Friends and Benefits: Welcome to your Student Union!

Student life is not just about completing your degree. Student life is also about meeting new people, dialogue, sharing ideas, learning together, and forming lifelong friendships

One of the best things about studying at the University of Helsinki is the active community of students. Community spirit improves your well-being, and over 250 different student organisations within the Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY) open up a field of opportunities. Participating in the events and activities of these organisations is a great way to not only make friends and have fun, but to learn new skills and gain access to networks which can prove useful in your future working life.

F00A6666 — The First of May eve, the biggest student event of the spring term, and definately something to look forward to! Photograph © Mikko Virta

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January 18, 2016June 21, 2017

Erasmus in Schools – visit a real Finnish school!

Dear student, Welcome to Finland!

While you are here, would you like to have a possibility to interact easily with Finnish people outside your institution and studies? If so, one option is visiting a real Finnish school where you can experience a Finnish classroom by giving the students lectures as a visiting exchange student.

For exchange- and degree students abroad it is often easier to form contact with fellow exchange students rather than people outside the higher education institution. However, at the end of your exchange period one may notice not having possibilities to meet up with Finns, really experiencing the everyday life of the Finnish people. For this we have a suggestion for you: visiting a Finnish school and its staff & students through Erasmus in Schools –project!

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January 15, 2016June 21, 2017

Welcome Fair – Thank you for visiting and info for exchange students arriving late

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The University of Helsinki Welcome Fair for new international students is once again over for this spring term.

A big thank you from all of us at the Student Services and International Exchange Services to you who visited and worked at the fair! Once again, an awesome fair!

All in all almost 300 new international students paid the Welcome Fair a visit. Some photos from the fair can be found on our New Students Facebook page and on the University of Helsinki Instagram.

Did you miss the Welcome Fair?

In case you missed the Welcome Fair or did not have a chance to get all official things sorted out there, we have gathered a checklist of the things you will need to do after your arrival:

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December 17, 2015June 21, 2017

Happy holidays from us at the University of Helsinki!

Christmas is just a week away and the activities at the University of Helsinki are quieting down.

Most of the staff is taking a few days off during Christmas and the New Year, so we ask you to be patient if you do not get an answer to your email straight away. Please note that the Faculties are also closed during Christmas and the New Year.

We’ll be back around January 7th and we hope to see all of the new exchange and visiting students at the Welcome Fair on January 14th, 2016! More information on the Welcome Fair and the orientation is available on the Orientation website.

Prepare for your stay in Helsinki!

In order for your studies in Helsinki to begin as smoothly as possible, we encourage you to take some time and go through the materials on our New students website. You will find all necessary information on the practicalities there.

Another great resource is the Orientation Handbook. In it you can find answers to almost all questions that you have regarding your life in Helsinki and studies at UH. Have a look at the PDF version already before your arrival, you will get a hard copy at the Welcome Fair.

Wishing you a peaceful and fun-filled Holiday Season!

International Exchange Services and Student Services

December 14, 2015June 21, 2017

Welcome Fair – the starting point of your experience at UH!

In no time at all it will be January and we are looking forward to greet all our new exchange and visiting students here at the University of Helsinki.

Your exchange experience will begin with a visit to the Welcome Fair on January 14th, 2016, as well as your Faculty orientation. So you need to take part in both! Remember to bring your official ID (passport, ID card) with you – otherwise you won’t be able to get all of the official matters out of the way.

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November 25, 2015June 21, 2017

Heading home exchange student?

Dear exchange student at the UH, most of you are probably soon heading home and we would like to thank you for sharing this experience with us!

We hope that you have enjoyed your studies and student life here in Helsinki and will return home with a backpack full of knowledge and great memories!

Important information for returning exchange students

● Check your transcript through WebOodi. Your University of Helsinki username usually works until the end of January. Please save the course descriptions for the credit transfer at your home university as after your UH username expires you won’t be able to login the WebOodi anymore.

● If all of your credits have already been registered before you leave, you can collect your official transcript at the Student Services. Continue reading “Heading home exchange student?”

October 16, 2015June 21, 2017

The application time for incoming exchange students ended on 15.10.2015!

The University of Helsinki received once again hundreds of exchange applications from around the World in various programmes for the spring 2016! We want to thank you all warmly for applying!

If your application is approved, you will receive your acceptance letter by e-mail, sent by your host faculty. Acceptance information is usually available by the end of November latest. Before that your application is considered by your host faculty. Please try to wait patiently!

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August 31, 2015June 21, 2017

Come Celebrate the New Academic Year!

Listen to a Commissioner, jump around in a bouncy castle and check out the pop-up shows at the opening festivities for academic year 2015-2016!

The 2015–2016 academic year is launching in style on Monday 31st August. The opening ceremony in the Great Hall of the University’s Main Building at 12.15 will feature Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and Carlos Moedas, the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation. After the event, the guests will form a procession and move to an ecumenical service at Helsinki Cathedral. At the same time, a nondenominational event will be held in the Language Centre festival hall.

Following the official ceremonies, at 14.00 the streets and alleyways of the City Centre Campus will become the setting for the opening carnival. The programme will feature a bouncy castle, a science sauna on wheels, pop-up shows put on by students and cheap ice cream in seasonal flavours.

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August 31, 2015June 21, 2017

Hello Universe!

Helsinki Observatory, built in 1834, nowadays serves as a Centre for Astronomy, a visitor centre of the Helsinki University Museum. The Observatory would also like to welcome all international students to get to know the Universe around us. Have you ever dreamed about touching a real meteorite (which is almost five billion years old), or wondered what the scales would say on planet Mars? After that you could take a peek into the cloud chamber and see the invisible world: tracks of alpha particles, protons, muons etc.

However, if astronomical digits are too much, it’s not just about hard science: on your visit to the Observatory you can also learn about the history of the building.

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August 28, 2015June 21, 2017

Welcome Fair – Thank you for visiting and info for exchange students arriving late

The University of Helsinki Welcome Fair for new international students is once again over for this autumn term.

A big thank you from all of us at the Student Services and International Exchange Services to you who visited and worked at the fair! Once again, an awesome fair!

All in all over 900 new international exchange, visiting and degree students paid the Welcome Fair a visit. Some photos from the fair can be found on the New Students Facebook page.

Continue reading “Welcome Fair – Thank you for visiting and info for exchange students arriving late”