Moving to another country is always exciting! It can also be confusing if you don't know anything about the local culture and functions. This list is to help you a little bit!

View our full survival guide here at the following link! 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_dJ9YOiwU8zhWtJ_MIBLNTMYZ7JJmu_qGu8bYrM7Ob8/

Here are some basic things about Finland (and Oulu), that you might or might not know about:

1. Weather in Oulu and in Finland

In Finland, you will experience all four seasons, the longest of which is winter. Luckily, the light and warm days of summer make up for the coldness of the darker season. During autumn, the temperature tend to fall below +10 °C in September and October, and we experience the ruska season (the changing colours of the leaves). By November, snow often begins to fall, usually not melting away again until April.

In the darkest months, Oulu receives natural light from around 10:30–14:30. Make sure to stock up on vitamin D or even buy a daylight lamp to help keep yourself awake.

The coldest winter months are January and February when the average daily temperature can reach -20 °C. There may even be days when the temperature in Oulu falls closer to -30 °C.  The wind can chill the air further so be sure to wrap up in warm and protective clothes on a winter day! Weather conditions are no excuse to miss an exam or lecture. Finns always go to work and school, in the spirit of the Winter War.

After the coldness of winter, the temperature in Oulu will reach up to +10 °C during spring, and above +20 °C in the summer months. Some days are rainy so it's smart to have a raincoat at hand. 

2. Greeting and meeting

In Finland, unlike some other European countries, kissing on the cheeks doesn't exist. A handshake is a very common way of saying hello, in formal and also informal situations. Even young people shake hands when they're presented to each other. Often a smile/nod plus saying hello is enough to be polite. A neutral way of greeting someone, for example in a shop, is "Hei!" (pronounce as "hey" in English).

Finnish people are usually very punctual. If you agree on meeting someone or if an event it set to start at 20:00, it means at 20:00 sharp. Arrive in good time and respect other peoples schedules. 

3. Sauna

A quintessential part of Finnish life and culture, which is as important as salmiakki and the Moomins, is sauna (pronounced sou-nah, like the “sou” in sour) culture. In a typical Finnish home you will find a sauna, and it is not uncommon to find saunas in shared apartment buildings. In apartments, these require you to book and reserve them in advance, or they might have public hours where anyone can use them. In these public hours, they will split the scheduling into men and women usage of the saunas. 

In public saunas, people normally wear swimsuits, except in swimming halls. Swimming halls have separate saunas for men and women. The only time when men and women go to the sauna together naked is with family members (depending on the family) and with friends (depending on the friends). You can always ask your friends if they prefer swimsuits or not. It's common especially in some student sauna evenings in Teekkaritalo, but for example in ESN events we wear swimsuits! 

In winter, and with saunas near frozen lakes, you will typically find Finns will jump into the ice-cold water to cool off from the extreme sauna temperatures! In Oulu, there are several public saunas where you can take a cold dip in-between bathing, such as Koivurannan saunalautta in Värttö. Will you try doing this when winter comes around? Please be mindful of how thick the ice is, and take necessary safety precautions. 

4. Shoes inside?

Always take off your shoes when entering a Finnish home! And leave them by the door. Especially in spring and autumn shoes get so dirty that no one wants to walk around with mud and sand everywhere. An exception is a fancy party or a formal event, when people can wear their dress shoes. In winter, some people carry their dress shoes to the party and change from outdoor shoes to prettier shoes. 

5. Doors

Doors usually lock automatically when you close them: the outside door of your apartment and the door of your room, if you live at PSOAS, for example. Don't leave your keys inside! The janitor fee can be costly.

In every door, there's a little switch that you can move up or down to make the door stay unlocked.

6. Transportation

We have one train company, vr.fi (VR, the state monopoly on railways) in Finland. Students with official uni student card (ask your Student Union) get a discount. Using buses, for example for going to Helsinki, check out Matkahuolto. Remember you can get a discound for FlixBus with ESNcard! Cheaper flights between Helsinki and Oulu may be available from Norwegian if you book months in advance.

In Oulu, the public transportation is good between university campuses and the city center. You can get the OSL app or use a contactless card payment method. It can be a good idea to get a monthly bus card to save on the expenses. More information on an OSL travel card for local transportation here.

7. Nightlife and going out

You will need an ID when you enter a bar or a nightclub. A driver's licence and passport are valid IDs. A student card or residence permit are not accepted, though students may get a discount on the entrance fee and beverages by showing their student card.

In autumn and winter, the doormen charge you a cloakroom fee even if you leave your jacket at home. It's best to wear warm outdoor clothes on a night-out.

According to the Finnish law, you are not allowed to bring your own alcohol to bars and restaurants. If you want to bring your drinks, you have to leave them in the cloakroom. Drinking anything not bought from the premises or smoking in the premises will get you thrown out. 

In Finland, it's common to pay for drinks and snacks before sitting down to eat. In proper restaurants, you will be served at the table and you pay afterwards. Tipping culture is not a big thing in Finland, but feel free to tip your service workers when you feel like it!

8. Alcohol and smoking

In Finland, you can buy beer, cider and some low-alcohol wines in supermarkets. Stronger alcoholic beverages are sold in Alko, where you need to be 20 years old to be able to buy strong liquor. Remember your ID when buying alcohol!

Shops stop selling alcohol at 9pm (and start again at 9am). For buying drinks after 9, you can head out to restaurants and pubs.

Smoking is not allowed inside most buildings. Remember to check the rules of your accommodation (ex. PSOAS) as smoking in the balconies may not be allowed. Look and ask for designated smoking areas. 

9. Empty cans and bottles

Don't smash them or throw them away! Return empty cans and bottles to a grocery store and get money back. There are machines for this purpose in almost any grocery store.

10. Recycling

Organic waste (leftover food etc.) is collected separately! Usually almost every building also has own containers for paper, carton/cardboard, plastic, glass and metal.

"Sekajäte" or "energiajäte" means all, burnable waste that doesn't have a recycling container.

You can discard empty batteries at some grocery stores as they often have small container boxes for them. In Oulu, electronic waste (broken gadgets etc.) can be taken to Gigantti (a store that also sells electronics), for example. For additional information, see http://www.kierratys.info/.

And finally, don't hesitate to ask more from us or from your Finnish peer students! It also helps when you ask around your fellow exchange students, because everyone usually has the same problems or questions in mind, so someone probably knows (someone who knows) the answer!