Survival Guide
TSEMPPI’S UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI SURVIVAL GUIDE
THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU LEAVE:
REGISTER AT THE TSEMPPI WEBSITE
As an international degree student at the University of Helsinki it’s important to know that you’re not alone! Finnish students organize themselves into countless organizations and us foreigners are no different. While you may find it difficult to break through linguistic and cultural barriers to getting involved in student life at the university, you’ll find it much easier with the help of others who have been in Finland for a while and know the ropes!
The purpose of Tsemppi is to help new international degree students get settled in and involved at the university as quickly and smoothly as possible. We’re here to help with any problems you might have! Most student organizations communicate via mailing lists, so to get the latest updates about what’s going on with Tsemppi, join our mailing list by registering at:
http://www.tsemppi.com/new-student
ARRANGE HOUSING
The Foundation for Student Housing in the Helsinki Region (HOAS) owns quite a bit of real estate in the Helsinki area.
They offer affordable housing to students, including single/shared/family apartments and studio flats. Apply online at: https://www.hoas.fi/web/hak_inet.nsf/WebHakemus?OpenForm&02.04
Note: You should do this as early as possible! It may take some time for HOAS to find accommodations for you, and they work on a first come first serve basis.
For more information about their apartments and the application process, go to the HOAS website: http://www.hoas.fi.
While HOAS is by far your best bet, it is also possible to find apartments the private market. You can either sublet from an individual apartment owner, or rent from a rental agency. Contract length and terms depend on particular agreements. You’ll find both open-ended month-to-month and longer term one or two year contracts. But beware! It can be very difficult to find housing on the private market. Most apartments in Finland are owner-occupied and the Helsinki market is very competitive!
The Student union also has some information about housing on their website, where you can also find the link to the newly established Lyyra Housing Service: http://www.hyy.helsinki.fi/english/36/.
You can also check the Blackboard of the University of Helsinki at http://www.helsinki.fi/bin/phorum/list.php?f=7, but be aware that most ads are in Finnish only.
MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE
Health insurance is now mandatory for international students, for more information about exactly what type of insurance is required for you, check the link below: http://www.helsinki.fi/studying/insurances.shtml.
PACK WARM CLOTHES
The average temperature in Helsinki in September is between 8 and 15 degrees Celsius – and it only gets colder from there! More information about the weather in Helsinki can be found at Finnish Meteorological Institute: http://www.fmi.fi/weather/local.html?kunta=Helsinki.
GET YOUR LYYRA CARD
The Lyyra Card (student card) serves as your student ID card in Finland. You’ll need to show it to get student discounts. In Finland many places offer student discounts but don’t necessarily advertise it so it’s worth asking wherever you go. It also serves as your library card and provides a convenient payment system for the UniCafe student cafeterias. You’ll be using it a lot, so be sure to order one! You can order your card from the Lyyra website. There are thousands of students ordering the card once the semester has started, so make sure to order it before coming to Finland once you paid the Student Union’s membership fee.
You’ll need to have paid the Student Union’s membership fee, and submit a digital photograph. The cards will be ready in late-September/early-October. Once your card is ready (they will send you an email to let you know when it’s ready), you can pick it up from Lyyra customer service at the Student Union’s central office in the New Student House (Finnish: Uusi ylioppilastalo), Mannerheimintie 5A, 2nd floor. More information about the card and how to order one can be found at: http://www.lyyra.fi/.
THINGS TO DO AFTER YOU ARRIVE:
GET A FINNISH IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
Foreigners planning on staying in Finland for more than one year need to register with the Finnish population information system. Aside from being a legal requirement, this will give you a Finnish ID number (Finnish: Henkilötunnus). You will need this number for most of the paperwork you will have to fill out once in Finland, so this will make your life simpler. To register do the following:
•Bring your passport (with your valid visa) and your new address in Finland (so this should be done after you have arranged housing). If you’re coming with your family bring your marriage certificate and the birth certificates of your children.
•Go to the Helsingin maistraatti at Albertinkatu 25 between 8:00am and 4:00pm on a weekday. Fill out, sign and hand in the form labelled “The Registration Information of a Foreigner” (Finnish: Ulkomaalaisen Rekisteröinti-ilmoitus). People there speak English, so do not hesitate to ask them in case some question arises.
•Fill out, sign, and hand in the form labelled “Notification of Moving/of Change of Address” (Finnish: Muuttoilmoitus).
