As a new student, you might be wondering if you made the right choice by studying in Oulu. You did! Not only is the University ranked in the 300 highest ranking universities in the world, but here are at least five good reasons why Oulu is your best choice to study.
For the past couple of years, the University of Oulu has been undergoing renovations. This will continue until 2020. However, already you can see the progress with the creation of the TellUs Innovation Arena, where rooms can be booked for small conferences and speeches, as well as student group work. So, welcome to a brand (re)NEW(ed) University!
Perfect-sized city
Oulu is not as big as Helsinki and it’s not as small as Rovaniemi. With about 200 thousand inhabitants, Oulu is the perfect mix of a town and a city. The Linnanmaa campus area gives you a more town-like feeling, but you can always hop in the bus and go to the city center for a more cosmopolite experience.
Student life
In Oulu, you will find no shortage of student activities. Every Student Guild organizes cultural and recreational events. There are also student groups and events for sports, arts, parties, and language. In September, there is a major festival called Vulcanalia, where renowned artists play live music for the audience during the evening. During the day, there is a student fair at the University of Oulu. You don’t want to miss it!
Beautiful seasons
Oulu has some of the most beautiful sceneries during Summer and Winter. During Summer, daylight is present nearly all the time and the night is extremely short. The weather is perfect for outdoor activities and going to the beach. Additionally, nature is in full bloom, with birch trees full of green leaves everywhere. During winter it is the complete opposite. Snow covers everything and Oulu becomes a paradise of sparkling white. The days are short and the nights long. However, darkness can lead to aurora borealis (Northern lights) which are a truly magnificent sight. Admittedly, the times between these seasons might be a bit rainy. However, the wait is worth it.
Nonexpensive housing for students
The Student Housing Foundation of Northern Finland PSOAS offers about 5500 living places for students in Oulu with affordable rents. You can apply to a studio-, shared-, or even a family-sized-apartment. The water and electricity may be included in the rent in some of the apartments, and the basic internet package is free of charge. Find more information at their website.
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Marcelo Goldmann
A Doctor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Oulu. "Life is like a rubber duckie, you gotta keep it afloat to see its splendor."
Instagram: @marcelogman
Plenty of summer jobs and internships are ending this week. In the ideal case, the trainee is left with relevant job experience, a reference, a nice nest egg from the salary, and an overall feeling of satisfaction. The trainee can feel content for having started the job.
In the worst case, none of these exist, but instead the trainee, having worked all summer, has the start of a burnout and a red-hot hatred towards the whole working life, leaving the trainee asking why they took the job in the first place.
Unfortunately, both options are equally possible, and one can never know beforehand which one occurs.
However, most often work is just work: sometimes pleasant, sometimes boring, at times a bit tiring, often just pretty nice.
Work is a source of joy and sadness, anxiety and contentment for the modern people. Some have been given an insufferable amount of work (because the previous round of cooperation negotiations resulted in half the employees being axed), while some struggle to find a job regardless of constantly trying. (Except telemarketing, those places are always hiring!)
Work, employment, and especially unemployment have been hot topics under the current government. According to the latest statistic (21st of August) from Statistics Finland, the employment rate in our country has risen to 71.9 percent. Without a doubt this is good news, even though all kinds of speculations and doubts have been raised where these new jobs have appeared from.
Unemployment has a negative effect on national economy. Still, work is also a question of morality: people feel work is something one must do to be a good person; an actual, valuable part of the society.
I noticed the effect this way of thinking has when I was left unemployed for the first time after graduation. Not only was it unpleasant to make do with a meagre sum of money, the feeling of worthlessness and futility was also hard. No one needed me in anything, so I was not worth a thing.
The gloominess was only interrupted by brief periods of employment: if I was going to have a freelancing gig or a temping in a newspaper, I could once again breathe in the morning.
The importance of work is of course undisputed: it secures one’s livelihood, and at best cases it offers meaningful and significant feelings, pleasant fellow workers, occupational health services, and a meaningful way of spending eight hours of one’s day.
Of course, not all work has to be really special, stimulate one’s intellectuality, and look good in a resume. Sometimes work is just work, and it is done to receive salary. And that is enough.
Those who have a job, go sometimes to the other extreme and do only work and nothing else. Work takes over one’s life completely, and every hour is spent on working, apart from sleeping and eating.
Being entirely drawn into work is both a possibility and a danger. Significant, fun, and rewarding work is something one can do regardless of the hours, being completely exhausted, and ignoring one’s well-being. One must have the strength to carry on, as the work is pleasing in the end.
This is something I have run into in other places as well: in studies, in associations and positions of trust, in voluntary work, and in bands.
Sacrificing oneself and giving up everything for the sake of work feels good at first, but only up to a certain point. After that, the results are usually fatigue, cynicism, disgust, and eventually bitterness, in a varying order.
Therefore, a reminder for all the heroic workers: even though your job (or your degree, your work in an organisation, the voluntary work you do, or your band) feels like the most important thing in the world, do not let it grow larger than you, and do not let it be the only thing that defines your identity.
