Beautiful lakes and forests, clean air, sauna, kind and tolerant people. Finland has a lot of charm. I visited Klassikka for the first time in October 2020. I was very nervous, but everything was new and exciting for me.
I enjoyed going to school every day because everything was different from Japan. In Japan, each class is 50 minutes long and most of the time students just listen to the teacher and take notes. Often the students don’t say a word in class. It’s hard to keep up with the teacher because teacher keeps talking. However, I felt that in Finland, the pace of the students is very important. There is a lot of time for students to think each other, and make presentations. I think is a good way to deepen understanding. I also thought the use of laptops was very effective.
My favourite classes were Psychology and Spanish. Both of these are subjects that students can’t learn in high school in Japan. I really enjoyed psychology because it was very technical and I learned a lot. In Spanish, I learned about the differences in language education between Japan and Finland. The teacher spoke and explained in Spanish, and used music to remember numbers! I think it’s a very fun way to learn. In Japan, when we study a language, we focus on vocabulary and grammar, so many Japanese people can’t speak other language. I think it’s really good to learn in a fun way like in Finland, with lots of pair work.
What surprised me the most about Finnish high schools is the relationship between teachers and students. I was really surprised that the students called the teachers by their first names. They could talk easily and ask questions. I think there are several reasons for the high level of education in Finland, but I felt that the relationship between students and teachers is one of them. In Japan, there is a big wall between students and teachers and only a few teachers are easy to talk to.
Being educated in Finland has been a really good experience for me. I learned a lot in Finland and had a really good time. In Finland, a very peaceful lifestyle, and respect for the individual. In Japan, everyone is so busy that some adults die because they are too busy working. Finland is a peaceful, quiet but cheerful and very interesting country. I have only two weeks left in my study abroad. Finland is a really nice country and I would like to stay more. Thank you to all the teachers and friends I met in Klassika! I am very happy that I came to this school!
Mikoto Murata
