On January 15th, three French students arrived in Rauma to begin their exchange semester at SAMK. Coming from different regions of France, we were excited and curious to discover what life would be like in this small Finnish coastal city. None of us had ever lived in Finland before, so everything felt new from the moment we arrived.
The journey itself already felt like an adventure. Moving to a country we did not know meant adapting to a new culture, a different climate and new daily habits. When we arrived, winter was still in full force. One of the first things that surprised us was the daylight. At the beginning, the days were very short, sometimes only around five hours of light. It was something completely
different from what we knew in France, and it required some time to adapt.
During our first days we spent time discovering the city and learning about its history. Very quickly we visited Old Rauma, the famous district listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its colorful wooden houses and small streets create a unique atmosphere. Walking there feels like stepping into another era, and it immediately became one of our favorite places in the city.
Our first week was also full of small discoveries. We tried our first Finnish cafés, went for our first walks in the forests surrounding the city and experienced our first real Finnish sauna. One surprising thing for us was having a sauna directly in our house. In France this would be something exceptional, but here in Finland it seems almost normal.
Another aspect that impressed us from the beginning was the feeling of safety. The city is calm and peaceful and there is a strong sense of trust in everyday life. Even late in the evening the atmosphere remains relaxed and secure.
At that moment everything was still new. We were only at the beginning of our experience in Rauma, and we were excited to see what the next months would bring.
Fact box – Baptiste
Age: 24
Home city: Nice, France
Field of study: Bachelor Marketing & Business – IDRAC Business School
Future plans: Interested in negotiation and entrepreneurship, especially in wine or construction
Fun fact: Lived four years in Argentina during childhood, which created a strong passion for travel and discovering new cultures
In this blog article series, international exchange students share their experiences of SAMK and studying in Rauma. This is the first text in the series. All texts will also be published in Finnish in the newspaper Raumalainen.
Text and photos: Victor Mourier, Baptiste Lours and Antoine Gounon, exchange students