International student tutoring for exchange students
As an exchange student, you will be assigned a student tutor (buddy) in July (autumn semester) or December (spring semester) - a local student who volunteers to help you through the process of moving to a new country and settling into university life. Student tutors will be in contact with you before you arrive to help you with practical matters and to ease your transition into the university community.
You will need to wait for your tutor to contact you, as you will not be given your tutor's contact details.
Please note that you will need to make your own travel arrangements from your home country to your student housing in Tampere. If you arrive outside office hours, your tutor may be able to collect the key to your student housing on your behalf. Your tutor may be able to meet you on arrival, but please note that our international student tutors are not obliged to meet you at the airport or give you the keys to your accommodation if he/she is not available at the time of your arrival. Also, the tutors will not help you with the ESN FINT or INTO Tampere starter kits, which are only given to exchange students. The tutors will also not give you any study advice.
Please note that your tutor will (voluntarily) help several exchange students at the same time, which means that he/she may not always be available just for you.
Our international student tutors can help you with:
- Answer some of your practical questions
- Finding someone to help you with study-related issues
- Finding your way around campus or to your halls of residence
- Help you with some technical issues related to course registrations in Sisu
- Help you find the club rooms of ESN FINT (city centre campus) or INTO Tampere (Hervanta campus)
- Collect your student housing key from TOAS or POAS if you arrive in Tampere outside office hours
- Help you with a public transport card at the Nysse's customer service
- Open a Finnish bank account (only if necessary, see here why it is not recommended)
How is international student tutoring organised at Tampere University?
At Tampere University, international student tutoring is organised by the International Mobility Services in close cooperation with the faculties, the Student Union and the subject associations / guilds within the Student Union (TREY). The Student Union coordinates the application process, marketing and assists with tutor training. TREY is in active contact with the international tutoring organisers in the subject associations.
On Hervanta campus, INTO Tampere coordinates international tutoring for exchange students.
On the city centre and Kauppi campuses each subject association is responsible for a specific field of study of exchange students. For more information and a list of subject associations, see International student tutoring at Tampere University.