FAQs for new Aalto students Part 2 (updated in April 2020)

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Congratulations and Welcome to Aalto University!
Here are some frequently asked questions.

Please see all up to date information on admissions and the beginning of your studies on Aalto’s website (aalto.fi) or by contacting Aalto’s Admissions Services (admissions (at) aalto.fi) or your programme’s student services.

♠INFO ABOUT CORONAVIRUS 

How is the Corona virus affecting the contact teaching in Aalto University? Will the Fall semester 2020 be delayed? What if I cannot get a residence permit on time?

  • Aalto University follows instructions from the government of Finland. At the moment, there is no plan in delaying the coming academic year because of the pandemia. The University will let all accepted students know if anything changes. Here is all the up to date information about the Coronavirus and what happens in Aalo regarding it.
  • Please check Migri´s website for the most current updates and contact your program study coordinator at Aalto to make arrangements in case your residence permit is late.

♠ Admission
Info for new students  – Getting Started

After I have received the invoice of payment regarding tuition fee, how much time do I have to pay?

  • The invoice is sent by email and payment is due 30 days after the issue-date of the invoice. You can find more information on paying the tuition fee here.

Can I cancel the admission after accepting the offer?

  • Once you have accepted the offer, the acceptance cannot be cancelled. You can find more information here.

As an European student, once I have accepted my study place, do I have to return any invoice/document about the taxes?

Does Aalto have a policy for postponing a semester in Masters degree?

  • For individual cases, there are 3 reasons to postpone your studies, including illness, pregnancy or military.

♠Housing

Do HOAS & AYY allow students to ask for housing with a roommate rather than through HOAS & AYY matchie? Can I look for a roommate from some of the new accepted students?

  • Yes, you can apply for housing from HOAS & AYY with a roommate. If you’d like to look for a roommate, maybe you can for example visit Aalto International Group on Facebook and introduce yourself. Maybe someone is also looking for a roommate!

Can I apply for housing from AYY and HOAS before getting the residence permit?

  • You can apply for housing even if you do not have the residence permit, you need to have your acceptance letter and fill out the form.

Is it more comfortable to live in Otaniemi or in other parts of Espoo? Does the majority of student events/ parties happen in Otaniemi?

  • Aalto campus has great public transport connections. You can pick any area in Espoo or Helsinki cities. For convenience, you may want to check the areas where metro (subway) stations are located.
  • There are so many things to do in Otaniemi and the majority of the parties are held here.
  • If you like quiet neighborhood, housing around the campus won’t be so ideal for you.

Is there any financial aid for housing that Finland provides for students?

♠Study

How long is the Orientation and what is it about in general? What is the schedule?

  • Orientation week is from Sep 1-4. The detailed instructions will be sent to students’ email in the summer.
  • Orientation-related activities last for usually 1-2 weeks, depending on your program. You will get to know the university campus, its services, student clubs, digital systems we use etc. and of course get to know people and attend parties!
  • The schedule during the Orientation is normally weekdays 09-16. Different guilds may have activities in the evenings. More information about the periods and timetables can be asked from your school.

How is the workload in studies?

  • The workload varies in different programmes. Usually students are expected to complete 30 ECTS per semester. 1 ECT equals roughly 27 hours of work, including attending the online or contact teaching classes, independent studies and completing assignments etc.

How to check the lecture days of a course? I’m preparing my study plan, and I want to make sure there’s no conflict in lecture time.

  • You can check your curriculum and then look up course number from WebOodi.  Please note that the schedule for the next academic year is most probably not published yet for every course.

Are there any Finnish courses/ classes offered by Aalto University for students to take during the studies? Can I survive without knowing any Finnish language?

  • Aalto has great Finnish courses on campus that you can attend. Also during your Orientation week, you can take a course of Survival Finnish. Everybody on the campus and Capital Area speaks English, so you will not get into trouble 🙂
  • More information about Finnish language courses for foreigners in Aalto.
  • You may also self study Finnish language with Suomen Mestari books and WordDive or Memrise apps.

How are international exchange opportunities to study or do internships abroad? Can I apply for any grants from Aalto University related to the exchange or internship abroad?

♠Job opportunities

What kind of working/ assistantship opportunities are there in the university?

  • There are several student job openings throughout the year. You may assist a professor on a certain course, join a research group or work part-time assisting student advisors or exchange students. We have a special intranet for students where you can find those opportunities. Your department will also send you open positions by email.
  • Check the blogpost: how I get part-time jobs at Aalto?

♠Residence permit and insurance

I’m moving to Espoo with my spouse and children from a non-EU country. Is there any recommendation on schooling and health care for kids?

Does Aalto help students get visa?

  • Currently, we don’t have this service. Please check Migri’s website (immigration) for study residence permit.

♠Student life 

Is there any FB group/chat for new students?

  • You will get more information closer to the academic year in August. In the past years, there has always been a chat in Telegram for all new ENG students and your own department/guild may create their own groups or chats.

What kind of social events are organised by Student Union and the University in general?

  • There are many kinds of different events held from sports to cleaning parties. Some of the annual events can be found here.

♠Alumni

Can I check on students’ and alumni’s work and exhibitions?

  • Most departments and student associations have their own instagram accounts where you can find current information and news about exhibitions, alumni’s work, events and student life in general. Just check out @aaltounivesiy – On Following you will find most faculties and organizations connected to the University.

Is there a blog page from Aalto where we can see alumni work related to our programmes? Such as thesis, graduation projects, exhibitions and so on?

  • You can search for published thesis works from Aalto Students here.

Is there an Alumni portal with whom we can connect to?

  • You can find alumni information here.

♠Other questions

Is it necessary to set up a finnish bank account after arrival to Finland? Which one has a website and app in English?

  • It is not necessary but will be convenient. Both Nordea and Danske banks provide english apps.

What benefits can I get with a student card within the university?

  • The biggest benefit is the daily lunches on campus. The price is 2,60e with a student card. You can also use the card to get student discounts outside the University.
  • A digital student identity app is provided by Frank.

You can ask our squad members about student life through this email: aaltosquad(at)aalto.fi

Check out FAQs Part 1 

Joanna Wong,
Master program of Nordic Visual Studies and Art Education

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