Because if you are suddenly left without it, what is then left of you?
This is a wisdom I have tried to teach to myself. When I have drowsily poured my usual cup of coffee in the morning, our office secretary Riitta has given me an excellent piece of advice. She recommended me to pour some water into a glass, and then place my finger in the water.
If a hole remains in the water when I pull out my finger, I am irreplaceable in my work.
Otherwise, I am not.
Translation: Kalle Parviainen.
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Anni Hyypiö
Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Twitter: @AnniHyypio
In Finnish. Vulcanalia, academic’ years opening party organized by the Student Union of the University of Oulu (OYY), has announced its lineup. This year’s Vulcanalia Festival will feature Teekkaritorvet, Satellite Stories, and Stig. Teekkaritorvet is an Oulu-based wind orchestra, known for popular annual concerts in Rotuaari and Linnasaari during Wappu. Satellite Stories is an Oulu-based indie […]
Vulcanalia, academic’ years opening party organized by the Student Union of the University of Oulu (OYY), has announced its lineup.
This year’s Vulcanalia Festival will feature Teekkaritorvet, Satellite Stories, and Stig.
Teekkaritorvet is an Oulu-based wind orchestra, known for popular annual concerts in Rotuaari and Linnasaari during Wappu.
Satellite Stories is an Oulu-based indie rock band founded in 2008. The band’s most famous songs include Campfire and Confetti. The group has announced that they’re disbanding later this year.
Stig (Pasi Siitonen) is a Finnish hip hop, R&B and country music singer, whose hit songs include Ryyppy, Puumaa mä metsästän and Roy Orbison.
The Vulcanalia Festival, formerly known as the Vulcanalia evening party, will take place on 12th of September at the Areena Oulu in Limingantulli. The day opens with the Vulcanalia Fair, which will take place from 10 am to 2 pm at the Linnanmaa campus.
E-tickets for the first time
Vulcanalia Festival’s artists are suggested by OYY’s Event Coordinator and Community Specialist Asta Salomaa and chosen by OYY’s board.
Chair of the Board Kalle Parviainen says that the board is very pleased with this year’s choices.
“As the big starting event of the academic year, it’s important to take everyone into consideration. For example, if we only had music performed in Finnish, we would neglect our international students”, he says.
In addition to a new name, this year, for the first time, it will be possible to purchase electronic ticket. Ticket sales will open on August 20th, at 10 am.
“Today, good customer service means that tickets can be purchased at any time, from anywhere. We’re taking Vulcanalia from the 1990s into the 21st century”, Asta Salomaa says.
In addition to electronic tickets, tickets will be sold at both University of Oulu campuses. Tickets will be sold on the Linnanmaa campus on 4.9 from 10 am to 1 pm and on Kontinkangas campus on 5.9. from 10 am to 1 pm. Tickets can be purchased by either cash or card.
Tickets to the Vulcanalia Festival are more expensive than last year. This year, a prepaid ticket costs six euros. The price includes entrance and coat check at Areena Oulu, as well as entrance to the after party at Ilona Nightclub. Ticket from the door costs 8 euros.
The Vulcanalia Festival will begin at 8 pm, with greetings from the University of Oulu and from the City of Oulu. Teekkaritorvet will perform at 8.15 pm, Satellite Stories at 9.15 pm and Stig at 10.30 pm.
Sold-out show on the way?
As this year’s Vulcanalia Festival is an indoor event, there will be less space than previous year. Last year 2,500 tickets were sold, now Areena Oulu can only hold up to 2,000 guests.
This means that event can sell out in advance.
“This year it’s possible that the event will sell out in advance. On previous years, this wasn’t even something to consider. Last year we built the festival space ourselves, so we had more control over how many people we could accommodate and we could have as many entrances as we wanted. This year we have to work with what Areena has, so come on time if you want to avoid the queue”, Salomaa suggests.
Before heading to the Vulcanalia venue, many partygoers typically spend time outside the gates.
“We hope that guests will not leave garbage behind. We’ll bring trash bags and bottle bags to keep place tidy”, Asta Salomaa says.
Areena Oulu is more than eight kilometers from Linnanmaa, and the distance from Kontinkangas campus is about half of that.
If you don’t feel like biking, Wesibussi will be running from Linnanmaa to the Areena Oulu from 7 pm to 9 pm.
According to Salomaa, a taxi partner will also be shuttling students at a discounted rate. The taxis will run from Kontinkangas to Linnanmaa during the day for the fair. Rides will also be available during the evening from Linnanmaa and the city center to Limingantulli. More information about transportation will be released soon, Salomaa says.
Preludi and Vulcanalia, match made in heaven?
During last autumn’s Student Council election, some candidates wished that Vulcanalia and Preludi (Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oamk) students’ party) could be held together.
Is a joint celebration coming soon?
“We’re definitely interested in the possibility of organizing a joint event when we share a common campus. I think this is not going to happen in 2019, as Oamk is not here yet. But if we want a joint event, we should start planning it now”, says Asta Salomaa.
