Student clubs
Almost every major subject has its own student club (ainejärjestö), designed not only for socializing but also for providing information and broadening students’ horizons in their fields of study. International students are welcome to join the activities they offer. The clubs have web sites, as well as bulletin boards in the departments.
Practical info about Finland
On this page you will find general information concerning Finnish student cards, unions, clubs and libraries.
Student card
The Finnish student card is a national student card, which also acts as your university library card or as a payment card, as a membership card for the university sport services and as a discount and benefit card. You get the student card by paying the student union fee. The student card entitles you to visit a general practitioner and a nurse at the Finnish Student Health Services (FSHS; YTHS) free of charge. Specialised medical care and dental care have a small fee. Eat in student restaurants for a subsidised price, and also use your card as a payment card. Travel by VR train or Matkahuolto bus on long-distance trips (exceeding 80 kilometres) for 50 % discount. To get some other (local) benefits, please visit the site:
www.lyyra.fi
Student unions
The Student Unions are independent organisations, although closely linked with the universities. They look after the students’ rights and interests. A student union membership is obligatory in Finland for all Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students and recommended for all exchange students. The fees are app. € 100 for the full academic year and € 50 for one semester. Less than one semester memberships are not considered. The most important membership benefits are described above by the student card, which you get by joining the student union. Student unions often have also international sections, which bring international and Finnish students together. They organise meetings, parties and trips. You can join an e-mailing list of the international sections. Please, contact the student union of your host university for further information. The student unions also publish student newspapers on a monthly basis.
Library
Every university in Finland has a library. The library collections consist of printed books, scientific periodicals, serials, newspapers, electronic publications and microfilmed material. Inter-library lending and the document supply service provide customers with information material that is not held locally, by ordering loans and photocopies from other libraries. These services are liable to fees according to the current price list. Libraries offer also reading rooms (no fee), computer facilities (no fee) and self-service copying machines (a small fee). Teaching the use of the library is normally organized for new students in small groups.
The university libraries are linked in the web to the front pages of the universities. There are also public libraries in every city with samples of international newspapers and magazines as well. You can find more information on the web pages:
www.libraries.fi
