The first days and weeks at the University are usually an absolute avalanche of events. On the first day, you’ll meet your tutor and attend the introduction to the University, studies, and academic life. Your tutor is a volunteer amongst the students who wish to contribute to our work. The University of Vaasa is a close-knit community, and help is always available on request.

VYY also organizes student parties where all new students of the University of Vaasa are welcome. The most legendary of them are the first night and first weekend parties, which are not to be missed! At the end of the tutorship period, an initiation ceremony is arranged, where new students will be formally accepted as members of the academic community.

Take care of these immediately:

• Enroll to the University and pay the Student Union fee
• Print the receipt of the payment or take a screenshot of the receipt and keep it with you until you have received your student card or have downloaded the Pivo App
• Download Pivo from Google Play or AppStore for a free student card
• You can also order and buy plastic student card. Before you order a plastic card, please read the instructions carefully. You can find the ordering instructions and the link to the ordering portal from our Membership-page.
• Find an apartment at VOAS
• Notify the post office and the local register office about your move
• Apply for the student benefits
• Pay the healthcare fee for students in higher education to Kela by the 30th of September. 
• If you need to, remember to make an electricity contract to your apartment. You can make a electricity contract with, for example, our affiliate partner Vaasan Sähkö

First things to do at the beginning of the semester:

• In case you’ve ordered a plastic student card, make sure you get the academic year sticker to it. You can get the sticker from the Student Union service office. In case you decide to use the Pivo application, no sticker is needed
• Ask questions from your tutor or from the Student Union in case there’s anything you’d like to know
• Sign in to the FSHS Self-service. It is an online service through which students can communicate with the FSHS
• Get familiar with the Student Union and all other organizations and clubs on campus

The Student Union of the University of Vaasa (or VYY) is there for all of the students at the University of Vaasa. 

Watch Welcome to Vaasa -video (subtitles are available in English)!

All VYY members are entitled to the local and national services and benefits offered by the Student Union. See all the membership benefits and services on our website. 

We warmly welcome all of our members to participate in our activities. 

If you have any questions, our board and staff members are happy to help you. You can visit us at our service office, located on campus at the Domus Bothnica building. Be sure to also follow us on social media! We are on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for example. 

There are many organizations within VYY, like subject associations for the fields taught at the University of Vaasa, student clubs, sports clubs, clubs for international students, and cultural and political groups. The subject associations in the University of Vaasa are CoMedia ry, Giga ry, Hallinnoijat ry, Tutti ry and Warrantti ry.

Welcome to study economics at the University of Vaasa! 

At the University of Vaasa, you can study finance, international business, and strategic business development. Warrantti ry is the subject association for economics students at the University of Vaasa. 

Warrantti ry is the biggest subject association on campus with over 2400 members. Their most important job is to advocate for economics students’ study-related affairs and help you with any study-related issues you might come across. They also organize different activities and events where you can meet other students. 
 

More about business studies from the University of Vaasa’s website

Business students’ subject association Warrantti ry’s website

At the University of Vaasa’s technology master’s programs, you can specialize in industrial management, industrial systems analytics, and smart energy. The field of technology is ever-growing and future experts are wanted in the working life.

Tutti ry is the subject association at the University of Vaasa for students of technology. They advocate for technology students’ top-quality education and help with any study-related issues. Subject associations also organize different events and activities for their members and students on campus.
 

More about technology from the University of Vaasa’s website

Technology students’ subject association Tutti ry’s website

You can also study industrial management and graduate in the field of technology with a degree of Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration. 

As an industrial management student, you have two subject associations to choose from - Warrantti ry or Tutti ry. Warrantti ry advocates business students ‘ interest and are the biggest subject association on campus. Tutti ry is the subject association for students of technology. 

More about business studies from the University of Vaasa’s website

Business students’ subject association Warrantti ry’s website

More about technology from the University of Vaasa’s website

Technology students’ subject association Tutti ry’s website

International tutors are here to help you with anything you might need help with during your first few weeks in Finland and in Vaasa. Get to know our international tutors below! 

