My Exchange Term at Memorial University

I have been back in UK about two weeks now. My life has started to turn back to normal, or as normal as it can be. Couple months more and I will be visiting France to meet all the lovely exchange people again. I really can't wait! But the reason I started to write this post is that I am going to publish my unofficial Exchange Term Video here. I am going to make one video for my home university, but this one is just for me and everyone else who want to see St. John's, Memorial University and the whole experience as I saw it. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog. This was one amazing adventure in my life and I am sure there is going to be so much more to come. I love travelling and learning new cultures so this won't be my last trip.

And here it is, enjoy!

Going home

Here I am. Sitting on the plane and writing this. It has been really hectic couple of weeks and that’s why I haven’t been updating my blog lately. I have finished my three exams, which means that I have actually finished my second year at university. What a feeling! Talking about the feelings, I do not know what is going on inside me. I am really exited going back to UK and seeing all my friends and then finally going back to home home (Finland).  But on the same time I feel like part of me is missing. The whole experience gave so much to me and all the people I met. I couldn’t imagine how difficult it was to say bye to everyone, especially for couple special people who have become to be so close to me. But I know that I will see them later this summer. Who would say no to the idea of having breakfast nearby Eiffel tower and I even promised to walk all the way up there. So it looks like I am going to Paris this summer!

I guess I should mention something about the final exams. They were a different than the ones that we have in Bournemouth. Firstly they were not worth so much than I have got to use to. My exams were worth 30-40% and I really didn’t have a lot of pressure as I had already passed my courses before doing the exams or I only needed about 10% from the exam to pass the course, which was really good as that made it possible to me to also enjoy my exam week and not just spend it by studying all the time. So my advice is that try to study for the midterms so that will make it so much easier to do the final exams.

We were really lucky to have a really nice and warm day this week. I and couple other students wanted to take everything out of it so we decided to go for a hiking. First going to the downtown and there walking all the way to signal hill where we had our picnic. The landscapes were so beautiful. After that we headed to the Quidi Vidi fisherman village. That was a really amazing morning and afternoon.

St John's

On the way to Signal Hill

Near by Signal Hill

Quidi Vidi

Last week of classes

Where did the time go? I am going to have my last class on Wednesday. I was walking from the University Centre to my flat today and I was really thinking that can it be possible that this is going to be over soon. I have started to feel like being member of Memorial University now. It feels like home. It is so strange to think that end of this month I am going to be back at the Bournemouth. On the other hand it is really nice to know that I will see all my friends and family soon.  And it looks like I will get to see almost the whole world when I am visiting my new friends.

And so we have finished our Google AdWords Challenge. It went so much better than I and my group expected. It was interesting 21 days when I really learned how to use the Google AdWords and analytics. I have as well used a lot of time by building my social media on that course and now if I Google my name I do exist also on internet! So I can happily send my placement applications now knowing that if my future employer will Google my name to find more information, s/he will find something, and what better that person is going to find the information about me that I want them to find.

According to my earlier words I can say that I have finished my own brand video pitch. We needed to be creative and I really wanted to make my one interesting and backing up everything I say about myself. I am still learning how to make a video in a professional way as this is my first creation. 

One, Two, Three, and Action!

About a one week still to go. My last class here is going to be on next week Wednesday. It is crazy how fast the time has gone and it does not help that this week is going to be the busiest one because it is so many things to be submitted before the last class. I am working with a group report where all group members need to analyze a one organisation and then we need to compare them as a group and make some conclusions and recommendations. The other main thing I have been working with is my Video Pitch and I also should be preparing for my three final exams.

When I started that Channel & Internet Marketing course, and when I first time heard that we need to make a video pitch about ourselves and who we are, I was terrified. How to do it? When it must to be done? What Kind of video should I do? On my mind I pushed the idea of making video away because I knew that the deadline for it is going to be on the end of the course. And here we are. Only one week left and believe or not I am really excited about this video project. It is too many ideas on my mind but I have picked the most creative one which actually tells who I really am. And the best thing is that what would be a better way to stand out of the mass than adding my video pitch link to my placement applications? Picture tells more than thousands words. Making the video is also so much fun and it gives the opportunity to be creative and it actually brings your personality to everyone’s attention, meaning that my CV and Covering letters are now on going to have a real personality, not just words after words.

