Who are you and where are you from?

We are 8 students; Katerina, Vendula, Kristina, Sylvie, Dominika, Stepanka, Lucie and Antonin  and one  teacher, Jitka, from Czech Republic from Liberec.

 What do you study?

Design and architecture

What have you been doing in Jyväskylä?

We attended school in Petäjävesi.  We worked there on a project which was led by a Finnish teacher,  we visited lots of museums, we visited the buildings by Alvar Aalto in this area (our projects name was:  „In the trace of Alvar Aalto“). We wanted to know as much as possible about Finland – the people, the design, the architecture, the culture, how people live, how they work, what they like…. Everything was very interesting!!!!

 How long have you stayed in Jyväskylä?

Two weeks

 Do you think the time has been too short (why?), too long (why?), just perfet?

Just perfect

 How did you prepare for the stay/exchange to Finland?

Language lessons with native speaker (students),  looking for information about Finland, looking  for information about Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.

 What have you learned during your stay?

Teacher Jitka Madlova: How interesting a stay in a different school is – It was very inspiring for my next work with students! I met lots of very nice people – they very very friendly and helpful. I saw very interesting architecture and museums. I love Finnish lakes and countryside very much, too.

 Students: We experienced something very different. We were affraid to go but loved the stay very much! Finally we did not want to go home to CZ !!! We learned not to be affraid to do new things, to meet new people, to try new ways of work. We learned lots about Finnish furniture design,  Finland, Finnish people, life in Finland, Finnish culture….

 – Give three (3) tops and tips (based on your own experience) to someone who is planning to come to Jyväskylä:

Tops:

– people – Manu Seamann – Finnish colleague teacher – very, very helpful! – perfect cooperation with him!

– Milka Niskanen – Finnish coordinator – very, very helpful.

– Manu´s colleagues in Petajavesi – very nice and friendly.

– Students in Petajavesi – very nice and friendly – they organized ice fishing for us for example and give us lots us useful tips where to go, what to see…

– Czech coordinators (Mr. Pavlu and Mr. Turek) – the prepare both of our journeys and our stay was perfect

Tips:

– Museums in Jyvaskyla – there are lots of them, different kinds and they are very interesting! We loved visiting them!

– Wonderful buildings – modern architecture, houses by Alvar Aalto, typical Finnish architecture….

– Lakes and countryside