Orientation for new exchange studentsAugust 26 – 28 2020

Kaija Kangasjärvi, Annastiina Romo and Venla SavolaInternational Office

Exchange studies at UTU

STUDENTS FROM OVER 100

COUNTRIES

INCOMINGEXCHANGE STUDENTS

467OUTGOINGEXCHANGE STUDENTS

551

2 400 international students at UTU in 2019.

Students in 2019

20 323

Incoming student mobility in 2019 by country

91

61

49

31

25

20

15

1514

14

GermanyFranceSpainChinaCzech RepublicRussiaNetherlandsBelgiumItalyAustria

7 Faculty of EducationFaculty of Humanities Faculty of LawFaculty of MedicineFaculty of Science and EngineeringFaculty of Social SciencesTurku School of EconomicsFACULTIES

• Faculties have different periods and to an extent differentpractices in study-related matters.

• Practices can vary also between the departments and evenwithin subjects!

• In this presentation we tell how everything works in general.• If in doubt, you can always contact the teachers!

Faculties

Autumn Semester

• 1 September – 31 December• Periods I (Aug 31 – Oct 25) and II (Oct 26 – Dec 20)• Teaching usually lasts until early to mid-December.• Winter break starts on the weekend before Christmas and

lasts until the first week of January.

Academic Year (1 August – 31 July)

Spring Semester

• 1 January – 31 July• Periods III (Jan 11 – Mar 14) and IV (Mar 15 – May 23)• Teaching usually ends by the end of May with no teaching

offered in June or July.• See also Finnish national public holidays!

Academic Year (1 August – 31 July)

• Register at the International Office (international@utu.fi) –• In Turku/ Pori: the date of your arrival to Finland is the first day of

your exchange period! • Starting the exchange at home: The first date of your exchange is

the first date of the Orientation• You will receive a Letter of Confirmation at the end of your

exchange, stating the exact dates of your mobility.• NB! The dates on the LoC do not usually correspond to the

official semester dates.

UTU Registration

• If you stay at UTU for the autumn semester, your study rightis valid until 31 December 2020.

• If you stay at UTU for the entire academic year, your studyright is valid until 31 July 2021.

• Remember to complete all your courses by the time yourstudy right expires!

Study Right

• The instruction how to activate your UTU user ID – you’ll get it when we’ll get the information form the Helpdesk• You can do it remotely from home

• Helpdesks will open on Aug 23 2020, they will be open during weekdays from 8 AM to 3 PM• You could visit them if your self quarantine is over• Please wear a mask when visiting the Helpdesk

• If you’ll visit the Helpdesk remember to bring an official ID with you! (NB! A driver’s license isn’t an official ID in Finland!)

• Helpdesks:• Natura (next to the Student Centre Disco)• Educarium• TSE • Medisiina• Pori

• You will need it to access e.g.…• your UTU email account• UTU’s intranet• our study register Nettiopsu where you can check your grades and register for courses and exams• course materials e.g. in Moodle

UTU User Account

• Teachers and other university staff know only your utu-email→ all information is sent there!

• Teachers’ email addresses are usually of the formatfirstname.lastname@utu.fi

• When writing an email at mail.utu.fiyou can search for other people’sutu-email addresses

UTU email (mail.utu.fi)

Study Guide Peppi

• https://studyguide.utu.fi• Degree studies and courses for exchange students can be

found on the study guide!• Teaching schedules are listed on the course page (click on

the blue box!).• You can read more about the study guide here!

Example of a course page (1/2)course code

teachingschedule

Example of a course page (2/2)

teachingschedule

NB!Contact theperson in

charge/teacher(s) for any missing

information!

Nettiopsu – the study registerhttps://nettiopsu.utu.fi

What can you do in Nettiopsu?

• Register for courses and exams

• Check your grades and credits• Manage your personal

information• Access the Study Guide and

Moodle

Course registration in Nettiopsu 1/2

Exam registrationworks in the same way

– just chooseExaminations!

Course registration in Nettiopsu 2/2

• The Study Guide should have all the essentialinformation!