1. Mette Elopuro, economics, 2nd year. “So far so good“
2. Anssi Hannelin, economics, 3rd year. ”If a door says push, pull. It’s not directions, it’s a challenge”
3. Saana Heikki, communication, 3rd year. ”’Cause Fridays are always the start of the time of my life” – Mac Miller, Miguel “Weekend”
4. Lena Maula, industrial management and information systems, 2nd year. “Life has no ctrl + z”
5. Telma Michelsson,  economics, 2nd year. “YOLO”
6. Miro Myrttinen, economics, 2nd year. “Do what Miro would do"

7. Ester Neuvonen, economics, 2nd year. “Do it for the content”
8. Ville Niemimaa, administrative sciences, 2nd year. “When we play, we play. When we party, we party.“
9. Emma Peltomaa, economics, 2nd year. ”Grind daily, party at times. Or vice versa.”

Tutorproject is organized by the Student Union of the University of Vaasa, and the aim is to provide the smoothest possible transition for freshers to integrate as members of the university community and to create social relations that promote students' well-being.

The tutor coordinators are responsible for the tutor project. In 2022, Roope Lappalainen is the main coordinator for study programs with Finnish teaching and Lauri Hakulinen will be responsible for the tutoring of international programs. You can find the tutor coordinators' contact information on our website.

The tutorproject of 2022 includes 14 tutor instructors and 80 tutors. Tutor instructors help the coordinators and support the tutor during tutorproject. Tutors are responsible for tutoring new students, guiding them to university life, and taking care of the new students' integration into the student community.

The tutorproject involves anti-bullying tutors ("hyvis-tutori in Finnish), whose task is to ensure that tutorproject's events have safer space.  You can approach all tutors with a low threshold with any questions or concerns you might have, but the anti-bullying tutors have been trained to help and listen anyone.

There are anti-bullying tutors in each field of education, and below you will find the 2022 anti-bullying tutors listed. You can spot the anti-bullying tutors at the events from their shirts that have the text “HYVIS” on them.

Law students studying at the University of Helsinki, Vaasa campus are also part of our tutorproject. Their subject organization is Justus ry / r.f.

Getting to know other freshers

The first few weeks are full of events for networking and getting to know other freshmen. However, before the studies begin, you should join a Facebook group called: University of Vaasa - International Students 2022-2023.

How to find information?

All the freshmen events will be published on Facebook, and on there you can find the time, place, and other information about the event. You will also get more information from your tutor and following us on social media, like Facebook, Instagram (@ylioppilaskunta), or Twitter (@VYYtweets)
 

Student union activities

There are many ways to participate in the activities of the Student Union. You can get involved in various projects, participate in advocacy as an administration student representative, or apply to the student union board, which is elected in November-December. Every two years, there are also the Representative Council Elections, in which each member of the Student Union can run in and has the right to vote. The next Representative Council Elections are in the autumn of 2021!

More information on the Board, the Representative Council, and projects can be found on the Come join us -page. The Secretary General and the Board of the Student Union will also be happy to answer any questions you might have. 

Club and association activities on campus

There are several clubs and associations on the campus of the University of Vaasa. Different clubs and associations focus on advocacy, event organization, or sports, for example. Attend events and activities or set up your own! 

For more information on organizational activities in general, contact the Student Union's board member responsible for organizational affairs. 

University sports services

The diverse range of sports services organized by the University of Vaasa includes e.g. gym, pilates, and other group exercises, cheerleading, and various ball sports. 

More information on sports services on the university's website.

Free time in the city of Vaasa

In Vaasa you will find culture, outdoor activities, restaurants, and events, there is something for everyone. Feel free to ask your tutor about the different possibilities and find things you like to do in addition to student life!

Get to know Vaasa's culture selection 

Get to know what activities and nature sites Vaasa have to offer 

Check Vaasa's event calendar

Greeting to new students from organizations within VYY

CORONAVIRUS SITUATION

VYY takes the prevention of the pandemic seriously and responsibly. We follow the authorities' instructions in organizing events for the new students during autumn. More information on these can be found, for example, on the websites of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and Vaasa Central Hospital.

