Do not wait any more for applying for Rooms. Along with immediately filling and sending this form, also start searching other housing support on your city.
   

Applying for Resident Permit

Firstly, you won't apply for Visa, you will apply for Resident Permit. According to rule of Finland, if you are staying more than 90 days, you will apply for Resident Permit, not Visa. Visa is for those who want to stay less than 90 days.

Now, you don't need any of the documents as you require on other countries. You need only following documents:

1. Passport
2. Two Color Photo (visa size, normally our passport size photo of Nepal does not match the visa size)
3. Academic certificates
4. Acceptance Letter ( which will come on your admission package)
5. Health insurance covering up to € 30000 for one year. (you can do it on insurance companies of Kathmandu or using online insurance services if you can buy online)
6. A bank balance certificate showing you have at least € 6000 (Minimum NRS 6,60,000) on your own account. (This amount is to prove that you have enough living expense for one year which will be later needed to show them on Traveler's Cheque while collecting Resident Permit) (Note that Bank Drafts are discouraged since banks on both sides deduct noticeable amount while depositing it and also it takes minimum 1-3 weeks for exchange)
   
7. Photocopies of each of the above mentioned documents.

Then, you go to Embassy with all of these documents with original documents, fill the form there. Then, you will be interviewed, generally on the same day.

You don't need any property valuation, income statement, relationship certificate. Nothing at all. Just prepare the above documents. Thats all. However, keep visiting website of Embassy of Finland, Kathmandu if any provision is changed. But, till now, the requirements are as I mentioned above.

Embassy itself does not issue the Resident Permit. Embassy just coordinates between Student (applicant) and Immigration Office; also there will be high traffic of applicants during these period. So, it takes so long period. It is said to take maximum 12 weeks but generally, it is issued within 30-50 days.

Once your decision of Resident Permit is made, you will be informed by Embassy on your phone number. Then, you need to go to Embassy and college a letter to exchange to Euro. Then, you need to go to Ministry of Education along with that letter to make permit for Euro Exchange. Then, with the permit issued by Ministry, you can go to bank of your interest or your comfortable bank to exchange the amount to Traveler's Cheque.

As per my experience, Bank of Kathmandu is the cheapest one to make draft. Nepal Investment Bank and Nabil Bank are also very cheap for exchange. Other banks might be more cheaper as well, but I don't know about them. You need to explore it yourself.

10 Questions that everyone wants to know about Nepal-Finland?

1. Why aren't you publishing the queries and their replies on website this year?
Only few of the friends who sends me the query would like to publish their queries and replies on website. Though I never published their name on website, but still they believe that with their writing style, at least their friends can recognize them. So, respecting their privacy, I reduced publishing queries and their replies on the website. I am publishing hardly 1/2 queries per month this year, that also only after tweaking their writing style or composing entirely new post addressing their issues. If you want your query to be published on web, please mention it in email explicitly.

2. I sent you an email two weeks ago, but why did not I get any reply yet?
I am replying in average of 100-120 emails per week out of total average 150 emails on admission season and 50-60 emails per week out of 100 emails other times. I always try to reply all emails. But I have also my own limitations. I am a student here and I have my studies, assignments, examinations and projects to do. So, sometimes it would be very hard for me to manage time to address all emails. In those cases, I try to reply urgent ones or the one which I have better knowledge about. I do not prioritize those generic emails who never try to explore the existing contents of the website. Please try to be more specific when you write to me so that it would be easier for me to understand your problem clearly.

3. How do you collect all information in order to reply our queries?
I will try to gather information from authentic web sources including fact books, web contents and data sheets of the concern authorities while replying your queries. If needed, I also contact the college or concern authority sometimes. I also ask Embassy and official bodies as well whenever required. I never hesitate to contact anyone in order to provide response of your query.

4. Do you support only for arriving students or help even after being in Finland?
I always help anyone whoever asks me for. Many friends within Finland as well asks me various queries related to studies, jobs, resident permit, various official formalities and also share their experiences and feelings with me. They also share about their personal problems caused due to Language, Cultural Shocks, Racism, Discrimination and their frustrations too. You might be surprised to know that out of total readers of Nepal-Finland, 40% are existing Nepalese and Asian & African friends who are already living in Finland from few months to few years.

5. How do you manage to reply for diversified queries?
When I got any query, first I study about it. When I am self convinced about the answer of the query, then I draft the reply. If a completely new field of query arrives, I first study about it detail, then only I reply to those query. So, sometimes it takes very long time for me to manage time to research about some particular query since my own study schedule itself is also very tight. Sometimes, the query just gets pending over pending since new queries just keeps on arriving and I could not manage time to research enough for existing queries.

6. Can I contribute to this website?
You are warmly welcome !! Any kind of contribution in the form of blog post itself, comments, suggestions, anger or any new idea are really appreciated. If you know something and you want to share it through Nepal-Finland, you can always send it to my email and I will publish it on your own name on Nepal-Finland if the content is suitable for Nepal-Finland.

7. Why are you so against consultancies?
I am never against the consultancies. But, I am strongly against fraud consultancies who lies, loot and keeps the students in dark about the fact. I am against only those who are not transparent and are not genuine with students.

8. What motivates you on continuing with this?
Your encouraging kind words and queries motives me for continuing it. When I get any email with keen interest about various issues, it really motivates me. When you focus on the queries to be asked while writing email, it makes me really happy. I really feel much satisfied when you reply back to me saying my response really helped you and I always work to get that satisfaction. It really keeps me engaged on reply queries for hours and hours ignoring my pending studies. You all well wishers keep me alive.