• Course registration…• is most often in Nettiopsu or Moodle (lecturer provides a

Moodle key)• may be done by attending the first lecture of a course• may only require an email to the teacher

Finding your way to studies

• Lecture courses can last for a semester, one period, or just part of a period.

• Exams and special courses can be arranged outside the teaching periods.• Book exams = you read material determined by the teacher and

take an exam based on it.• Essays/papers and other written works are usually based on a

certain set of source literature.• Lecture or learning diaries are written self-reflecting diaries

based on lectures or seminars.• Also: Clinical rotations, lab work, seminars, group work…

Most common modes of study

• Exams are generally held at the end of each course unless other evaluation methods are used.

• You can take an exam 3 times.• Exam registration is usually done online in Nettiopsu or

exam.utu.fi (for E-Exams) or as stated by the teacher.

• Exam results in Nettiopsu (in 3 weeks’ time)

Exams

• Be on time! • Normally the exams are held in the lecture halls and the exams are

written in paper. Take only a pencil and an ID with you when you sitdown.

• You get the questions and blank paper from the supervisor.

• During the first period the exams are most likely online, the teacher willtell how the exams is done – online exam, essay…

• Please don’t copy paste your answers. Every exam and essay is checked by Turnitin-system for preventing plagiarism

• Cheating is strictly forbidden and all cheating attempts arereported to your home university.

Exam behaviour

• Exams taken in an e-exam room on a computer.• Also possible during the evenings and weekends.• Exam rooms in Teutori, Agora, Turku School of Economics,

Publicum and Pori.• Reserve a time and a computer for the exam.• Activate your student card (first time only) or get a key card to access

the e-exam room.• Electronic exams: Exam• List of possible exams that can be taken and more information can be

found on exam.utu.fi• NB! There is a video surveillance in the e-exam rooms.• Cheating is strictly forbidden and all cheating attempts are

reported to your home university

If Electronic exams in Turku and in Pori

• 1 credit (cr) = 1 opintopiste (op) = 1 ECTS• 1 ECTS = 27 hours of work

(including lectures, seminars, reading, writing, and independent work)

• The recommended workload for a semester is 30 ECTS credits and for an academic year 60 ECTS credits

How many credits can I take?How many credits do I need to take?

Credits

UTU ECTS0 Fail F1 Sufficient E2 Satisfactory D3 Good C4 Very good B5 Excellent A

or PASS/FAIL (NB! cannot be converted to a numeric evaluation)

Failed courses are shown in the credit list in Nettiopsu but not in the Transcript of

Records! All the results are given in ECTS, not in hours!

Grading

Punctuality• academic quarter• 12 - 14 = 12.15-13.45• 12.00 – 13.00 = 12.00 – 13.00

Informal interaction with university staff• firstname.lastname@utu.fi• Talk to your teachers/professors during their office hours or

after lectures! Please contact them by email tooIndependent, active, responsible students

• Freedom to decide on your studies • Responsibility to progress in your studies

Finnish academic culture

• Learning Agreement changes• Please use OLA when making changes to your study plan https://www.learning-agreement.eu/start/• The process will take some time but eventually you’ll get the document signed by all parties• See the intranet for more information!• Non-EU student – please contact incoming@utu.fi

• Transcript of Records • lists all your completed studies at UTU• will be given to you upon your departure (if grades already registered), sent to you (European students) or

sent to your home university (non-European students) after your mobility• does not list courses that you failed• See the intranet for more information

• Letter of Confirmation• will be given to you towards the end of your mobility, listing the exact dates of your exchange period.

Erasmus+ paperwork

• You may combine studies from different faculties providedyou meet the prerequisites for the course(s) in question

• The Faculty of Medicine and Turku School of Economics (exception: Futures Studies) can only accept exchange students who are majoring in these subjects.

• The Faculties of Law and Education can only accept exchange students from other faculties in case there are free places on the courses and the students meet the course criteria.

