Back to black

The new term has started and the university campus has come back to life. I was doing an internship in my department over the summer and it was very strange to see the Turku School of Economics looking so empty (although getting served in the cafeteria was much quicker!). The strangest thing about the start of term has been meeting the new Futures Studies students – and realising that I am not a new student myself anymore! I am now older, wiser and able to offer support to the first years.

Our student organisation, the Black Swans, arranged some welcome events to meet the newcomers, and it was great to see that the Futures Studies programme continues to accept students from a variety of different backgrounds and countries.

Tips the Black Swans can offer to new students

If you have just arrived in Turku, or if you are thinking about applying for next year, here are a few tips the Black Swans can offer to new students:

• Find out where your department is. This might sound obvious, but most of your classes will be in the generic lecture room halls, whereas the department is where you will find your professors and other useful resources, such as a specialist library.
• Meet other students. The first few weeks of term is a grace period where you can more or less approach any other student by saying hello and introducing yourself. Other options include joining your course society or signing up for Campus Sport. (read more about what  Campus Sport is here!)
• Don’t panic about the minor degree – many of the international degree programmes include a minor degree component (25 ECTS). Typically you can decide what you want to study, which is great. However, the sheer number of options can be a bit overwhelming. The Peppi online handbook is very useful. Don’t worry if you haven’t completed your final course study plan by the end of the first week.
• Register first, relax second. Every student knows that the mandatory forms at the beginning of the year (course registration, IT services, residency permits, etc.) are not that exciting. However, they are important and the longer you leave them, the harder it gets. (Also the free campus WiFi is essential…)

If you are interested in finding out more about the Black Swans, our website is here.

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Last updated 8 August 2022

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