•Remember the ID number they give you. You will need this number frequently during your stay in Finland.
GET A BANK ACCOUNT
You should apply for a bank account as soon as possible, as electronic payments are used heavily in Finland. You will find banks throughout downtown, the largest being:
•Nordea http://www.nordea.fi/
•Sampo http://www.sampo.fi/
•Osuuspankki https://www.osuuspankki.fi/
Most often when you open a basic checking account, the bank will provide you with a free Visa-Electron card – a debit card you can use to access your account at business in Finland and a few other European countries. To open an account, you’ll need to bring:
•Your passport.
•A registration certificate from the university.
•An address in Finland.
•Your Finnish ID number (see above).
•Some banks may require a statement of introduction from your bank in your home country.
GET A MOBILE PHONE
In Finland your phone and your operator contract are separate, so you buy your own phone at full cost and are free to move between operators at will. If you are not bringing a mobile phone with you, you’ll find many places to buy phones throughout downtown, for example in the shopping complex around the Old Student House (Finnish: Vanha Ylioppilastalo). Be sure to also ask about used phones. You should browse the different operators for the best contract deals. If you don’t already have a phone, many operators offer package deals that include a phone. You can check the websites of the main mobile phone operators in Finland:
•Telia-Sonera http://www.sonera.fi
•DNA-Finland http://www.dnafinland.fi
•Kolumbus http://www.kolumbus.com
•Elisa http://www.elisa.fi/yksityisille/
Another option is to buy a prepaid SIM card. R-Kioski shops sell a variety of prepaid cards; it’s worth taking a bit of time and talking to the shop-keeper about the different cards (DNA, Kolumbus, etc), since they charge different rates per minute.
GET A HELSINKI TRAVEL CARD
To avoid unnecessarily high transportation costs, it’s important to get a Helsinki travel card as soon as possible. Go to the Helsinki City Transportation (HKL, Helsingin Kaupungin liikennelaitos) service point under the main railway station. Opening hours are Mon-Thu 7.30 am – 7 pm, Fri 7.30 am – 5 pm, Sat 10 am – 3 pm. Bring your passport, and if you already have it, proof of your registration in the population system and your Finnish ID number.
If you plan to travel regularly outside of Helsinki city limits, and want to pay with time, you can get an extended regional card (it’s the same card, just covers more than one region). It’s more expensive, but makes sense if you live in Espoo or Vantaa. As a rule of thumb, if you take public transit to school each day then paying by time is a much better deal, but if you mostly walk to school then it may make more sense to load money onto your card and only pay per use. For more transportation related information check out the following sites:
•Helsinki City Transportation http://www.hkl.fi
•Journal Planner http://www.reittiopas.fi
•Capital Area Map http://kartta.hel.fi
HEALTH CARE
The Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS, or YTHS in Finnish) covers all undergraduate and graduate students, including exchange students, who have a Finnish Student Union card (Lyyra Card). Your student card entitles you to care from the Finnish Student Health Service. Most basic health requirements, including dental care, are covered. You will have to pay a small deductible for many of the services. For more information about health care services, locations, and coverage, check the FSHS website:
http://www.fshs.fi/netcomm/default.asp?strLAN=EN
Emergency treatment and hospital care are not covered, and we recommend that you obtain additional coverage for these. Students from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland should bring a European Health Card or an E106 form, proving that they are covered by the health care system of their own country. They will then be entitled to the same health care benefits as Finnish citizens. Students from outside the EU need to have private health insurance.
APPLY FOR A KELA CARD
If studying is not the only reason you’ve come to Finland – e.g. if you have a family, a job contract of more than four months, or relatives in Finland – you should apply for a KELA card. For eligibility requirements and benefit details check the KELA website (http://www.kela.fi).
SIGN UP FOR FINNISH CLASSES
Most faculties will require you to complete a certain number of credits of Finnish language studies. This will also be essential if you eventually decide to seek work in Finland. Registration usually takes place during the first two weeks of September. Check the web pages of the faculty for more information: http://www.helsinki.fi/hum/skl/english/skk/kielitaito_eng.htm.
Generally, you will have to go to the Department of Finnish (5th floor of the Main Building) and register for Finnish classes by adding your name to the list of the different Finnish classes that are offered. Even though it might be possible to join a Finnish class even without having registered beforehand, it is strongly recommended to do so as classes fill up quickly and those having registered are given priority over those simply showing up to first class. But you will get more information about this in the introduction week.
