Over 200 international students are arriving this week, from every inhabited continent of the world. They start with Orientation Week. Today: Sofia Korpijaakko (24), who hopes to improve her English here.

Sofia Korpijaakko is a 24-year-old from Helsinki, Finland. A place that she calls ‘so pretty… at least in Summer.’ She is a synchronised skater and has been skating all her life. It involves sixteen girls skating in unison. She said that at home ‘once a week, we just go on the ice and put music on and go and skate and enjoy it.’ She was actually in Finland’s national team!

What made you come to Nijmegen?
‘I just randomly picked a university and last spring my mentor from my university was here so it was easy for me to ask all the questions. She was here on exchange as well and she recommended it. But it was still quite a random choice. I wanted to go to Spain or Italy or some warmer place but then my coordinator said that if you don’t speak Spanish, you cannot go.’

What are you most nervous about?
‘I think speaking English but that’s probably the most important thing why I came here – to improve my English skills.’

Do you practice speaking English a lot at home?
‘No, I should do it more because in Finland we speak Finnish, which is such a different language. We have a few courses in English but usually people avoid them. But yeah, I think that being here for six months will be pretty good exercise because you cannot speak Finnish, because no one will know what you are trying to say! Nowadays, though, it is helpful to have internet connection and Google translate.’

What are your expectations for your time in Nijmegen?
‘I think they are pretty high and I hope that I have a good time here with a lot of activities.’ She added that she ‘hopes the weather gets better!’

What have you heard about the Netherlands before you came here?
‘I heard that all the people are so tall and the guys are so good-looking and everyone speaks good English.’

What are your first impressions of Nijmegen?
‘I think it is a pretty city. The city centre was so nice and bigger than I first thought. But I don’t know the places yet. People are nice and pretty welcoming. But the weather is bad!’