9. Why are you anonymous?
I always prefer to work remaining on background. This way, it will hide me from this complicated world where every person think and analyze my way of doing on their own opinion. I want hassle free study environment for me here in Finland and it could be possible only if I remain anonymous. Still, many people try to approach me with different motives, like some fraud consultancies and their agents to threat me since I exposed their deeds; some political dirty-minds (not all) who are always eager to use me to cash Nepal-Finland in order to grow their political career and some girgits as well. I don't want to get involved with any kinds of trouble here. And I thought, being anonymous is only the way to avoid them all and focus on helping my friends through Nepal-Finland and also continue my studies peacefully.

10. Who manages this website and is responsible for all those query responses?
I am a student currently living in Finland as you all know now. I am, only me, is responsbile for all those query responses. This website is run by a single mind and efforts. But, the encouragement and motivation of thousands of well wishers could not be underestimated. There are few respective persons, authorities and friends who always helped and encouraged me to grow it further.

List of UAS organizing Entrance in Nepal

Following Polytechnics (University of Applied Science) will organize Entrance Examinations in Nepal for 2009 Session. The entrance will be valid for the respective polytechnics and their cooperating polytechnics:

• Arcada UAS for International Business and Plastic Technology
• Central Ostrobothnia UAS
• JAMK UAS
• Kajaani UAS
• Kemi-Tornio UAS
• Lahti UAS
• Laurea UAS for Tourism, Business Management and Business Infomation Technology
• Mikkeli UAS
• Novia UAS only for Integrated Coastal Zone Management
• Oulu UAS
• PIRAMK UAS only for Tourism
  
• RAMK UAS
• Saimaa UAS
• Satakunta UAS only for Business
• Savonia UAS
• Seinäjoki UAS
• Turku UAS for International Business and Information Technology
• Vaasa UAS for International Business and Information Technology

Embassy will organize the entrance on behalf of Metropolia.
There won't be entrance in Kathmandu for DIAK and HAMK.

Another victim of Fraud Consultancy

Moi !
I would like to thank you very very much for your effort to help Nepalese students. I have some experience about coming to Finland which i think you can share with other people to make them know about these things.

I came here by applying through a friend's consultancy which said me that it will offer free service to me. but when i get confirmation letter it asked me 1200 euros. so, after that i decided to contact my college in Finland about re-sending that letter to my own address via email. But i never expected it would come..amazingly it came to my home address but i recieved it 3 days late after the deadline of the letter to be sent back. I should mark study preference and send back the letter to my college where it should have reached by September 1 2008, which was the deadline. but i received the letter on 3rd of September.

Then i went to one consultancy thinking that i can't make it anymore by my self. the consultancy agreed to charge me 10,000 which i thought at that time was very cheap. the consultancy just sent an email to college and grabbed my 10,000. I was so fooled that time as college accepted me even though the deadline was over. Then I realized that i paid 10,000 just to send one email. how fool was i ..

now after coming here.. the agent from previous consultancy tried to contact me n threaten me saying he will cancel my visa or he will do this n that..but till now he hasn't been able to come to me. and i don't afraid of such people.. i know they can't do anything as long as i stay in my position.

still i would like to ask you that is there any way he can do so that i will not be able to renew my visa this year? he said that if he complains about me to the police about being fraud or something then i can't renew my visa. is it possible? just not by coming through his consultancy can i be a fraud here? i know he can't do anything but just like to share my ideas with u so that u can share that with others..


>> You don't worry about anything. They can't do anything to you. Whatever they do, it won't effect you.


i know this Nepal-Finland is also in Facebook.. how can i find it there?

>> Here is the link of the Facebook profile. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1398993815

Study Material for Bachelor Degree Programme for Entrance 2009

Model Study Materials for Programmes of Technology, Communication and Transport

Entrance examinations includes English Language Test, a Mathematics and Physics test and a logical deduction skills test. All tests are conducted in English.

The following material is the collection of the entrance exams from 2000-2006.

Mathematics test 2000
Logical deduction skills test 2000
Mathematics and logical deduction skills test 2001
Mathematics and logical deduction skills test 2002
Mathematics and logical deduction skills test 2004
Mathematics and logical deduction skills test 2005
Mathematics and logical deduction skills test 2006

Model Study Materials for Programmes of Social Sciences and Business Administration

Entrance Examination includes English Language Test, Mathematics, Logical Deduction skills test and a test based on Written materials. You can study the same materials for Mathematics and Logical Deduction skills from above materials. The pre-reading materials for questions and essay in the written part will be based on the following articles. Please prepare with the following articles:

a. First Set: Doing good – Business and the sustainability challenge

b. Second Set:
When fortune frowned
Charting a different course

c. A publication by SITRA Cleantech Finland - improving the environment through business

If you face problems when opening the above-mentioned page, please use this link instead.

Material Source: HAMK

Study Material for Bachelor Degree in Nursing for Entrance 2009

Detailed study materials are not announced yet for Nursing. I will update here on the same post once it is announced. Following is the brief description about model of the entrance.

The entrance examination will consist of the following parts:

• Mathematics test. If the applicant fails to reach the minimum point level of 12 points out of 20 in this examination part, he/she will be disqualified from the entrance examination. For those who get to proceed with the examination the points got in this part will not be taken into consideration in the final points.
• Written interview questions (0 - 30 points). The applicant has to get at least 8 points from this part. But the higher and competitive score will increase the probability of selection.
  
• An essay (0 - 70 points). The applicant has to get at least 12 points from this part. Essay is one of the major deciding factor for the selection of student.

Nursing selection is very competitive. Last year, in average 4 students out of each 100 students were selected for admission. So, prepare well for entrance.