Be sure to take care of your hand hygiene at events. Hand sanitizer is always available at events, but it is also good to carry your own just in case. We recommend using a face mask and being mindful of the distances to other participants if the general infection situation requires it. If you feel unwell, please stay home. If you suspect you have been infected with a corona, contact the authorities and follow their instructions.

STUDENT CARD 

What is Pivo?

The Student Union of the University of Vaasa (VYY) begun to use the Pivo student card in the spring of 2019. The Pivo App can be downloaded free of charge by all VYY members to either iOS or Android phones from the app store. Once the semester registration has been completed and the membership fee has been paid, the app will automatically retrieve your attendance information, after which the card and card benefits will be immediately available to you. Read more about the Pivo student card on the Pivo website.

Does Pivo electronic student card cost something?

Pivo’s electronic student card does not cost anything and it is free and available for all customers of any Finnish bank.

How do I start to use Pivo’s electronic student card? 

Pivo’s electronic student card is easy to use and here’s how you can get the student card: 

1. Download Pivo app to your phone from your application store
2. Register with your bank user identifiers 
3. Click on Student Card on the main view 
4. Follow the instructions to create your digital student card. NB! You can change the picture on the student card twice a year. 

I am a fresher, when does my electronic student card start to work? 

You can download the Pivo application to your phone as soon as you want, but the student card feature will only start to work after the semester starts in August-September. So even if you have registered and paid the Student Union membership earlier, the student card feature will start to work once the semester starts. 

What can I get with Pivo? 

With Pivo, you get all national student benefits, such as VR's and Matkahuolto's student discounts, FSHS services, and Kela's meal support. In addition, local student discounts in Vaasa are also visible on the app, so you can take advantage of all the benefits that come with membership more easily. 

How can I access the international ISIC student card? 

Visit ISIC’s website and order their digital ISIC card for 10 €.

Can I get a physical student card? 

Yes, you can, the plastic student card will be ordered and paid for through the electronic ordering system. The card is to be picked up from the Student Union's service office and a new academic year sticker must be picked up each year to prove the card's validity.

I forgot to print my Student Union membership fee payment, what should I do? 

An easy way to prove your membership right at the beginning of your studies is a screenshot of the paid membership fee. Log in to your online banking, look in the account information for the spot where you made your membership fee, and take a screenshot of that payment transaction. Thus, you will be able to prove that you are a full member of the Student Union in the early days on campus.

HOW DO I FIND DIFFERENT PLACES? 

How do I navigate the campus? 

Check the campus map on the University of Vaasa website and check the locations of the lecture halls on the Vaasa Open University website.

What is Leipis and where it is? 

The Leipis sauna and meeting room is managed by the Student Union and is located in the center of Vaasa. The Student Union rents the facility cheaply to its members and organizations throughout the year. Leipis can be booked via the booking calendar. In Leipis you can host evening parties, sauna evenings, meetings, and parties for about 30 people. The affordable rent price is due to the fact that the tenants clean the facility themselves. When everyone takes care of the facilities together and is left in good condition, it will also serve future generations of students.

What and where is the Domus Bothnica building?

Ylioppilastalo Domus Bothnica is located on the university campus at Yliopistonranta 5. Ylioppilastalo is home to VYY's service office and staff and board’s workspaces. A festive Wärtsilä Hall or sauna can be rented from the student house at the membership price: Wärtsilä Hall: Mon-Thu -50% and Sauna: Mon-Wed -15%.
 

BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP AND STUDENT STATUS

What is FSHS and how does it benefit me? 

The Student Health Care Foundation (FSHS) is a foundation that provides health care services to students in higher education. FSHS's services include e.g. general health, oral health, and mental health services. At FSHS, you can book a time for a nurse, general practitioner, and oral hygienist. The health care fee for students in higher education which is paid to Kela covers all FSHS services for students, and the fee is paid twice a year. FSHS has offices all over Finland that offer higher education, and you can use the services of any office during your studies. More information on services and appointments can be found on the FSHS website.

Where can I find VYY's membership benefits?

All benefits can be found on Pivo, and information on membership benefits and services can be found on VYY's website.