From Iran to Finland: My journey of studying abroad

Hello, everyone from around the world! I’m Farhad, and I want to share my experience of how I ended up studying in Finland, 5,000 kilometers away from my home in Iran. It’s been just three months, but in this short time, I’ve experienced more than I could have ever imagined. Here’s how it all started.

Learning Finnish with Finest Future

Back in summer 2023, I joined the Finest Future AMIS Finnish language course with one big goal—to make my way to Finland. Some days, I was fully committed, studying four hours straight, while other times, I wouldn’t open a book for a whole week. But one thing I always did was speak Finnish to myself and even think in Finnish.

At first, it felt silly, but over time, I realized it actually helped me understand and remember words better. And it worked. By the end of the course, I had built a strong foundation in Finnish, and even better, I had made amazing friends. One of those friends ended up becoming my roommate in Finland! Neither of us could have predicted it at the time, but looking back, it’s incredible how life works out.

Applying to Vocational Schools

After earning my B1 Finnish certificate, I was excited to take the next step—applying to vocational schools in Finland. I submitted applications to several schools before summer 2024, hoping to get accepted.

But unfortunately, none of them accepted me. That summer was really tough. It felt like all my efforts might go to waste. But I didn’t give up. I kept practicing Finnish, knowing that if I stopped, everything I had worked for would be lost.

Then at the end of August, I tried again. And finally, in September, I got the news I had been waiting for. I was accepted to JAMI Institute to study Tourism and Customer Service, a Finest Future partner school. I was finally going to Finland!

Arriving in Finland on Halloween

I arrived in October, and my first day of school was on Halloween 🎃 Instead of a typical first day, I found myself helping decorate for a school party. It was so different from how we organize parties in Iran!

The event was family-friendly but still fun, and I was assigned to help at the children’s section. What surprised me the most was that Finnish parents trusted me, a complete stranger and a foreigner, to watch over their children. It was a huge confidence boost and made me realize how trusting and open-minded Finnish people are compared to what I was used to. It was my first cultural shock, but in the best way possible.

Life as a student in Finland

After Halloween, school officially started, and I got to know my classmates. We are a mix of 10 international students and 15 Finnish students. Studying in Finnish is definitely a challenge, but it’s not impossible. In just three months, my language skills have improved more than I ever expected, and I’ve learned so much just by spending time with my Finnish classmates.

I’ve also been actively involved in school life, helping organize events like:
🎉 Independence Day celebrations
🎄 “Pikkujoulu” (Christmas party)
💙 Friend’s Day

Getting involved in these events has helped me integrate into Finnish culture faster and build strong friendships along the way.

Looking back, these three months in Finland have been some of the longest and most exciting of my life. Every day brings something new, new places, new people, new lessons. Of course, there have been tough moments. Moving to a new country far from home isn’t easy. But despite the challenges, the good moments far outweigh the hard ones. Finland has already given me so many unforgettable experiences, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

I have no regrets about choosing to study in Finland, and I can’t wait to see what’s next on this journey. This is just the beginning.

Thanks for reading, signing off from Finland, Farhad!

21.02.2025

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🚀 Interested in Finnish education? Want to study in Finland?
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