If you miss the registration period, or if all the classes are full, it should still be possible to make some arrangements. Degree students are usually given priority when registering for Finnish classes required for their degree.
GO TO ORIENTATION WEEK
You should attend the Orientation Course for new international students (at the end of August/beginning of September, your welcome pack will have more detailed info about the time and place). The course will provide you with value information about all the official procedures at the University, and where to go if you need help finding more information. Not only that, but you get credit for attending, which in some of the Master degrees is required for the degree.
You should also participate in a tutor group. You will be placed in a tutor group according to your faculty, and your tutor will show around and explain how things really work! It’s a great opportunity to get to know both new and old students from your faculty/department. While you could look up some of the information you’ll get, there’s a lot that you can only get from other students!
COME TO TSEMPPI’S FIRST MEETING OF THE YEAR
The program of Tsemppi’s first meeting of the year will be packed with especially useful information for new international degree students. Be sure to join us, and get to know other international degree students! The Tsemppi Welcome party is also worth checking out, it’s a good place to meet both the new international students and the older members of Tsemppi. More information about the Tsemppi program at the beginning of the year will be posted closer to the time. For location and program details please check the Tsemppi website (http://www.tsemppi.com/).
CONTACT YOUR FACULTY / DEPARTMENT’S STUDENT ORGANISATION
You should ask your tutor about getting in touch with your department’s student organization. Most organizations have a website and mailing list where they post information about what’s going in the department – e.g. special classes, conferences, department events/parties, and traineeships. At the moment a lot of the information is only in Finnish, but some have posted some in English too and most organizations have someone responsible for international students.
They can also help you get a pair of overalls (Finnish: haalari), the official party uniform of all Finnish students. Your department’s organization is a great place to start meeting fellow Finnish students! For a list of faculty and department organizations, and their websites, check the HYY website: http://www.hyy.helsinki.fi/english/11/
GET YOUR IT ACCOUNT AND EMAIL ADDRESS
Students at the University of Helsinki are provided with an IT account and email address. You should go to User Account Office at the Alexandria Learning Centre, or a computer lab close to your department, and sign up for your account. You will be given a user name and password that you can use to access university computers and your email account.
Information about the Alexandria Learning Centre, its location and opening hours, can be found at:
http://www.helsinki.fi/aleksandria/english/
GET YOUR NIGHT-ACCESS KEY
A number of the University’s computer labs, including Alexandria, are available for use after-hours. In order to get access to these facilities, you need a magnetic access key. To get a key:
•Go to one of the computer lab’s Help Desks or User Account Offices and fill in an application form.
•Pay a 25 euro deposit at one of the Unicafe restaurants
•Take the application form, deposit receipt, and identification (like your passport) to one of the User Account Offices (in the City Centre located in Aleksandria Learning Centre, Viikki or Kumpula) and pick up a key.
For more information on getting a key:
http://www.helsinki.fi/atk/english/accounts/keycards.html
GET A GYM SUBSCRIPTION
The University of Helsinki provides excellent sports facilities and classes for very reasonable prices. Access to the University’s gyms and about 80 different activities/classes (e.g. Aerobics, Salsa dancing, Squash, Yoga) for an entire year costs 85 euro. For this price you get an unlimited access to the gyms and classes. You can also pay for shorter time periods:
•12 months 85.00 euro
•6 months 57.00 euro
•3 months 39.00 euro
•1 month 24.00 euro
•One time use 4.00 euro
The Yliopistoliikunta (University Sports) has facilities in all four of the University’s campuses: Downtown, Kumpula, Viikki and Meilahti. The opening hours for the different facilities are different on each campus. Opening hours and class schedules can be found on the University Sports Website.
http://yliopistoliikunta.helsinki.fi/yol/web/en/www/index.do
There are blue/grey leaflets with class schedules that you can find around campus, but again, they’re only in Finnish. Your best bet is to go to the downtown facilities, across the street from the main door of the Main Building (on Fabianinkatu). The door says Yliopistoliikunta. Go down the stairs, and ask for schedules there.