My experiences with Nepal-Finland

I started the blog with the motive to share the information that I know about Finland. In fact, I still remember how much of hours I spend on Internet when I was thinking about Finland. I spend hours and hours surfing a number of websites to solve the query of my mind. So, I started www.nepalfinland.com after coming here thinking that this blog will somehow help those who are seeking information about Finland.

I started the blog with awareness to students for avoiding consultancy services. Though I did not process through any consultancy, I knew some of my friends being victim of Consultancy. Consultancy charged them about 1500 euro just for posting the application. They use to say they can influence the admission process. They say, they have some 'internal link' with admission officer of the university and also on the embassy for visa. A student is forced to believe that since agent of colleges are common in Kathmandu for other countries like Australia. The more dangerous stories is about jobs. They use to say, some XYZ started earning 2000 euro after 2 months and now they are sending back very handsome amount and earning 2000 is normal since it is the minimum payment scale for most of the jobs. Some alert students can easily validate this information. But, we Nepalese, believe people so easy and do not bother to validate those information. Also, they use to say, you just need draft to show to embassy and you can cancel the draft before departure which is actually a suicide attempt and completely illegal since it would be checked by border police while entering Finland. I use to work on a daily newspaper in Nepal, so all these information were known to me easily. So, these all fake stories by Consultancy ignited me to start an awareness campaign against Consultancies.

When I started Nepal-Finland, I had no intention to be anonymous. I started blogging with my real name. Later, when consultancies of Nepal and some of their agents in Finland started threatening me, I started blogging anonymous. It is not that I got afraid from them, but I became anonymous since I don't want any kind of trouble here in Finland since I came here for studies and just want to focus on my studies. So, I preferred to be anonymous. But, being anonymous did not stop threatens.

Some threats were bit polite, some were dirty, some were rough and some life-threats as well. Some came from Nepal by email and phone numbers as well. Some from different cities of Finland by agents of those consultancies. I really wonder how they came to know my identity and got my phone numbers. Only very few persons and authorities have my real identity. Till today, I am getting in average of a threat in a week. These people never get tired by threatening me, and I am never scared to expose them and aware more students.

During last academic season, I was very much active and use to reply about 50-100 emails per week. When the entrance was over, I thought, now the flow of email will reduce. But not, it remained constant since after that students started asking preparation, shopping, flight and other related issues. This process did not end even after August since after arriving here same persons started asking about various aspects of jobs, academic issues and career options.
This year, after October, I became bit selective on answering queries since I explored a large volume of students started emailing me even without reading a single post on www.nepalfinland.com. A sample email:

Hi Nepal Finland,
I would like to apply for Finland, tell me more about courses, jobs and admission issues.

Regards,
ABC

I did not find any logic on answering those emails since they are not specific enough and did not bother to explore the contents of www.nepalfinland.com. So, even if I answer them in detail about all issues, I am not assured they would read my email. First about a hundred of such emails, I replied by saying, please be more specific about your query. Later, I just stopped replying such emails and focused on specific queries.

I have already posted much information on various posts itself. Since that is a blog, all contents does not seem visible at once. So, I request you to run the search from the search button located on right-top, before submitting any query.

These days, I am replying about 100 emails per week. Today only, I replied about 90 emails. Being a student, sometimes it becomes very difficult for me to manage time for replying such a massive amount of emails. So during that period, some emails kept pending even for a month since I will reply some, but again new email comes, so the older one always piles up. I always try my best to manage enough time for it, but does not happen all the time. Effort of a single person is always less when it comes about helping thousands of people.

Credit Transfer and Various Issues

Dear Friend,
Thanks for your mail. Let me answer your queries individually:

Dear Friend,

I am undergraduate students in finance (3 years) from my home country; that is to say I would be likely to finish the undergraduate in finance programme this year 2009 in take and I am planning to study in Finland for my further studies this year 2009. There is no doubt there is four years undergraduate programme in Finland. I would like to transfer my credits form my home country to Finland for my completeness of my undergraduate in Finland or may be master degree, is it be possible with the same visa? or renewal needed?

 

Practically, Credit Transfer to Finland is not possible. My suggestions would be, complete your bachelor level first and come to Finland for your Master's degree. But, you did not mention your university and degree name, might be that would have gave me more about about the degree that you are trying to transfer. It is because, if you come in Bachelor degree again, you might be able to claim your credits for the degree your completed there after coming here, but still, its all depends upon the polytechnic itself whether to accept your credits or not. Yet again, coming to Master's degree after Bachelor is the best and recommended solution for you.


 

 I have heard IELTS is compulsory to study in Finland, is it so?

 

Yes, it is true. IELTS or TOEFL is compulsory for every applicant from this year, 2009.

 

 I am served for UNHCR for more than 2 years; is this experiences help?

You did not mention how you served UNHCR. Your experience is counted, it is after the degree and on related field of your studies. If it is not so, it might be counted, but is not a very good advantage.

 

 The information I would like to know; the queries are:

• Right time/application intake in this year 2009 for studying in Finland for international students.
• How to choose the right colleges/universities

I think you did not browse through the posts of www.nepalfinland.com. I hope following posts will help you a lot:

• Exploring university website
• European Scholarships for Master and Post Graduate Studies
• Application Process in 2009 for Finland

 

• Right and affordable cost for the colleges/universities although the tuition fee is free of cost; is it applicable for transfer students? What is the minimum credits do international students need for transfer at undergraduate level or master's level?
• No of hours work permit for international students in Finland?
• Scholarships/financial aid for transfer international students.

You can work maximum 25 hours per week under student status. Since transfer itself is not possible for Nepalese students, the rest of the queries are not applicable.

 

• Do visa is provided for one year or for the whole period of study?
• Student visa to resident permit in Finland, is it possible? How?