Studies at other faculties

• You can also take courses from Åbo Akademi University (upto 50 % of your exchange studies)

• To be able to attend courses at ÅAU, you’ll need to apply for a study right via a system called Joopas at http://haku.joopas.fi.

• There is a separate application for exchange students Choose Enroll to Network Courses Exchange studies in Turku

• More information available here!

Studies at Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU)

• Check http://intranet.utu.fi for more info on studies at UTU!• Log in with your UTU user ID and password• Information for exchange students:

• Services → Students → Student Exchange and Internationality →For Exchange Students

… or use the search option on the front page!

Intranet

• You will get further instructions later during Autumn/ Spring!• For now: enjoy the start of your studies!

What to do before going home

• Orientation materials online (intranet)• Departmental contact persons• Your tutor• UTU’s website or intranet• Student Union & student organisations

Where to look for help and info?

Call your mum/dad!!! ☺

WHAT TO DO NEXT

COVID19 instructions

• The aim is to ensure the health and safety of all students and staff.

• University information• Restricted entry to buildings (e.g. libraries only for students and

staff).• Desinfectant dispensers on campus, use of masks recommended

when safe distances cannot be kept etc.• Majority of teaching online at least for the first study period. • On campus events are kept at a minimum

• Safe distances and precautions are enforced in e.g. laboratories.

Covid-19 precautions at UTU

• Maintain a safe distance at all times (1,5m).• Wash your hands and use hand sanitizer.• Cough and sneeze in the appropriate manner.• Use a mask on public transport or when maintaining a safe

distance is not possible. • Remember to follow the quaratine instructions.

Official recommendations in Finland

• If you have flu symptoms or if you suspect that you have contracted corona virus and if you are experiencing symptoms (according to THL, the most common symptoms are fever, cough and shortness of breath), the coronavirus helpline of the City of Turku, tel. +358 2 266 2714. You will get more instructions. Don’t go to the hospital without calling to this number first.

• In Pori Corona helpline +358 2 623 4333• Stay in your room and avoid contact with your roommates as much as

possible. If one of the occupants gets sick, the rest of the household must stay in more limited quarantine. The other household members should try to avoid any contacts for 14 days from the day one of the occupants has had first symptoms.

• In case of emergency call 112

If you feel sick

Orientation for new exchange students | August 2020

Registration of foreigners & Finnish ID Code

• maintains its regional Population Information System• registers foreigners and issues Finnish ID Codes• purpose of the Finnish ID Code

• registering a person in the population information system and as a foreigner

• university database compilation of governmental statistics• opening a bank account• NB! Obtaining an ID Code is obligatory to all students.

Digital and Population Data Services Agency

• By appointment only when you are in Finland• In Turku Itsenäisyydenaukio 2, in Pori Pohjoisranta 11 E

• https://dvv.fi/en/foreigner-registration you’ll find the registration form• https://dvv.fi/en/service-locations find your town and you’ll find the link to the booking system• Select Personal law services → International registrations• Be prepared for queuing• If UTU and DVV are able to organize HETU PopUp at the campus area you will be notified by

email.

• Send your Finnish ID Code from your UTU mail to disco@utu.fi

Digital and Population Data services Agency in Turku and in Pori

• Take with you• passport / official ID card. NB! Driver’s license isn’t valid as an

official ID in Finland!• residence permit card (non-EU/EEA students)• UTU registration certificate• your lease (your Finnish address)• pre-filled registration form

• For non-EU/EEA citizens: If you got the ID code with the residence permit you have to do all thisanyway.

Registration process for students

• EU citizens do not need a residence permit – officially youneed to register to the Finnish Immigration Service within 3 months but in practice you can leave Finland for a momentand the 3 months will begin again

• Non-EU/EEA students need a residence permit in most cases• Questions? Please contact migri@migri.fi or visit their office

in Raisio (Nallinkatu 8)

Residence permits

• Tomorrow• More lectures and Faculty / programme information

sessions• Finnish society and language• Welcome fair on University Hill. You are welcome to

come if you finished your self-quarantine.

What’s up later?

Welcome to the Student City of Turku

incoming@utu.fi