An International Student in Finland: Planning a Future in an English-Speaking Country

[FrancesAntonette]

Hi everyone,

I'm reaching out because I'm feeling frustrated and uncertain about my future here in Finland. I moved here from the Philippines to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, hoping this path would provide me with more security and better opportunities. After finishing high school in the Philippines, I came straight to Finland, full of hope and determination.

However, the journey has been much harder than I expected. The Finnish language is a significant barrier for me. While I can speak and understand it to some extent, I'm far from fluent, and this has limited my opportunities to work in healthcare settings. I dream of working in a hospital, but the language fluency required—and the preference for hiring locals—makes this goal feel out of reach.

I've been living in Finland for almost three years now, and with the current economic challenges and the growing number of international students and workers, finding a job has become even more difficult. I've applied to many care homes, but unfortunately, I haven't had any luck securing a position. While I do have a part-time job, it's unrelated to my field, and my work as a gig worker in care homes isn't consistent enough to sustain me.

One of my biggest worries is what will happen after graduation. Without a permanent job offer in healthcare, I'm unsure if I'll be able to meet the visa requirements to stay. This uncertainty is making me question whether coming to Finland was the right decision for me.

I'm now seriously considering moving to an English-speaking country after graduation if no viable opportunities open up for me here. I feel like I need a fresh start in a place where language isn't such a significant obstacle.

Have any of you been in a similar situation? Do you have advice on navigating these challenges or preparing for a move to an English-speaking country? I would be incredibly grateful for any insights, tips, or shared experiences.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post and for any guidance you can offer.

[Liisa444 BSc]

Did you graduate as a nurse in Finland?  I know in Finland they have nursing degree programs taught in English with also Finnish language incorporated as you progress through the program. 

[FrancesAntonette]

Liisa444 BSc said:

Did you graduate as a nurse in Finland?  I know in Finland they have nursing degree programs taught in English with also Finnish language incorporated as you progress through the program. 

I am graduating this Summer from a nursing program taught in English. One positive aspect of my education is that our curriculum includes mandatory Finnish language classes. However, these classes have not been enough to develop the language skills necessary for working confidently in clinical settings. We only had Finnish classes for four semesters, with about four hours per week, which is insufficient given the level of language proficiency expected.

To improve further, I enrolled in an online Finnish course, but it was too expensive, so I had to stop. Since then, I've been learning the language on my own, but my motivation and hope of mastering it are slowly declining.

A significant challenge is that, although our classes are in English, our internships require us to speak and understand Finnish. I am fortunate to have very understanding instructors—if I don't understand something, they either switch to English or speak slowly using more basic Finnish words. However, some of my classmates have experienced being removed from their training placements because the instructors felt their Finnish skills were not good enough. This is disheartening, especially since we've only had three years to learn the language, which is not enough time to reach the B2 level often expected.

On top of the language challenges, the job market is highly competitive for new graduates. Many of the available entry-level jobs are in care homes (hoivakoti), and it sometimes feels like international students are not fully accepted. Despite all the effort put into learning the language and gaining experience, it often feels like those efforts are not enough to secure equal opportunities.

[Liisa444 BSc]

FrancesAntonette said:

I am graduating this Summer from a nursing program taught in English. One positive aspect of my education is that our curriculum includes mandatory Finnish language classes. However, these classes have not been enough to develop the language skills necessary for working confidently in clinical settings. We only had Finnish classes for four semesters, with about four hours per week, which is insufficient given the level of language proficiency expected.

To improve further, I enrolled in an online Finnish course, but it was too expensive, so I had to stop. Since then, I've been learning the language on my own, but my motivation and hope of mastering it are slowly declining.

A significant challenge is that, although our classes are in English, our internships require us to speak and understand Finnish. I am fortunate to have very understanding instructors—if I don't understand something, they either switch to English or speak slowly using more basic Finnish words. However, some of my classmates have experienced being removed from their training placements because the instructors felt their Finnish skills were not good enough. This is disheartening, especially since we've only had three years to learn the language, which is not enough time to reach the B2 level often expected.

On top of the language challenges, the job market is highly competitive for new graduates. Many of the available entry-level jobs are in care homes (hoivakoti), and it sometimes feels like international students are not fully accepted. Despite all the effort put into learning the language and gaining experience, it often feels like those efforts are not enough to secure equal opportunities.

This is very interesting! I was looking at this program in Finland. I'm in my last year of nursing school in Canada and was thinking about transferring over as I want to move to Finland. But it sounds like it is better to complete my nursing education in Canada and then study Finnish full-time in Finland. 

I'm sorry you are struggling. Do the instructors realize the language classes are not enough to be fluent? Have any students mastered the language? 

[FrancesAntonette]

Liisa444 BSc said:

This is very interesting! I was looking at this program in Finland. I'm in my last year of nursing school in Canada and was thinking about transferring over as I want to move to Finland. But it sounds like it is better to complete my nursing education in Canada and then study Finnish full-time in Finland. 

I'm sorry you are struggling. Do the instructors realize the language classes are not enough to be fluent? Have any students mastered the language? 

They often ask for feedback about our Finnish classes, and we always tell them it's not enough, so they know about our situation. They've suggested some free Finnish courses, but the problem is that the schedules don't always match with ours. Some of my classmates have better Finnish skills, but whether those skills are seen as "good enough" often depends on the individual instructor.

[Liisa444 BSc]

FrancesAntonette said:

They often ask for feedback about our Finnish classes, and we always tell them it's not enough, so they know about our situation. They've suggested some free Finnish courses, but the problem is that the schedules don't always match with ours. Some of my classmates have better Finnish skills, but whether those skills are seen as "good enough" often depends on the individual instructor.

Did you take the entrance exam to get into the university? What is it like? How hard was it?

[FrancesAntonette]

Liisa444 BSc said:

Did you take the entrance exam to get into the university? What is it like? How hard was it?

Yes, there is an entrance exam; there is a multiple choice, mathematics, and an essay writing. After the first part of the entrance exam, the second part is an interview. But I am not sure if there is still an interview if you are already here because we were still in the Philippines when we took the exam.