Resident Permit itself is the name of the visa awarded to students who come here for degree, both Bachelor and Master's. It is primarily issued for one year and you need to renew it each year. If you mean Permanent Residency by Resident Permit, I suggest you to go through the website of Finnish Immigration Service (http://www.migri.fi/netcomm/content.asp?path=8,2474). As much as I know, you need to be a tax paying civilian living here in Finland for at least 5 years to apply for Permanent Residency.

Help me learn FINNISH language

Hi,

I am a student moving to Finland for my master's...I want to learn basics of this language before i move to the country so that it would help me in my day to day interactions...kindly let me know where can i learn it in Nepal.

Hi,
I don't think there are any good Finnish learning center in Kathmandu. Please check it once on Bishwa Bhasa college, it might have, but I don't know. Else, there are no other institutions  which offers Finnish language.

The best way to learn Finnish is to learn online. Following are some links for learning Finnish:

• Tamy
• Tampare University of Technology Links
• There are some links here as well: TKK's Finnish Course Links"> TKK's Finnish

Following are some additional links:

 

1. Uuno is a language learning resource, primarily intended to teach foreign exchange students about the Finnish language and Finnish culture before they come to Finland. Uuno provides a non-demanding and entertaining introduction to the Finnish grammar.

 

2. Want to learn some Finnish or practice what you already know? Easyfinnish is an elementary online course aimed at anyone interested in learning Finnish. Perform exercises, listen to audios, play games, converse with others or test your skills.

 

3. Finnish for Foreigners provides an introduction to the Finnish language and Finland. University of Helsinki Language Centre.

 

4. The Finnish Language provides an introduction to the Finnish language and grammar.

 

5. Supisuomea is a beginners'/basic course in Finnish that helps you to deal with various everyday situations in Finnish.

Some very useful links you must visit to know Finland

- Prem Raj Adhikari
http://www.premraj.com.np

In recent years, there has been significant increase in the number of students who are willing to study abroad. Finland has been a hot choice of many students to study for various reasons. Most prominent of them being that education is free for all. There are always a lot of questions asked about studying in Finland and information related to it. So, here I have tried to compile a list that includes many links that can be suitable for the students willing to pursue their higher studies in Finland.

1. Nepal-Finland: This website is the single best website especially for the Nepalese students because it is created and maintained by a anonymous Nepali student studying in Finland. It has almost every information. It therefore answers almost all of your queries. However, if feel that you have not got answers to your queries then you can email the blogger on nepalfinland@gmail.com and the blogger will reply you as soon as possible. The website is a blog and if you feel you have more information in one topic then you can always add your comments. Link: Nepal Finland

2. Finland Forum: This website is a forum and many international and Finnish people participates in this forum. It is a forum and information are given inform of questions and answers. So, you may have to spend quiet sometime in this website. Since this forum generalizes the information for all international students, it sometimes gives much broader view of the information you required which is always good while you are thinking about studying in Finland. Link: Finland Forum

3. Finnish Embassy in Nepal is a great source of information for everything including the studies information. Link: Finnish Embassy in Nepal

4. Discover Finland has vital information for students who are planning to study in Finland. It also contains the collection of Study Programs offered in English Medium through out the Finland on all of the academic Institutions of Finland including Universities and Polytechnics. So, you should thoroughly scan through this web if you really wanna know about Finnish education system. Link: Discover Finland

5. List of Polytechnics and Universities in Finland:

• Universities, Ministry of Education, Finland
• 
  
• Polytechnics, Ministry of Education Finland

6. CIMO, the Center for International Mobility has its own website. You must visit it if you are thinking about Finland. It also provides various kinds of scholarships. Link: CIMO

7. Joint Application System: For bachelor level education in Polytechnics, the admissions issues is handled by a centralized admission system. Remember that to study Bachelor's in Finland in English, it is almost always the case that you will end up in polytechnics and there are some issues related with it. You have to be aware of that. All the applications, selections and publication of results is handled through admissions.fi. Link: Admissions.fi

8. University Admissions: For masters degree admissions, not all universities participate in centralized admission system. So, you have to apply to individually to the universities. However, the following websites gathers the information about all universities of Finland and provides you from the same website. Link: University Admissions

9. Google translate: Many websites has information in Finnish, so you can translate that to English using translate.google.com, select Finnish(or Suomi) to English from two drop down lists. Link: Google Translate

10. Learn Finnish: If you want to learn Finnish, then here are more than a couple of links:

• Tamy
• Tampare University of Technology Links
• I haven't gone through all but one of my favorite is Finnish for Foreigners, University of Helsinki
• There are some links here as well: TKK's Finnish Course Links"> TKK's Finnish
  

11. Want to know Finland more closely? Browse through following links:

• There is an online community for everyone interested in Finland: Finland Live
• Here is the blog that I always feel like reading as it shows you how does it feel like studying in Finland: Finland from a Foreigner's eye
• For more information about Finland, stats, history and politics visit Finland.fi

12. Nepal Related Associations and works in Finland:

• Community of Nepalese and well-wisher of Nepal living in Finland: Suomi-Nepal -seura, Finland-Nepal Friendship Association
• A Research paper: Indian and Nepalese Women Living in Finland

IELTS and TOEFL deadline

 

Dear Friend, Now fren I'm thinking to apply apply on New session in both Master and Bachelor degree, and here are some queries from my side..hope ou'll manage your time to reply. 1. Is the IELTS test is compulsory for all University?

 

 

Yes, it is compulsory for all universities and polytechnics from this year.