I also must to mention something about last Friday. We had a really bad snow storm here on that day. All the classes were cancelled and our semi-formal Masquerade event was also postponed for the following day. For that event I and two of my friends were actually making the masks by ourselves. It was a really good fun. The event itself was amazing and everyone seemed to enjoy it. We started by having a lovely three course dinner (the salmon was so tasty) and after that there were couple French songs (the French society organized it) and of course “thank you” speeches and some music with DJ. It was a really memorable night and it looks like our exchange students really make the party!    

Girls Night

I could have not believed that St Patrick’s Day is so huge here. It almost felt like being back in the UK again. Of course I know it is because of the history and the Irish fishermen who come over here many, many years ago. So that was a day full of green. Even the beer was green here on that day.

What is a one thing that successful Business University students share with? Of course love towards Disney movies!  No wonder that on Friday night we had a girly night watching the most loving Disney movies, having some pizza and snacks and enjoying each other’s company. Cinderella, Lion King, Aladdin.  It was students from French, Netherlands, Canada and me from Finland. Just between me and you, I will share a secret with you: we all loved to sing alone and now I know how “Hakuna Matata” sounds in French!

Every time I write this blog it seems like I am having the best time of my life here. I must to admit that I am really enjoying my time here. It has been so far one of the most amazing experience I have had. But I also need to say that I do miss home and all the “normal” ways to do things. I miss the fresh food and the familiar things I can buy from the shops. It is an experience to go to the pharmacy first time to buy painkillers when you realise that the one brand you always buy is not there and you have never heard about the other brands on the shells. But my advance is that this is not my first (or last) time when I am living away from home. The funny thing is that now I am missing more the British things than Finnish ones. 

The Business Bachelor

Who has said that university presentations cannot be entertaining? Have you ever heard about the reality TV show Bachelor, where the “dream guy” chooses the perfect girl for him? Yeah you guessed right, we were creative and did “The Business Bachelor” version of it. It included case analyze, different rounds with questions + prepared answers for them and of course all case analyzes need some kind of recommendations (3 girls, 3 recommendations, one best solution). We had a good fun and audience seen to enjoy it. Our professor was also impressed about our way to make a presentation a more alive and interesting (sometimes they can be a bit boring and it is easy to lose audience interest).

We need also to write a report analyzing and comparing different organizations. Our group get together last night to discuss our organizations choices (read had a movie night with popcorns).  Building team spirit is really important so that could have been our excuse not to meet at the library and work hard. We also did a really good work on our presentation so we needed to treat ourselves.

The courses I am doing here are B3401 Operations Management, B5301 Organizational theory, B4500 Financial Management and B6240 Channel & Internet Marketing. The number before the courses tells which level course it is. Here course schedule is not “fixed” meaning that students can choose which courses they want to do and when. Of course there is some order that you need to do one course before the other and you need to do some of the courses before you can graduate, but otherwise it is really flexible way to study. It is also possible to study some other subjects than your main degree. One of the girls that I am living with for example is doing business degree but she is also taking art classes. 

Cross Country Skiing and Screech-in Ceremony

I am proud to say that I am a Newfoundlander now. I have even a certificate to proof that. But let’s start from the beginning of the weekend. The beginning of the week was so normal that I won’t mention about it. (Normal University life started with all the classes and homework.)  On Friday afternoon we had a cross-country skiing activity arranged for all the Business exchange students. Of course I needed to take part of it and represent Finland as if you have watched the winter sports world cup you know that we Finnish people are born to skiing! Haha just kidding. It is a sport that we learn since primary school but it has been a long time since I did it last time. Most of the other students tried it first time in their life. Weather was in our site as sun was shining and the temperature was perfect.

It was a good fun and it looked like everyone enjoyed it. We even decided that we will try it again one day soon before all the snow will melt away.

Saturday night was the big “Newfoundlander” night. Once again our lovely exchange student group get together to enjoy the evening. I am not sure if I have even mentioned that most of the exchange students in our group are from France. We have also two Mexicans, two students from New Zealand, couple Irish girls, one girl from Netherlands, guy from China, guy from Malaysia and of course Fern from England.

This Newfoundland’s ceremony is called “Screech-in”. Like you can see from the picture it included a fisherman (who was the “host” of the evening), singing a lovely song, kissing a frozen fish and a strong shot of rum. This is a one thing everyone who will ever visit Newfoundland must to do. It is a memorable time and I will guarantee that you will enjoy it. You will also get a certificate that you are Newfoundlander!!!

On the Sunday evening we had and amazing turkey dinner. One of my local friend invited me and some other students to enjoy a lovely dinner party. Good company, tasty meal and delicious desserts. That was a perfect end for the week.