As a student at HAMK, you may have to decide on where to live. As HAMK is receiving more and more international degree students, the student housing has become more limited. Take Hämeenlinna campus as an example, students can apply for a student apartment from HOPS, which is located by the campus. But number of student apartments are limited. You do not always get a student apartment. However, the main question is, is living by the campus always the best choice? Are there other alternatives? In this article, I want to share my perspectives and help new students make informed decision.
In my first year, like thousands of other new students who started their studies at HAMK, I decided to stay in a student apartment in Hämeenlinna for a month and see how the experience could be. I did not live by the campus for that long, but I discovered some advantages and disadvantages about living in Hämeenlinna.
Advantages:
- Affordable Accommodation: if you can get a student apartment in Hämeenlinna, you can save money on rent. Depending on your living style, you could save at least 300-1000€ compared to living in other bigger cities.
- Student Lunch: the campus offers student lunches, and you can do take-aways at the same price. This way, you can save money on food.
- Convenience: most of the places you need to go as a student, like stores, classes, gym, and library, are nearby. You don’t need to pay any additional costs for commute.
- Easy to socialize: Most of your friends will be living in student apartments in Hämeenlinna, so you can easily organize fun gatherings and spend time with them.
- Peaceful City: Hämeenlinna is a small city, so it’s not as crowded as other bigger popular cities. You can enjoy a peaceful environment, and it’s less expensive compared to other popular cities.
Disadvantages:
- Too peaceful: sometimes you may feel that living in Hämeenlinna is too peaceful, and you might want to experience a more vibrant lifestyle.
- Networking or work opportunities: It can be challenging to establish your network in Hämeenlinna. A lot of work opportunities are based on your network. So if you do not find good network easily, it can also affect your job seeking, which can be a disadvantage if you’re looking to earn some extra money.
If you live in Helsinki or other bigger cities, you also need to pay attention to the following matters:
- Class attendance: If you choose to live in another city, you may have a harder time managing to attend your classes on time. Most of the classes will be held in Hämeenlinna or your own campus, so you will have to travel.
- Expensive accommodation: Living in Helsinki or other popular cities can be extremely expensive. It’s harder to find student apartments or other student benefits, such as discounted gym memberships.
- Travel: Traveling to Hämeenlinna or your campus almost daily can be harder and more expensive if you’re living in a different city.
However, keeping up with your studies while living in another city is NOT impossible. I personally take it as an opportunity to train my skills, such as time management skills. You can check out my other blog post ”My take on studying at HAMK while living in Helsinki” for more information.
Overall, the decision on where to live while you are studying at one of HAMK´s campuses is very much a personal choice. It depends on your individual needs and preferences. However, by weighing the advantages and disadvantages, you can make an informed decision that works best for you.
Dear HAMK International students/alumni, if you are interested in sharing your living and leisure time activity experience, please contact Talent Boost mentor at qingyang.li@hamk.fi.
- Editor
- Qingyang Li, Talent Boost mentor from HAMK International