 

 

2. Is it posible to submit the IELTS test result laterly ( If i take the test after March/April 2009) ?. Which is the best time to take the test? (To meet the application criteria)

 

 

Your language proficiency certificate (IELTS or TOEFL) should not be ready while applying. It should reach the polytechnics of your first priority or university which you have applied by 20th February 2009, 4.15 PM Finnish Time. So, don't be confused here, your applying online deadline ends on 13th February 2009 itself. 20th February 2009 is the deadline for reaching all the required documents like academic transcripts and all relavant documents, so this is the same deadline for reaching IELTS or TOEFL result as well.

 

The minimum language requirements for Bachelor level in IELTS is Academic Level 5.5 (You know there are two types of tests for IELTS, Academic and General, only Academic Test is acceptable), TOEFL 213 for Computer based Test and 80 for Internet bases test. However, it is always safe to score more for better priority.

 

I suggest to take tests by the mid of first week of January 2009 since TOEFL results take much times. If you are taking IELTS, you can take by mid of January as well. It is better to take it early as much as possible to avoid tight and rush deadlines and timings.

 

 

 

3. Would you suggest some  good University or politechnic, for Master Degree application. Actually i'm  thinking about the part-time master degree and  possibly managing the study from Helsinki.

 

 

It depends upon your study preference and various other factors as well. If you write to me in detail about your subject of interest and all of the releated factors you consider while choosing university or polytechnic, I might be able to assist you.

Confusion about IELTS Suggestions

I've some confusion about IELTS information on the page. You have mentioned -"you should be completed the IELTS or TOEFL test by the end of December" and again you have informed -"You need passport to apply to college. So, you must have made it by the end of December 2008 to apply in January 2009 for August 2009 Session."

 

Aren't these documents and score of IELTS are not accepted if they are made by the 15th of January 2009? I need your reply soon because I am also preparing for the August session and have lots of confusion. Still i'll need your valuable suggestions and information for my further steps. I'll be waiting your reply.

Dear Friend,

I suggested the dates to make you feel comfortable so that you won't be hurry while applying. The date of Passport or IELTS does not really matter. You can just make your passport on the same day of applying as well. Similarly, You can appear for IELTS for the same day if you prefer.

I wrote to do it by December so that you won't be in hurry while applying since I do realize how much mental pressure you would suffer through. So, I told you to do it on time so that you will feel much relief. My dates are not the deadlines. They are just recommendations or suggestions.

European Scholarships for Master and Post Graduate level Studies

One of my very good friend compiled this list of scholarships offered in European region for Master and Post Graduate level. Please go their websites to know more about these scholarships:

TOEFL Or IELTS are mandatory for all the scholarships.


1. The shell centenary scholarship
This scholarship is provided by Shell Company and most importantly it provides scholarship in some of the best universities of UK like University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh and even University of Oxford ( I guess these universities are in high ranking ).

Procedures

1. Apply to the university marking that you are applying for shell centenary scholarship and if you are admitted to the course then the admission committee will forward you the electronic version of the Shell scholarship and then the selection of shell scholarship starts.
2. Once you are short listed, either the university people or the shell people will take interview by phone in second round.

Benefits

• Scholarship for tuition fees, accommodation and foods around ( 1100 euro per month).
• You will be get your air fares (economical class) paid by shell so u have to have your receipt of air ticket safe with you.

Website
http://www.shellscholar.org/courses/index.html


2. Erasmus Mundus scholarship
Most awaited and one of the most prestigious scholarships program of Europe which also allows to gain double degree by within a single master's degree period.

Requirements
a. TOEFL/IELTS is must. (You are in safe side if you have GRE but it is not mandatory).
b. Good academic records.
c. Recommendation Letters.

Requirements are as per demand of the course. you can apply maximum program for an academic year choosing the suitable course.

http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/mundus/projects/index_en.html

Visit the above link and find the suitable course for you.

This year 27 Nepalese got this scholarship. This scholarship is not limited to engineering only. It ranges from human right to press education and even the education science.

Benefits will cover payment of 1500 to 2200 Euro per month depending upon the country and the course.


3. NORAD (Norway)
This is for Norway and after the end of the masters program. If you are thinking about doing job on the same country after completion of the degree, it is not for you since it binds you to return back immediately after completion of the degree. Else, you need to pay the entire amount back which they had spent on you as scholarship.

http://www.studyinnorway.no/Tuition-Scholarships/Scholarships


4. NUFFIC (Netherlands)
Same as NORAD, NUFFIC is government scholarship scheme for developing countries. The Netherland promote for African and women so there is less chance if you are male. The girl will be selected if your competetor is a girl on admission process (previous statistics of selection shows it)

Procedure:

1. First get the admission letter from the university you are interested in by following normal admission procedure.
2. Then, apply for NUFFIC with the letter of admission u have received.

Generally to access the admission it takes about 8 weeks and the deadline for the NUFFIC is around March 1st for Nepal. Then if u r selected then u will get 950 euro per month for 2 years.

http://www.nuffic.nl/international-students/scholarships/


5. SI scholarship(Sweden)
Don know much about this scholarship, but for sure this is one of the attractive scholarship since it also encourages Nepalese to apply for. You can explore more about it on the following link:

http://www.studyinsweden.se/templates/cs/Article____10499.aspx

Nepal is under ODA countries so you are eligible to apply.


