7 replies to this topic

[pennywise256]

I'm from Mexico and I'm currently taking the 2 years programme aiming to get my diploma. I'm in my sophomore year, which means officially I just started on IB six months ago. Next summer it will have been one year already, and it is at that time that I will be going abroad as an exchange student very likely to Finland. The Subjects I'm taking at my home school are the following:
Spanish A1 HL
English B HL
Biology HL
Math Studies SL
Philosophy SL
Anthropology SL

I have a big issue over my shoulders though, and it is that if I go on the exchange, I won't be able to find the exact same subjects in any Finnish school, I have checked it. I'm worried because that'd mean I'd have only some month to get prepared for exams in subjects I may not be an expert in. The only solution would be being allowed to study on my own, and change some subjects for others rather more common, and also changing those I'm not very convinced with. Like this:

Spanish A1 HL
English A2 SL (Instead of English B because I'm good in English)
Mathematics HL (Because Math studies are too easy and I need challenge)
Biology SL
Phiolosophy SL (Perhaps changing it because it's unavailable in Finland)
Finnish A2 or B (Depending) HL (Instead of Anthropology because it's unavailable, boring, I'm bad at it and I'm so good for languages and I'll be living in Finland for one year)

But I don't know whether it is possible to just change your subjects like that, because there are some projects that have to be delivered, and if there's not whom to deliver it I don't believe I will be allowed to do so. I don't want to take 4 years to complete IB.

Also, in case I wasn't placed on an IB school, or at least not for the first moths. Would it be possible to move to an IB one let's say 9-6 months before exams in may? Or just contact an IB school nearby let's see if they allow me to just apply for the exams and try to do it? (Of course this would involve some support from my home school to just compete the projects I'd have to compete in case of being IB from the beginning as well as lots of self-teaching)

I guess I'm smart enough to cope with this weird ideas. Please, tell me all you know.

[Positron]

Yeah, you're right on that, you cannot take those exact IB subjects anywhere in Finland. For example if you go to Ressu (http://www.hel.fi/wp...ulib/en/Etusivu), you could probably take all the other subjects for except philosophy and anthropology. They don't offer Spanish, but according to their website you might be able to take it as a self-taught subject. I believe that you're also allowed to take courses from the national side, so maybe you could take it as a self-taught subject and go to the Spanish courses on the national side?

Or maybe  you could study some of those subjects at an open university? (http://www.studyinfi...ty_and_open_uas)

By the way, do you yet know to which school you will be going to? For example Ressu and SYK are both located in Helsinki and are among the best schools in Finland. At SYK the average for graduating IB students is somewhere around 37-39 points and at Ressu somewhere around 35-37 points. I actually heard that SYK had once been ranked in the global top 20 (IB schools).

Edited by Klaus.A, Jan 24, 2012 - 18:11.

[Ezak]

Do you have any experience with the finnish language at all? If not, A2 is pushing it, and HL will probably to hard too.

[Positron]

Yeah, I think you shouldn't take Finnish at all (as an IB subject) if you don't know it already. Our language is said to be the second hardest language to learn after Chinese... But if you want to study Finnish I'd suggest  you take some other courses outside of IB.
BTW did you know that in Finnish "I'll meet you" is "Tapaan sinut" but "Tapan sinut"  means "I'll kill you"

Edited by Klaus.A, Feb 07, 2012 - 19:34.

[pennywise256]

Positron, on Feb 07, 2012 - 19:33, said:

Yeah, I think you shouldn't take Finnish at all (as an IB subject) if you don't know it already. Our language is said to be the second hardest language to learn after Chinese... But if you want to study Finnish I'd suggest  you take some other courses outside of IB.
BTW did you know that in Finnish "I'll meet you" is "Tapaan sinut" but "Tapan sinut"  means "I'll kill you"

Lol I didn't now. I have some little experience with Finnish, since a classmate spent one Year in Finland as an exchange student and just came back. She taught me the basics before she departed to Finland again. Now I'm alone, but that doesn't matter any more, as I'll probably won't go as an exchanger at all. Since my destination country was changed by the organisation to India. And I'm not saying it doesn't sound cool, but it's not what I wanted, and I will not want to waste a year in something I don't  want. Instead, I'll apply to University in Finland and will be financed d by my parents.

[Positron]

Luckily for you universities in Finland are free. I have understood that you can't apply to a Finnish uni right after graduation, since the deadline for the applications is before IB students get their diplomas. I'm not 100% sure on this one, but I think you should probably check it..

[pennywise256]

Thanks.
Yeah, I know Universities in Finland are free, and I love it ! That's just one more reason why I love Finland. My friend (who is now in Finland) told me lots about it. And yes, she also told about the difference in deadlines. I will have to wait one term, because Finnish universities require appliers to already have their diplomas on hand. It's not as in the UK, that you can "predict" your notes and guess if you will get make it. Anyway, I shouldn't worry about it for some months.
What is still turning me on is the excessive living costs in Finland! Well, they are not that high, but like 40% higher than here! Do you know if Finnish Universities offer Hosting and other facilities to foreign students? In case they don't, do you know about cheaper hosting options? I will have an allowance of €600 from my parents, so if I want to get extra stuff I will need to get a job or something. So I need to look for the cheapest options. And I wouldn't mind, for example, sharing my room, or living with a family.

[Positron]

I don't really know so much about this stuff, but I do know that there are organizations offering apartments for students below the normal prices. I can't recall exact figures, but they're somewhere between 200-300€/month depending on the location, size etc. I found a couple of links, hope it helps.

http://www.helsinki....jaasuminen.html

http://www.hoas.fi/w...en&cid=homepage

Edit: I've understood that there's quite a high demand for these student apartments, so you'll have to apply and que for a one.

Edited by Positron, Feb 09, 2012 - 18:47.