Yinan Li is a second-year information technology student at Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oamk). Her life in Oulu centers around family, nature and Finnish education – for both herself and her children.

– In Finland I can just go outside and walk into a forest.

Yinan Li moved to Oulu, Finland from China last year, because her husband got relocated. Yinan has two children, who are now in preparatory education for compre­hensive school. Yinan is in her second year studying information technology at Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Oamk. Yinan and her family appreciate Finnish nature.

– If you are in a city in China you have to drive 30 to 50 kilometers to find a peaceful place like a forest. In Finland the forests are safe and you can stay there for a whole day and enjoy yourself.

Oulu is for Yinan a very calm and comfortable place where you can go everywhere from shopping, studying to swimming in less than a ten-kilometer radius. On the weekends, in addition to hiking in the forest, the Li family likes to have friends over for dinner.

Studying at Oamk has been a pleasant experience for Yinan so far. She likes the fact that there are only a few courses at the same time and also that the education is very practical, because it suits her better.

– Compared to China, I think that here in Finland the course design is more reasonable. When I was studying in a Chinese university ten years ago we had like eight to ten courses for half a year. It’s hard to focus.

Yinan feels she has learned a lot at Oamk and that is because of the practical assignments and helpful teachers. The quality of Finnish education is one reason the Li family moved to Oulu: they wanted the best education not only for Yinan but for their children as well.

– School is very different here. What I have seen is that children are really happy at school. They like school!

The culture and the lack of social hierarchy in Finland is very different from what Yinan got used to in her own culture.

– I heard someone say that in Finland you just have to be honest, polite and simple. You don’t have to have complicated manners. If you want to improve yourself, the social system will support you, and people will kindly lend a hand.