6. DAAD (German)
It is very attractive German Government scholarship. But, unfortunately, it is not available for Computer Science. Students of other faculties can go through it:

http://www.daad.de/en/index.html


7. Government scholarship of Denmark
I haven't explore much about this scholarship, you can browse through the following link to find more:

http://www.studyindenmark.dk/tuition-and-scholarships/scholarship-scheme#section-0


8. IMPIT (Finland)// university specific scholarships:

I had already described about this scholarship on previous blogs as well. Please go through the following blog post to know more about it:

IMPIT Scholorship and Credit Transfer Issues
For dealing with university specific scholarships: Exploring university website

IMPIT website: http://cs.joensuu.fi/impit/

Exploring university website

When, you start surfing university website, you might be bit confused what to look for. It happens with almost all of the applicants. I am trying to simplify this on easy for steps for you:

You will find most of the university websites are in Finnish language by default. You can change it to English version by changing language option. You can find, flag of UK or "In English" or "English" or "International" option to change the language to English. These options are generally placed on top-right or top-left or below the left menu panel. Unfortunately, some polytechnics does not offer their websites in English at all. Thats very sad part of them, but you are helpless to explore their websites in that case. In that case, just try to get any email address from the website and mail them for further information about them.

First Step: Search course or program of your interest
The very first step will start with exploring does that university or polytechnics offer course or program of your interest or not. Programs they offer can be found under 'Studies' or 'International Student' or 'Perspective students' or 'Admission' section. Sometimes, they can be found under Department websites as well. So, try to explore as much options as you can. Once you find the courses of your interest, read its description in detail. And confirm yourself whether that program is taught in English or Finnish? whether they international students for that particular program or not?

Second Step: Exploring Admission process and materials required
After you met courses of your interest, you need to explore how and when to apply for that program. You need to find admission information under 'Admission' or 'How to apply' section. You will find there, what are the minimum criteria of admission and whether you meet those criteria or not? What are the documents they required for application package and among them which are mandatory and which are preferable? What is the application period and deadline? What is the admission process and whom are you suppose to send your documents? What is the contact information of the contact person whom you can query about your application status?

Third Step: Maintaining contact
Sometimes, it happens that you won't understand all of the information presented on the website. And, it might also happen that information on website does not satisfy you. In that case, the best option is to mail them. Finnish are very co-operative on emails. Definitely, they might be busy and can take a long time to reply your mail, but they will reply with optimum information you need. Its better to contact the concern person depending upon your query. For example, you want to know about courses, you need to mail contact person of particular department. You need to know about international students and related stuff, contact International office. You need to know about admission process, contact Admission Officer. If you can't find the email of the concern person, then, don't bother about it; just send a mail to anyone, they will forward your mail to the concern person and notify you about it.
Most of the email addresses you find on their websites are arranged on firstname and lastname basis. You will find email addresses on following format:
Contact Josie Parkinen for Information Technology, Sophie Norad for Business programs and Annie Connie for Sociology.
Their email address is firstname.lastname@hut.fi
So, their email addresses are josie.parkinen@hut.fi, sophie.norad@hut.fi and annie.connie@hut.fi where hut.fi is the domain of their email.
If you are not sure which one is their first name and which one is last name, just send to both. It means, send to both josie.parkinen@hut.fi and parkinen.josie@hut.fi if you can't find which one is her first name. Generally, if it says Josie Parkinen, Josie is the first name and if it says Josie, Parkinen; then Josie is last name. Remember, a single comma is inserted in between names which last name is written first.

Fourth Step: Job and scholarship options
If you are seeking for scholarship during your studies, explore scholarship options offered for your program. Since, Education is free in Finland, scholarship refers to the living cost during your studies. Try to find the answer whether that particular university offer any specific scholarship or not? Does that scholarship available for your particular program or not? Are you eligible for that Scholarship or not? Does it provide any kinds of funding options other than Scholarship? Its very important to know all of the answers since most of the universities and polytechnics provide such type of scholarships.
If you are seeking for job during studies, please keep in mind that JOBS ARE VERY DIFFICULT IN FINLAND EXCEPT IN Helsinki. I did not mean only the jobs related to your field. Its very difficult to find even those restaurant and courier type jobs except few major cities. So, you need to search only the colleges near by large cities whose population is comparatively higher. My suggestion will be just limit your search to Helsinki, if job is must for you. If you come to smaller cities or cities far from Helsinki, make your mentality that NO JOBS are available here. I am not trying to discourage you. I am just trying to make you alert about the job status over here.

Application Process in 2009 for Bachelor Level in Finland

2009 Summary:

Application Period: 12 January 2009 - 13 February 2009
Apply Through: Joint Application System at https://www.admissions.fi/
Important Update: IELTS or TOEFL is Compulsory for all students from this year, 2009. Score of the test might differ by individual colleges for which you are applying.

If you are applying for Bachelor Level, I would suggest you following simple steps:

1. Collect your Trancript of +2 and make Passport. You need passport to apply to college. So, you must have made it by the end of December 2008 to apply in January 2009 for August 2009 Session.

2. Search colleges and program of your interest from college sites. The list of entire colleges available in Finland are available on my previous blogs http://www.nepalfinland.com/2007/10/polytechnics-in-finland.html and http://www.nepalfinland.com/2007/10/universities-in-finland.html. The website of CIMO contains another very simple and handy tool to search for colleges and program of your interest in http://finland.cimo.fi/studying/international_study_programmes.html

3. Finlalize where you want to apply, sort the final list by the end of December.

4. Meanwhile, start preparing and reserve a test date for IELTS or TOEFL. From this year, IELTS or TOEFL is compulsory for all students. So, you should be completed the IELTS or TOEFL test by the end of December. The minimum score required for the colleges might differ on the colleges individually. So, try to get better score to be safe for all of the colleges. While searching for college, keep in mind about their IELTS or TOEFL requirements as well.

If you have already taken IELTS or TOEFL test, make sure that it is valid till the September of 2009. The valid date of the test is just two years; so if you had taken tests after September 2007, they are still valid to apply for 2009 August session. If you had taken tests before September 2007, your Tests will be expired by the time the studies start; so you need to take the test again. While searching for colleges, check the test score to confirm that your scores are enough for apply for.

