One of the highlights of my exchange has definitely been Estonia’s Independence Day. Early in the morning, before sunrise, I took part in my school’s march to Toompea to watch the Estonian flag being raised. Later during the day, Estonian flags appeared everywhere, even on sprat sandwiches, snowmen, and somehow even ducks, whose wings had the exact same blue, black, and white colors as the Estonian flag.
Another memorable experience was visiting Tartu for the students’ night song festival. Seeing thousands of students singing together created one of those moments that is difficult to explain properly afterwards. Even if someone doesn’t understand the language, the atmosphere alone makes you understand why singing and music are such an important part of Estonian culture.
During my exchange, squirrels regularly visited me near my place, and at some point I probably had more pictures and videos of squirrels in my phone than lecture notes.
When it came to studying, university life in Tallinn felt both familiar and different at the same time. Since many of the business administration courses were similar to the ones I had already completed in Finland, I chose most of my courses from economics and finance instead. The courses themselves were more intensive than I expected: many included weekly or biweekly tests, group projects, and individual assignments at the same time. At first it was difficult to find a good rhythm, but after a while I got used to it.
The study environment itself also felt quite different compared to Finland. In Finland, I’m used to campuses having comfortable areas where students can spend time between lectures, study together, or just relax for a moment. In Tallinn, the atmosphere felt more traditional and classroom-focused. Many classrooms were arranged very formally with rows of tables facing the teacher, which was interesting to experience after being used to more teamwork-oriented learning spaces.
One thing I definitely learned to appreciate more during my exchange was Finnish student lunches. In Finland, student meals suddenly started to feel surprisingly affordable after seeing the prices in Tallinn. It was one of those small everyday differences that I had never really thought much about before.
I’m happy I got to experience Tallinn’s student life (even though Tartu honestly seemed more fun xD). And if someone asked me what they should do during their spring semester in Estonia, the Independence Day march and the Students’ Night Song Festival are definitely experiences I would recommend and gladly attend again myself.
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