Hello, my name is Ayaka Ujii and I am a student in the Resource Policy and Management Course of the Faculty of International Resource Sciences. I was enrolled at the Lapland University of Applied Sciences in Rovaniemi, Finland, from January to the end of May 2020. As you all know, the pandemic spread rapidly in Europe from around March, and I was instructed to return home. Therefore, I stayed in Rovaniemi until mid-March and then took online classes in Japan.
 
I was taking a class on tourism, and we were planning events for the Arctic Design Week that was to be held in March, as well as developing services and products related to tourism. At first, I had no idea what I was doing, as it had little to do with what I had studied in the Faculty of International Resource Sciences at Akita University, but through group work and other activities, I was able to deepen my understanding. Also, I was able to learn the practical aspects of business in class, such as how to identify needs and how to effectively promote a product, through actual activities.
 
When I first arrived in Rovaniemi, it started to get light outside at around 10:00 a.m. and the sun set around 2:00 p.m. It was dark outside for most of my waking hours, so I missed the sun at first. However, the days got longer faster than in Japan, so by the time a month had passed, I didn’t mind anymore. As for the cold, it was not as cold as I thought it would be, but there was no supermarket nearby, so I had to walk for 20 to 30 minutes, which was tough. However, the inside of the dormitory was always warm and even had a sauna.
 
During my stay there, I was able to see the aurora borealis, which has always been a lifelong dream of mine, so although I was disappointed that my study abroad was cut short, I think it turned out to be a very good experience.