The reasons that led Isabel Ferrer-Dalmau and Melanie Aguilar, third-year students of Degree in Management Assistant, to go to exchange to Haaga-Helia University (Finland) were very different. Isabel decided to travel to what is said to be the country with the longest word in the world "because I was very attracted to the Nordic countries, for their landscapes and for the educational system, which is known worldwide as one of the best". Melanie explains that she chose this destination to improve her English.

Both agree that the adaptation process was a bit slow: "What I found most difficult was the question of the light because, when we arrived, it was getting dark at 3:30 p.m.," explains Isabel. For Melanie, the hardest part was adapting to the rhythm of life: "I couldn't get used to the lunch and dinner times, nor to Finnish, because here, in the supermarkets, there are no signs in English". But they also agree with agreement that their stay in Finland is giving them a great experience. As Isabel says, "the service for international students is excellent. Our tutors organize trips and events all the time, to make us feel at home." Melanie was also impressed by the facilities available to the students: "Everyone has a card discount for the dining room, where we can have a balanced menu for 1.50€. In addition, we have 400 free printouts for our stay in Haaga-Helia. These are little things that make the students feel special and part of the university.

Our two students have been able to apply the knowledge acquired at the University of Navarra: "The way of relating with the professors is very similar to the one in Spain, so it has been very easy to talk to them result . On the other hand, the subjects of corporate communication, oral and written communication, English and executive partnership techniques have been of great help to me financial aid, because in Haaga-Helia we are putting in internship many of the concepts learned in ISSA", explains Melanie. Isabel comments that "the Finnish educational system could be summarized as lots of activities on group and few exams. In addition, we usually present work for real companies, which makes you get more involved". This method of teaching is similar to the one that will be implemented next academic year 2018/19 at ISSA-School of Management Assistants: project-based learning, as the central axis of the training, to acquire the knowledge and competencies most in demand in the business world.

When they take stock of their experience, they do not hesitate to recommend exchange: "Although at first the idea of starting in a completely different country is scary, it is very worthwhile. For an ISSA student , it brings more than we expect, because we study the same Degree as in Pamplona: Multilingual Management Assistants. In addition, having more internships than exams, there is the opportunity to work with people of other nationalities and meet professionals in the field of management assistance and event organization. In my case, I hope this experience will give me a more international vision of our Degree and lifelong friendships," says Isabel. Melanie adds that "a exchange is a great opportunity to improve the destination language and reinforce the social skills that we are taught so much in this Degree. On the other hand, meeting people from other cultures gives you a broader vision of the world. Without a doubt, I would encourage students to go to exchange, because it is something you only experience once in a lifetime. It is making me mature and grow as a person.