Student from Grade 11 – Helsinki, Finland:
“From September 8 to September 19, 2025, I, together with two classmates, took part in a two-week exchange program. During these two weeks, I stayed at the German School Helsinki in Finland.
Right from the first day, I was given a very warm welcome by my host family, and together we got a first impression of the city. On my first day at school, the teachers greeted me in a very friendly and open way, and my ‘buddies’ took great care of me and showed me around the whole school building. That helped me settle in quickly, and I also got to meet a lot of nice people right away.
During my stay, I noticed how differently the school is organized compared to my school in The Hague. My time in Finland’s capital also showed a lot of other differences. For example, Helsinki is generally bigger than The Hague, and the school is located right in the city center, so I took the subway to school every day (normally I always go by bike).
In my free time, my host family and my many new friends showed me some really beautiful parts of the city, and I even went on a wonderful day trip with my host parents on their sailboat.
Overall, I would really encourage everyone to take the step and join this exchange program, because you gain very valuable experiences and, especially if you have always lived in the same city, you get to discover a completely new environment.”