"I spent the Autumn semester 2024 studying at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland. I have always dreamt of living in the United Kingdom for a while, so deciding on my exchange destination was quite easy. As my own course of study did not have any exchange possibilities in the UK, I decided to apply to Scotland through the north2north-programme. During my stay in Aberdeen, I studied Digital marketing. I am planning on including my exchange studies to my degree in literary studies as optional studies.
Studying at RGU was very different from what I am used to at my home university. Teaching was much more practical, as every module I participated in consisted of tutorials, seminars or labs, in addition to theory-based lectures. This could also be seen in the course work, which combined theory with practicality: my assignments included creating a narrative photo series, assembling a collage of my cultural identity and coming up with a marketing communications campaign to a real-life local business. At Tampere University my studies are much more theory and research oriented, which I enjoy, but I believe it was very useful for me to try a different approach to studying. From time to time, I also found RGU to be less organised than my home university. During my exchange period I experienced quite a few difficulties with the university related to my timetable, learning agreement and some software. However, managing to resolve these difficulties in a different country while speaking a different language made me feel much more confident and capable than before.
Highland Cattle on the Isle of Skye
The best part of my study abroad experience was exploring Scotland with the friends I made there and diving into the country’s fascinating culture. I visited countless castles, danced to Scottish folk music at a ceilidh, drank Irn Bru and tasted a fried Mars bar, dined with my friends at pubs, admired the spectacular scenery in the Isle of Skye and drove on the left side of the road through the Highlands. At times, Scotland reminded me a little of Finnish Lapland, and it was easy for me to adapt to life there. Although, the weather there was milder than what we are used to here in Finland. I believe Scotland will always have a place in my heart, and I can’t wait to go back there, but being away from home also made me appreciate my home country and my life in Finland even more than I did before. Studying in Scotland was an amazing experience, and I am so glad I had the courage to make it happen."