Tuukka Karjula, in his mid-twenties, is studying Sport education at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. For the spring semester 2025, he decided to spend his Erasmus+ stay at the Charles University Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, just like many other students do every year. What makes him different is that he came with his family: his wife Jennimari and their daughter Lilja - who was born just one month before the semester in Prague began!
Tuukka, Jennimari and baby make three. The couple did something they never expected: they went on Erasmus with their newborn daughter!
According to Tuukka, a study abroad experience had been his dream from the high school. “I was really interested in different cultures, so this was a chance to acquire new experiences and knowledge. He says he considered the CU Faculty of Physical Education and Sport an "excellent place to learn many different teaching styles and tools" - to improve his capabilities as a sport teacher in Finland.
How did he combine studying with his family duties? And would he recommend other students with young children to do the same? Those are all questions he and his wife addressed when they met with Erasmus+ representatives recently at the school's rectorate.
Visiting with the friendly staff at CU. Dept. head (and interviewer) Jelizaveta Getta is second from the right.
Many people cannot imagine going abroad on vacation with a newborn, let alone studies. Did you have any concerns before taking the Erasmus+ opportunity? What helped you to make the right decision?
Tuukka: We learned that we are expecting our baby a little bit after my Erasmus+ application had been approved. Then, of course, I was asking myself: Do I have to cancel everything? We were discussing the opportunity a lot with specialists in the mother & child clinic in Finland and they suggested that we should go, since it was not harmful for the baby and also thanks to the good healthcare system in the Czech Republic. Basically, this was what encouraged me to ever think about not cancelling the stay. We had also many conversations with my wife and our family. Moreover, what helped a lot was that we were always seeing the positive side of what was going to happen. After all, the baby enabled us to go on Erasmus together, enjoy ourselves and explore the Czech Republic! My wife is studying to be a midwife, so our fields of study are different, and it would be difficult to go on Erasmus together just as a couple.
Exploring kitchen facilities at the dormitory. Nice and tidy - and in this case baby-approved!
How did you like the family dormitory and the place where you lived, in general?
Tuukka: We like Kolej Hvězda. In the beginning, we were a bit concerned, especially after hearing some overall unpleasant experiences from living in residences. The other families living in the dorm are very friendly as well as the accommodation staff, who are always willing to help. Also, we were looking forward to trying some Czech cuisine in the Hvězda canteen!
How did you manage to balance your studies with family duties? You must have been very busy at the faculty…
Tuukka: There was one day in the week I was really busy, but usually, the classes did not last into the late evening. There were also no classes on Fridays in my schedule, which was very good. Of course, it is my wife who takes care of the baby when I am studying.
Jennimari: We go outside a lot – there are great parks in Prague! I think, in Finland, we don‘t have so many beautiful parks… Whenever I need something, people are ready to help. Communication is not problem either – although in the dorms, not everyone speaks fluent English, the staff members are very willing to use the Google translator. The only thing that I miss here is my Finnish family and friends, but they have already visited us.
How did you usually spend your free time?
Tuukka: We often went or still go running and enjoy playing discgolf – these are our favourite sports we usually do together.
What are your plans after finishing your Erasmus+ stay?
Jennimari: I am going to continue my studies the next spring and Tuukka will stay with the baby. After that, in autumn 2026, Lilja will go to kindergarten. All in all, I will be one year at home with the baby and as soon as it will be Tuukka’s turn to go on parental leave, he won’t even have to interrupt his studies, because he will be mostly writing his thesis for his Master’s degree.
What did your families think about the idea to abroad with a newborn? Were they supportive, or did they persuade you to cancel and stay at home, at first?
Tuukka: At first, they were surprised about our wish to still go on Erasmus with the baby, but finally, they were not holding us back and did their best to support us. It took some time, but it worked out… On the other hand, it should be said that we are very lucky, because everything went well with the birth and our daughter is quite an easygoing baby, so we don‘t face any specific challenges that other families might experience. Therefore, even despite some initial natural challenges of being in a new environment, we have never thought of interrupting our stay and heading home. We quite liked it here from the very beginning. We were also very positively surprised by how much Charles University took care of us, it was really helpful! We appreciate a lot the opportunity to live in the family dormitory, the responsiveness of the international office as well as the Buddy programme we used in the beginning our stay. Now, we already have new friends from the faculty. We also plan to join some of the ESN events as well and use the Gratis market at Kampus Hybernská cultural and meet-up centre, to leave some things there before going back home.
How did you like your host faculty?
Tuukka: I liked most of the classes! The school offered not only good education opportunities and high-quality facilities but also enabled us to share diverse teaching methods we are used to in different countries. I also value very much that Erasmus+ students can have quite a flexible schedule and are allowed to try many subjects. The teachers have very good approaches to educate and are giving us inspiring ways of teaching we can transfer to our home countries. I really appreciate that we can meet not only physical education teachers in our classes, but also physiotherapists and professional coaches.
What was the most challenging experience and the best experience of the Erasmus+ stay?
Tuukka: As for the most challenging experience, I would say it was the different vaccination system in Finland and the Czech Republic. The rules and deadlines were a bit hard to navigate. At first, we planned to do the vaccination here in Prague, but since we missed the first three-month deadline, we had to go back to Finland.
Jennimari: However, it’s also our mistake, so we cannot complain…
Tuukka: And the best experience? For me, it‘s been exploring the Czech Republic! We found time not only to explore Prague, but also the whole country, which is amazing! We visited so many places and would definitely recommend Czech Republic as a fantastic place to explore! Český Krumlov, for example, is the most wonderful town I have ever seen... Bohemian Switzerland is also amazing – we even managed to do a hike there with our baby!
For future Erasmus+ students who would like to travel with children, what advice would you give them?
Tuukka: The main thing, in my opinion, is to consult the medical system of the country you are going to visit. Also, it is very important to discuss things in advance on both sides – not only the healthcare, but also the education, accommodation etc. And finally – just have courage to go! That’s it!
Jennimari: I think, it is even easier to travel with such a small baby, because she needs just us, milk and sleep, so she doesn‘t face many barriers. Also, it definitely enriched our relationship – we have been together for eight years, but in the new environment, we grew even closer, since we don‘t have our own family and friends here as we do in Finland. We have mainly each other, which made the connection even more tight.
