1. Erasmus in Finland Callum and Christina
Introductions! We’re both adult nursing students. We went to Finland from January to April earlier this year. We’re going to give you some do’s and don’ts about doing a placement abroad!

2. Do take the opportunity to go!
Look at our happy faces! Look at the snow! We would both say that this opportunity was the best thing about our course and we’re really glad we did it! Being able to go for 3 to 4 months instead of 4 weeks… Job applications… Confidence…

3. Don’t be a hermit!
That doesn’t mean it isn’t challenging studying abroad – it can be lonely, but in Finland there was lots of support – from the international office, to Survival Finnish, to Finnish Friends, to other students. And if you find yourself being a hermit in your room, then make sure you get on Skype and stay in touch with family and friends…

4. Do try new things!
Wherever you go, use it as an opportunity to embrace local culture – from ice-swimming, to saunas, to cross-country skiing, to snowboarding, to ice-fishing, to snowmobiling, to reindeer racing, to ice hockey, to volleyball, etc etc…

5. This is true for placement as well – this is a good opportunity to try different placement areas (ITU, Emergency, Theatres)
Be open to things being different to what you might have experienced so far!

6. Don’t be scared of things being different!
Sometimes they will be, and obviously some places you might go will be more different than others, but for us in Finland, there were lots of similarities at work that made things easier. There is a language barrier, which can be challenging, but a lot of medical language is standardised to a certain extent

7. Do budget! Accommodation = €190-200 pcm Bursary Meals = €2.00-2.50
Getting there = £
Plus social life, travel, sport…
Bursary
Savings / loans
Erasmus grant = €250 pm
These are our costs – may be different for you
Have to pay for 5 months’ accommodation; private will be much more expensive
Student life in Finland is quite well-subsidised

8. Don’t be afraid of the dark!
Northern lights, plus it’s not as dark as you might think because the snow makes everything lighter
Don’t be afraid of the dark!

9. Kiitos! Hei-hei!
Any questions?