Perks of being a foreign students in Finland
This sub is rightfully filled with realistic shitshows of Finland.
But it's not like foreign students only experienced the bad things.
For example I can think of
The ability to take more credits than the required masters degree. I have already completed 100 credits in one year without the masters thesis, thanks to exchange studies as degree students under FI Tech and open university. I am required to complete 120 credits. My goal is to pass out my masters with at least 240 credits. Yes I have set my bar too high. If I can get at least 200 credits, I'll be happy.
Access to university library for the whole night.
It doesn't matter if it's vappu or Lucia day, you'll be able to enter the university building and study quietly. I got access to Library during Christmas day, which was honestly great.
Developing niche : I am a business analytics student & hopefully I am not going to work in Finland in the near future (because that's how it is), but looking into the American market I can see that Data Science and Operation Research does have some values. Hopefully I'll get a job in the states, one day.
Flat hierarchy : Finnish universities are not your ivy league schools, they're all pretty much average. So for job market, the employer sees every Finn as equal. Which is great in my opinion. Also in classroom since the aim is to create an equal learning environment for everyone, competition is automatically curbed down. The downside of this is that exceptionally bright students are not created but at least everyone is in equal footing. It's like the taxation system in Finland. This also gives a student right to approach the professors to learn research from them.
Full concentration: Since Finnish students like to live in their own bubble and foreign students can't get into that, we have excellent opportunities not to waste time drinking and partying. Yes it feels quite lonely when you see study association people doing sauna or partying together and since a foreign student can't speak Finnish, you'll be automatically excluded, but then you can remind yourself why you're here in this country. I had negative views regarding why foreign students are always excluded from fun parties or why us brown people have to go to Erasmus network even when I belong to my subject association. But that's okay. I never had so much better concentration in my entire life.
Cheap Alcohol: Yes, student card gives you the right to access student bars for a discounted price, which is really handy.
Edit: Someone in the comments section is claiming that I am getting free education. No I am paying for it. I am receiving service with the money I am paying. While the FITech exchange studies are free, the open university courses have price tag for them. For example, one course I took from metropolia cost me 70 euro. I am getting what I paid for. Please stop assuming weird things.