In order to participate in the classes and use the facilities, go to one of the sport centres in any of the campuses and sign up. Once you’ve paid (yes, they take credit cards), they will give you a sticker to put on your student card. There’s a computer close to entrance of the sport centre. Before going to gym, you will have to scan your card at the computer and select what activity you’ll be participating in. For the individual and group sport classes you can register in advance. Using the same user name and password that you use for your email account, you can register for sports classes online at: https://yliopistoliikunta.helsinki.fi/yol/webauth/en/reservations/listReservations.do?login=true
You can also register at any of the sport centres, at the counter. Note, if you don’t participate in the class you registered for you will be charged about 3.00 euro, so remember to cancel in advance if you can’t make it to the class! Before you attend the class, check in at the computer in the sports centre. More information about University sports programs can be found at: http://yliopistoliikunta.helsinki.fi/yol/web/en/course/listCourses.do
SHOPPING FOR FOOD AND ESSENTIALS
Most grocery stores in Finland belong to one of two large retailing cooperations. The S-group operates a number of super markets in and around Helsinki: Alepa (the equivalent of “sale” in Finnish), S-markets (slightly larger), and Prisma (the S-group’s hypermarket). The other main retailing group is the K-group. They operate K-markets of all sizes – from one to four Ks, indicating the size of the store. A quadruple-K market is also known as a CityMarket. The K-group also operates the more general department store Anttila.
A good option for cheap toiletries and household supplies is Tarjoustalo (“Sale House”), which is located in the Itäkeskus Shopping Centre. If you would like to buy rare food and delicacies, visit Stockmann Herkku under Stockmann, which is rather pricey but a high quality place. The area around Sörnäinen (2 metro stops east from Kaisaniemi) has a good selection shops for ethnic groceries.
ONCE YOU’VE SETTLED IN:
FIND OUT WHAT’S GOING ON IN FINLAND AND THE WORLD
Once you’ve taken care of all the very important things mentioned above, you may want to look for some English language news and entertainment. The following is a short list of English language media in Finland:
•YLE News in English http://www.yle.fi/news/
•Helsingin Sanomat International Edition http://www.hs.fi/english/
•YLE Radio Capital 97.5FM http://www.yle.fi/ulkomailla/index.php?id=1362
•SixDegrees English Language Magazine http://www.6d.fi/
GET INVOLVED WITH STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Besides the faculty and department organizations mentioned above, the Student Union (Helsingin Yliopiston Ylioppilaskunta, HYY) has dozens of organizations for students with common interests, including a number of internationally oriented groups. The following is a list of some of the Student Union’s international organizations:
•Tsemppi http://www.tsemppi.com/
•AIESEC http://www.aiesec.org/finland/hy/
•AEGEE http://www.aegee-helsinki.org/
•ELSA – European Law Students’ Association http://www.elsahelsinki.fi/index.php
•ISHA – International Students of History Association http://www.valt.helsinki.fi/blogs/ISHA/index.htm
•University of Helsinki Debating Society http://www.helsinkidebating.org
•HYKY – Helsinki’s Youth and Student UN Society http://www.helsinki.fi/jarj/hyky/
•CSSAUH http://sites.google.com/site/cssa-espoo/
•HOPN http://www.helsinki.fi/jarj/hopn/
A full list of the Student Union’s organisations can be found at:
http://www.hyy.helsinki.fi/english/93/
RENEW YOUR RESIDENCE PERMIT
If you’re from outside the EU, you’ll need to renew your residence permit for each year of your studies. Foreign (non-EU) students staying more than 3 months need to renew their visa, which is usually only valid for one year at a time. Processing the renewal application may take 4-6 months, so the application should be filed well before the old visa expires. Your passport will remain with you while the application is processed. To renew your visa, you’ll need:
•A valid passport.
•Proof of 6000 euro in your bank account or a certificate from your sponsoring organisation demonstrating financial support for the next year.
•A registration certificate (Finnish: opiskelutodistus), which you can get from Student Counselling in the main building.
•A completed OLE1 application form (the additional form OLE4 is not required when renewing a visa).
•Proof of progress in studies – e.g., transcript or letter from supervisor.
•Applications can be made at the Malmi police station, located Viljatie 2 (tel. 09-189 3220, Mon – Fri 9 – 11); the opening hours are Mon – Fri 8:00 – 16:15. Get there early, you will need to queue to apply and it may take several hours. The application fee is 55 euro.
•Several months after applying, call the police to check on the status of your visa (they will not call you). If it’s ready, you can go and pick it up.
TSEMPPIÄ!