Initial study guidance and planning

All degree programmes have a curriculum which includes information on the degree requirements and the courses which are included in the degree. In many programme curricula, there is also room for your own choices among given options according to your interests and professional goals. Thus, you will need to plan your studies carefully. This does not mean that you will need to face your choices alone. Tampere Universities offer various services and tools which are designed to help you with planning your studies and with any choices or challenges you may be facing.

The initial phase of guidance of studies aims to ensure the smooth start of your studies. Therefore, it is important that you participate in the orientation days for your group before the curriculum-based teaching begins. Read more: Starting your studies / Orientation  and Read more: Programme specific orientation

In TAMK, study guidance is built into a solid part of the education process. Study guidance is provided by student counsellors and teacher tutors, as well as by student tutors.

The closest guiding bodies are group-specific teacher tutors and student tutors. At the beginning of your studies, you will also be assigned a teacher tutor to your group, who will follow the progress and commitment of your studies throughout your studies. You can ask them about all study-related issues.

Student tutors are usually second-year students and will answer your questions starting on the first day. They will help you get started with your studies, guiding and informing you through your first year of study. Tutors do not have all the answers, but they can help you with the right sources of information.

In collaboration with student tutors, the teacher tutor guides you to use TAMK's electronic services such as Intra and student's desktop PAKKI, which allows you plan your studies yourself (to an extent), enroll in courses, and follow the progress of your studies.

Start planning your own studies right at the beginning of your studies. Your personal study plan, HOPS, is based on the curriculum of the year of your degree program (OPS) when you start your studies at TAMK. At the beginning of your studies, HOPS and OPS are usually the same. If you have previous studies at university level, you may be able to have them recognized for your current studies. You may also be able to have recognized the expertise you previously acquired in other ways. Read more about accreditation and recognizing knowledge here (read more: Recognition of prior learning) and, if necessary, contact your supervisor.