Studying in Helsinki University

Some people have been asking me about my average schoolday, so here it goes.

About two hours before my school starts, I try to get up. Too often I hit the snooze button so many times that I end up running around the apartment, trying to sip my coffee while I'm making my bed, feeding the cat and eating breakfast myself.

8-10 minutes before my train leaves, I rush out of the door. I walk 0,7 km to the closest train station in Malminkartano, and take the train to Huopalahti (this takes 6 minutes).




(c) Vartti.fi

  In Huopalahti I switch to the bus (normally I have to wait for 5 minutes at the bus stop right below the train station). Bus number 550 takes me to the campus area in 20 minutes.




(c) Pääkaupunkiseudun bussisivut

 

When all goes well, it takes about 45 minutes for me to get to school. When the traffic is jammed or I have to wait for a train or bus longer periods of time (which is the case in the afternoons), it might easily take over an hour for me to get home. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I'm used to travelling to Viikki and back and the time that you can freely use just to relax on the bus is often needed just before and after school.

And now we have got to my school. From the bus stop I walk a half a kilometer to this building (picture below) where we have most of our lectures etc. It's called the EE-building.

Other than lectures we dissect animals (mainly cats and dogs but other domestic animals as well), do laboratory tests and use microscopes.



Doing my independent studying with the microscope. We've gotta draw what we see (plus a lot of stuff we don't see but are supposed to...)




Lung tissue. See all the alveolar ducts, alveolar sacs and the alveoli? Me neither.


When the actual school day ends, the actual studying begins.

After a snack and an episode of Bondi Rescue I open one or a few of the books and study ... until I get hungry, or sleepy, or I really need to get on facebook. Or I realize that I haven't organized my drawer in a while and it aboslutely has to be done at this moment, otherwise studying would be impossible. I'm sure you know what I mean.

So, that's it. Occasionally I try to have a normal life and socialize with people. Just kidding, I do lots of other stuff too besides study - sometimes so much that I find myself freaking out a few days before an exam, wondering if I'll ever manage to pass the test. But I guess that just makes me an average university student. :)