I (Amelie Kößer) spent three weeks from April 1 to April 22 at the Finnish school Kimpisen Lukio in Lappeenranta. I attended various courses during this time and learned a lot about the school system and school life in Finland. I also took part in many German lessons and was able to talk about Germany and Schwäbisch Hall. The biggest differences to German schools were the elevators in every school building, free lunch and later start times (8 a.m.). It is very important to the Finnish state to guarantee education for everyone, regardless of how much money their parents earn;

During my visit, I saw a lot of Lappeenranta, including the architecture of the houses, which is really beautiful. There is also a Schwäbisch Hall Park next to the university, which is small but offers a great view of Lake Saimaa, the largest lake in Finland. I also visited the Kummakivi stone with my host family, which is two hours away from Lappeenranta. The special thing about the stone is that it has been balancing on the back of another stone for around 11,000 years. I spent my last weekend in Helsinki and was given an exclusive city tour by relatives of my exchange partner. Helsinki is a beautiful city and has a lot to discover.

My conclusion from my exchange is that it was very worthwhile: I am even more confident with the idea of traveling alone and being on my own. My English also improved and I made new friends. It wasn’t difficult because everyone at school and in the host family was super nice. That’s why I can only recommend that you also do an exchange and have this unique experience.