The exchange semester is coming to an end here in Munich and it has been a great journey. I arrived in September and started my architecture studies at Hochschule München in October. The semester has been full of events and the time has passed quickly.
It has been interesting to see how studying and teaching architecture differs from the Finnish way. Here the studies are much more artistic and not as technical. We have also done multiple physical models of our designs which is very rare in Finland. Luckily, I managed to get into very interesting courses. I also attended to a master’s studio where we design a cultural center in Trieste harbor, in Italy. We took a two-day excursion to Trieste to see the area, and to understand the city better. It was a great experience and something I was not expecting from a normal course.
The best part of the exchange has been the people. I have met a lot of students from all around the world who have also come here to study. At first, the city was new for all of us, so during the ‘get togethers’ we became very close friends. Living in an international environment has opened my mind to understand different cultures and people better. Everyone has their own different life story to tell, and it makes you realize how different life can be in other countries.
The lifestyle here is much more relaxed than in Finland. In our spare time, we often meet in the city, in a park, or at someone’s home. It’s also very common to go to a bier garden and have a couple of drinks outside. There has been a lot of events and trips which has offered opportunities to see interesting places. The train tickets are also very cheap, so we have had many trips to different cities in Germany and Austria.
The exchange experience has been amazing and offered lifelong friends and memories.
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