5. There is joint application system for Bachelor level. You can visit https://www.admissions.fi/ to apply for maximum of four colleges at a time with a single document. So, it might be the best way to apply for your colleges you sort out on second step. If you are applying for more than four colleges, apply topmost four colleges of your interest by this joint application system and apply individually to rest of the colleges.

6. The process of applying may differ college by college. In general, you will apply online. Then, they will send you PDF of your filled form on your mail, which you filled during applying online. So, you print that PDF file, sign it and post it to college by mail along with the photocopics of transcript of your +2, character certificate and passport. Some college may also want you to send some additional documents as well. You need to visit college website to confirm what additional they required.

7. You can send the documents as Normal Mail from Nepal Post Office, Sundhara. It will cost about 250 NRS. You can also send it as EMS from Post Office. It will cost around NRS 900. If want to sent through courier, Linkex or Skynet might be the cheapest one. They cost around 1300-1400.

8. Wait for response from college during March. If you are selected on first phase, they will mail you to appear on Entrance test. If you are not getting any invitations to appear for Entrance, it means, unfortunately, you are not selected.

9. If you are invited to appear for Entrance Test, consult with Finnish Embassy in Bishal Nagar, http://finland.org.np/public/default.aspx?culture=en-US&contentlan=2 about date, place and model questions for entrance test.

10. Appear for Test. Do your best. Exams are bit easier. They ask you average level questions. It won't be hard for you if you work little bit before entrance exam.

11. Wait for Response for Admission. You might hear the good news of admission acceptance during end of May, June and July.


I strongly recommend you NEVER to go to consultancy.
What they can do for you is just to post your document from Nepal, which you can do it yourself with very minumum cost as I wrote above.
So there is no point for paying them more just to send the application. Some consultant may also tell you that they have very close contact or agreement with the university or college for your admission process. But, they are not true. They are just making you fool. They can not do anything during admission process.

You can always mail me if you have any query in mind. I am always ready to support you as much as I can.

Embassy of Finland at Bishal Nagar, Kathmandu, Nepal is also very cooperative and helpful for student issues. You can visit their office or telephone them or even email them at viisumi.kat@formin.fi. Also, you should keep on checking embassy website to know updated information and new changes for this year.

Invitation to join Nepal-Finland Forum

I would like to invite you all to join Nepal-Finland forum on Facebook.

Through this forum, you would be able comment, suggest about the content of www.nepalfinland.com.

More than that, through this forum, you can communicate with other Nepal-Finland lovers around the world. We can communicate with each other and create a better platform for Nepalese students in Finland through this forum.

So, I would like to request you to join the Nepal-Finland forum in Facebook:

I love www.nepalfinland.com

See you there !!

Applying for January 2009 Session

Application period for the programs to be started in January 2009 with Joint Application System (https://www.admissions.fi/) is 1-12 September 2008. Following are some of the detail of the application process:

1. Application period is 1 - 12 September 2008. Online application closes on 12 September at 7:00 PM Nepali Standard Time. Online application should be made through Joint Application System (https://www.admissions.fi/).
2. Copies of relevant authorized certificates must arrive by post by 19 September at the latest after filling applications by the above mentioned deadline. Faxed or scanned copies are not accepted. 
   
3. Entrance examinations are held between 22 and 31  October 2008.
4. Polytechnics/UAS announce the results by 28 November 2008.
5. Admitted students must confirm their study places by 12 December 2008 at 8:00 PM Nepali Standard Time at the latest.

Application results for degree programs starting in spring 2009 will be sent by mail to the students by 28 November 2008 at the latest. In addition to the letter of admittance, the student will receive a confirmation form. It is imperative that the student submits the confirmation form to the higher education institution in which he/she wishes to study by 12 December 2008 at  8:00 PM Nepali Standard Time at the latest, otherwise the student will forfeit the study place.

Confirmation of the study place is binding and cannot be altered or cancelled.

If you have applied to several degree programmes, please wait until you have received all the admission results. Once you have received all the results, select your study place and return the confirmation form. A student forfeits his/her study place, if the confirmation form arrives at the higher education institution after the set date.

Which Polytechnics are Opening Admission for this session?

Haaga-Helia (www.haaga-helia.fi)
Admission opening for Degree Program in International Business

Haaga-Helia offers two different International Business programmes in two different campuses. Each programme has its own emphasis:

• Campus at Helsinki Pasila: Problem based learning (PBL) making students strongly responsible for building their understanding, and networking with companies in international business.
• Campus at Porvoo: International marketing studies prepare the students for marketing and sales careers. Some professional courses implemented in local companies.

Entrance examination: Entrance examinations and interviews on 28 October 2008.

Additional information can be achieved from Haaga-Helia's Applicant's Guide from www.haaga-helia.fi


.......................................................................................................................


Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences (UAS) (www.kyamk.fi)
Admission opening for Degree Program in International Business

The Degree Programme aims to equip the graduates with the knowledge, skills and understanding required in challenging positions in the expanding field of international marketing and international trade. It is a specialisation studies in International Marketing aim at giving students the knowledge and skills to undertake various, demanding tasks in the field of marketing and customer service. 

Entrance examination: The entrance exam will be held in October 2008.

Additional information can be achieved from website www.kyamk.fi

NEVER to travel with AeroFlot via Delhi

As I am hearing so much comments about AeroFlot Staffs at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, India; I would like to suggest everyone to rethink about your travel before making decision. I have heard such complaints about misbehave, harassment and asking for money as bribe from AeroFlot Staffs at Delhi from Nepalese students. I heard so many cases from last year and I am hearing the same this year too. I have already  heard about four students this year who suffered from such misbehave from AeroFlot Delhi Staffs. So, try to avoid AeroFlot Delhi if possible.

