Authors

• Student Union of the University of Helsinki
• Student Union of the University of Jyväskylä
• Student Union of the University of Tampere
• Student Union of the Helsinki University of Technology
• Student Union of the University of Turku

Keywords

discrimination, educational fees, educational grants, employment, foreign students, higher education institutions, immigration, integration, living conditions, prejudice

Abstract

The archived data consist of responses to an open-ended question in the Survey of Foreign Students in Five Finnish Universities 2005 (FSD2100) charting various aspects in the lives of foreign degree students in five Finnish universities. The open-ended question was "What else do you wish to say as a foreign student?" Responses covered, among others, reasons for immigrating to Finland, adjustment to Finnish society and university life, basic income and future plans. The respondents also shared their experiences and views of Finland and the Finnish society as well as fear and prejudice they had faced, but also kindness and hospitality shown to them. Some of the respondents also shared their views on employment and job-seeking in Finland, the plans to introduce tuition fees for foreign students, and quality of university studies.

Background information included the respondent's age, gender, nationality, faculty and years spent in Finland. The data contain 287 responses and is especially suitable for practice material in teaching methods for qualitative analysis in English. This data is only available in English.