finlanddetails
OverviewCurriculumWhat is included
High School Classic is the traditional high school exchange program, chosen by most of our students. It is the perfect program for those who long for a genuine high school experience abroad and who are willing to embrace all the surprises it can bring. Here’s how it works: based on your profile, we find you a suitable host family and school, and the best part is, it can be anywhere in Finland! If you are open to adventure and are willing to let yourself be surprised by your exchange experience, this is the program for you.
Our wonderful host families can be found all over Finland, but they all share one important trait: they can’t wait to welcome you into their home, show you their country and their way of life, and share incredible experiences together.
Your host family will really become your home away from home. Finnish families spend lots of time together, eat dinner together, and spend their evenings at home enjoying each other’s company or practicing their hobbies.
Finnish families enjoy free and open communication. They can be straight with one another about all kinds of subjects and respect each other’s opinions. This direct way of communicating can be strange for some exchange students at first, but in the long run it will greatly help you make a connection with your host family and give you the opportunity to express yourself freely.
Finland’s school system is famously one of the best in the world, promoting critical thinking and intellectual exploration, rather than repetition and memorisation. There are minimal homework assignments and shorter school days, since free time is seen as a vital part of a healthy and complete education. But although the school atmosphere is generally more relaxed, Finnish students consistently rank among the best in the world for reading, maths and science, so they must be doing something right.
High school education in Finland provides students with extensive general knowledge and critical thinking abilities, and prepares them to begin studies at a university, university of applied sciences or vocational training institute. Most high schools in Finland (known as lukio) have a flexible “classless” system, meaning that students can finish at their own pace over two to four years.
One academic year is divided into five periods, with a separate schedule for each period concentrating on certain subjects. Each period then ends with a “test week.” This way, you’ll get to study a variety of subjects and always be discovering new things and meeting new people.
The school day starts between 8 and 10am and usually finishes around 2 to 4pm. There is normally a 45-minute lunch break, where lunch is provided for free for all students. Mandatory courses include a native language and a foreign language, literature, mathematics, environment and natural science, humanistic and social science and physical education.
Prices
Semester / Fall :
Year / Fall :
What is included
Host family placement
Room and full board
Enrollment in a high school in the local community
Necessary documentation to apply for a relevant visa
Transfer to and from the airport/train station at the beginning and end of the program
Meet and great at the destination
Welcome orientation meeting with local program representatives post-arrival
Local supervision and regular contact with local representatives throughout the program
24-hour emergency contact service
Pre-departure material
What is excluded
Flight ticket
Pocket money
Consular visa fees
Health insurance fees
Books
Public transport
Optional Service
Welcome Camp
Additional Excursions