But, I did not mean to avoid Delhi at all since the service of Finn Air and Austrian Air service are really good and I have not heard any comments against the Indian staffs of Finn Air and Austrian Air yet. 

Planning your arrival in Finland !!

At this moment, you should be planning for your travel to Finland. So, it is the time to know some of the important practical stuffs for your arrival.

1. What to bring and what not?

You can bring any non-prohibited stuffs. If you are bringing, hair gel, bath gel, hair oil or similar stuffs; keep it in Luggage; not in the hand carry. If you are carrying hard-disk or magnetic data devices; keep it in hand carry, not in the luggage. If you are bringing homemade food stuffs; seal pack them well. Foods, not packed properly can be confiscated in the Airport. Umbrella is allowed, on luggage. Sealed packed Shaving Blade on luggage is allowed. You can visit the website of the concern airline to confirm what are allowed in hand luggage and what not. For example, if you are traveling with Finn Air, you can browse through http://www.finnair.com.

Check your items twice to include all of the mentioned stuffs from following check list:

• Passport
• Plane Ticket
• Bank Draft of 6000 Euro
• Cash or Travel Cheque of minimum 700-1000 Euro
• Your Documents including, Acceptance letter from University, previous academic degree certificates
• Your Luggage and Hand Carry

2. How much cash should I carry?

It will take minimum two weeks for Draft to be changed into cash. So, you must have at least 500 euro in cash or Travel Cheque for immediate expenses. Once you arrive here there are so much things in which you need to spend immediately and by that time, your draft amount won't be ready. So, you should have minimum 700-1000 Euro in Cash or Travel Cheque. Your initial expenses includes following titles:

• Cost in Helsinki Airport for calling back to Nepal after immediately reaching in Finland; about 6-10 Euro
• Train or Bus ticket to your city if you are coming to other cities than Helsinki; the rate ranges from 30-100 Euro depending upon the distance. Please see http://www.vr.fi/heo/eng/index.html to find out the rate of train ticket to your city. Bus fare is also on similar range.
• Deposit for Apartment, ranges from 60 to 250 Euro depending upon the city.
• Rent of first month for the apartment, ranges from 180 to 300 Euro.
• Student Membership, Identity Card and Union charge: total 140 Euro
• Buying primary settlement stuffs like kitchenware, utensils, bedsheets; New are really expensive; you can buy them on Second hand stores: if you buy second hand stuffs you can buy all by maximum 20-40 euro.

If you are coming to Helsinki, minimum 1000 Euro is recommended. If you are coming to other cities than Helsinki minimum of 700 Euro is recommended.

3. How should I travel to my city?

Once you landed on the Helsinki, you need to go through the process of Immigration. Depending upon how much rush is there, it will take 1 to 3 hours in Immigration. Then, once you come out of Immigration; there is a information desk inside the airport. They speak very good English. You can ask them how to get to your city, train schedule, bus schedule and all of your travel queries. I recommend everyone to travel by train, it is faster, comfortable and much reliable.

There is local bus station just in front of the airport. You need to carry Route Number 615 from Airport to go to Train Station in Helsinki. The bus fare is little less than 5 Euro. This local bus will leave you just behind the train station. Once you come out of the bus, you can ask anyone there about train station, it is just in front of Bus Station.

If you arrive very late in Helsinki, you might not find train or bus to your city from Helsinki; in this case; you don't have any other alternative either to go to some hotel or lodging houses; but they are very expensive here. OR, if you have any known friend in Helsinki, you can ask him in advance for spending a night in his room. Please check http://www.vr.fi/heo/eng/index.html for rates and schedule for your arrival date.

There are shops or R-kioski in the Airport and Train Station; so you can buy some food stuffs and even SIM cards so that you can use your own mobile to call back to Nepal and give your mobile number to your family. If you have phone along with you, you can immediately buy prepaid SIM cards on those shops and make calls to your family in Nepal. As I wrote on previous post, I prefer Kolumbus prepaid SIMs. But there are other alternatives as well like from ärrä could be another good alternative to call your family using your own phone. It will also help you to manage accomodation in Helsinki by calling your friends with your own phone.

The train ticket looks as below. Unfortunately, its only in Finnish.


Let's learn how to read this ticket since it is very important. The top line shows the traveling source city to Destination city; in this case, it is Kuopio-Lappeenranta. Then, on the body part, it is divided into two sections; Kuopio-Kouvola and Kouvola- Lappeenranta. It means, I need to change my train to reach destination to Lappeenranta. If you need not to change anywhere or your train goes direct to your city, there will not be such two sections. Then, let's explore the train details; first part contains the date of departure, in this case it states 'Pe 16.05.2008'; Pe is the Finnish shortcut for day of the week (If you want to know the Finnish notation of the weekdays, visit this link:http://finnishlanguage.blogspot.com/2008/08/days-and-month-in-finnish.html). Below the date of the travel; there is time, in this case it states 17.20-20.11. It means, the train leaves Kuopio (source city) at 17.20 and reaches Kouvola (intermediate destination) at 20.11. Then, it states 'Intercity', it is the type of the train and nothing to do special with us. Then, another section mentions '2 nro'; it means, your seat is allocated in second carriage of the train. Then it have mentioned 78 as the train number. And, finally, 33 is my seat number for Kuopio to Kouvola travel and 19 is my seat number for Kouvola to Lappeenranta travel.

Remember; Finnish trains are so punctual on timing. They leave and reach at the exact timing as mentioned on the ticket.