There are a lot of words and concepts new to even Finnish students. We’ve tried our best to explain them here, but of course you really only learn by doing!
Academic quarter / Akateeminen vartti
Almost all lectures and events (except exams!) start at 15 past.
Alina-hall / Alina-sali
A venue on the third floor of the New Student Building at which lots of events, including sitsit and anniversary parties, are held.
Anniversary party / Vuosijuhlat
A fancier version of the sitsit dinner parties, anniversary parties are held on the 5th, 10th (and so on) anniversaries for each organization. They are generally more formal than normal birthday sitsit.
Appro
Pub crawl. Events in which students go around to different bars to accomplish different degrees. The biggest pub crawls are Limeksen Appro in the fall and Helsinginkadun Appro in the spring.
Freshman / Fuksi
First year student, i.e. you!
Halko, hallituksen kokous / Board meeting
A meeting of the board of a student union. All members are welcome though they are usually held in Finnish, contact our international affairs persons if you want to join.
HIT / HIT-excu
The Committee of Crazy Ideas (Hullujen Ideoiden Toimikunta). Organizes spontaneous excursions and events.
Klusteri, Klusse, Kertsi, Christina Regina
The clubroom for the students of the department of science, overseen by Matlu ry. It can be found at Leppäsuonkatu 11, near Kamppi metro station.
Laskiainen, Laskiaistiistai, Laskiaisrieha / Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday. Held in February, when students don their overalls and go sledding (if there’s snow) on Ullanlinnanmäki.
New Student Building / Uusi Ylioppilastalo
The Student Union’s building downtown where a lot of events, including sitsit, are held. At Mannerheimintie 5 A.
Overalls / Haalarit
Colorful items of clothing students wear at many events, including May Day, Laskiainen, and tutors during Freshman week. Students buy overall badges to decorate their overalls. Different fields have different colors of overalls. You can recognize physicists by their fuchsia overalls (don’t call them pink!). Astronomers have midnight blue, geologists grey, meteorologists yellow, mathematicians red and IT students yellow. Hint: You can start a conversation by asking about someone’s overalls.
Sitsit
Academic dinner party which includes eating, drinking, and a lot of singing.
Student Lounge / OH
Our own student room at Kumpula, on the first floor of Physicum behind Uncafe. You can find cheap coffee and tea, company, table hockey and help with homework.
Vappu / Vappuaatto
May Day / May Day eve. One of the biggest party days of the academic year. Starts on May Day eve, April 30th, when we start the day at Physicum and progress to watch the “capping” of the Havis Amanda statue downtown. May Day is traditionally spent having a picnic on Ullanlinnanmäki, downtown. You’ll find some photos here.