Finland
- Accomodation
SOA.Fi,
which is Finland's Student Housing Ltd, is an excellent resource for
housing information. The actual student accommodation is provided
through various regional student housing associations and you contact
the one in the area where you are studying. Links are provided on the
SOA.fi site.
Note that Finland
is much better geared to short stay exchange students and the student
housing situation is oriented towards this and the undergradaute
population. Shared apartments are the usual provision but they can also
accomodate families. Dormitory type accommodation is also sometimes
used, where a series of rooms on a floor share a kitchen but separate
bathroom facilities are provided. The Finns are proud of their
provision of multi-cultural housing where international and local
students share together. The usual situation for student housing is a
straightforward queue but you should investigate the situation for the
particular region you are going into. Postgrads should not expect
preferenced treatment. Since institutions have a say in the allocation
of housing you should also investigate your accommodation prospects
through them. Autumn is the busiest time and this is when it will be
hardest to receive a place.
But be aware the
student housing is not always available and this means you will have to
use the private market, which is considerably more expensive. Also note
that shared housing in the private market is not usually a feature of
Finnish life so you cannot plan to look for a "share house" the way you
might in Australia. Accommodation in the private market is rented
through leases and they are paid for in one or more calender month
installments.
If you do obtain
student accommodation within the system you will find the rent prices
are fair and facilities are usually close to campuses. . The Finnish
student housing organisation can assist students in finding
accommodation before they enter Finland, enabling an easy transition
but you will need to have your various forms, including your letter
certifying acceptance into the institution, before applying.
Soa.fi also
provides an excellent
international students site that
can give you an introduction to the shared apartment system.
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