The first Vulcanalia was held in front of the restaurant Rauhala in 1995. The party has since been organized in Kuusisaari, Toppilan Möljä, Ouluhalli and Linnanmaa. During the years, Vulcanalia has featured artists such as Anssi Kela, Felix Zenger, Tuomas Kauhanen, G-ODD, Moses Hazy, Redrama and Kauko Röyhkä.
Last year, Vulcanalia’s main artists were Musta Barbaari (James Nikander) and Prince Jusuf (Iyouseyas Belayneh)
Translation: Mariah O’Mara.
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Anni Hyypiö
Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Twitter: @AnniHyypio
By the end of the year the faculties of Humanities and Education in the University of Oulu are no longer using the northern end of the Linnanmaa campus. The Faculty of Humanities is moving in August, and the Faculty of Education in December.
In August, a great number of moving boxes will move on the Linnanmaa campus. The Faculty of Humanities is moving from the northern end of the campus to new renovated premises on the old side of the campus.
The Faculty started their move on the 1st of August, and the old premises must be emptied by mid-August.
The relocation affects both the students and the staff of the faculty. Together with the faculty, subject societies and the Humanities Guild, cafeteria Humus included, move to new premises.
New premises mean shared rooms
The new guild spaces will include three shared guild rooms and one common storage room.
One room will be shared by Gieku and Verba, one by Suma, Communica, and Index, and one by Tiima, Kultu, Timppa and Meteli. The new guild spaces will be accessible between 6 am and 10 pm without the 24/7 Campus Card, and also around the clock with the 24/7 Campus Card. The guild corridor will also include one locked exterior door.
The premises are bright: everything is clean and dazzling white. The change has been extensive – everything apart from the load-bearing structures and the exterior walls has been redone, says Jarmo Klytseroff, the account manager of Temotek.
“New surfaces on the floors, new windows, new ceilings, new roof, new doors. The metal doors are old.”
New guild rooms are built to be shared. One room will serve two or more student organizations.
The new premises of the faculty staff are located a few floors above, on the third floor.
The staff premises are divided into two lamellas, or in other words, corridors. The eastern lamella is now renovated on behalf of Temotek, and the other one was already renovated about two years ago. The faculty’s new workrooms are mainly shared between several individuals, and their sizes vary from twelve square feet to about forty square feet.
Like in the case of the guild spaces, the general impression consists of dazzling whiteness and brightness. According to Jarmo Klytseroff, the rooms will look very different after furnishing.
The premises in the third floor will host the teaching staff, management and the administration of the Faculty of Humanities. The study affair services of the Faculty of Humanities has moved to Opintokatu, to the premises of the former Student Center (KE1020).
Now the local services of the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Education and the Oulu Business School (HuTK-KTK-OyKKK-local service team) and the local services of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Technology (LuTK-TKK-service team) can be found there. Matters such as study certificates, transcripts, extension of study rights and academic year enrollment are taken care of in these service points.
Although chairs and tables will be placed on the corridor as well, the new Humus cafe will have less seats for customers than previously. Humus was open for the last time in its previous location on June 15th.
No sounds, no odors permitted
Jarmo Klytseroff states that the worksite has been very challenging. When the renovations are conducted next to spaces that are continuously in use, disruptive sounds or odors should be avoided.
“Additionally, a lot of communication is required: weekly announcements have had to be constructed very carefully.”
But everything has gone well, and in schedule, even slightly ahead of schedule.
The renovated premises were handed over to the University Properties of Finland (SYK) on Wednesday, the 20th of June. Before the premises were handed over, final cleanings, electricity measurements and automation adjustments were conducted.
The representatives of humanist subject societies visited new premises on the 11th of June. Pictured: the Chair of the Board of the Student Union Kalle Parviainen, Outi Niemi, Heli Paaso-Rantala, Miriam Putula and Emilia Käsmä visiting the Humus cafe’s new kitchen.
The Faculty of Education will move in December
While the new premises of Faculty of Humanities are complete, the situation is different in the future premises of the Faculty of Education.
In June the renovations were three weeks behind schedule. The project will be completed on time, promises Timo Haverinen, the facilities engineer of the University of Oulu.
“The renovations are complete by the end of October.”
What has made staying in schedule difficult is the fact that the time between the planning of the renovations and starting the renovations has been very short.
“The time between the planning period and starting the renovations has been incredibly tight. When you are planning at the same time, the chance of any surprises increases”.
The students and staff of the Faculty of Education will be able to move to the new premises in the beginning of December. The old premises must be handed over to the University Properties of Finland (SYK) by mid-December. When the premises have been emptied, SYK will start the arrangements for the University of Applied Science’s move to the northern end of the campus.
Changes in restaurants ahead
The future move of the Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oulu UAS) will have an effect on restaurants on the Linnanmaa campus. As the number of customers grows by thousands in the future, more restaurant spaces are required. This means that Foodoo and Mara, restaurants located in the northern end of the campus, will be renovated.
Foodoo will be renovated this year and Mara and the first floor of the zoological museum will be renovated during the Oulu UAS’ moving renovations between 2019 and 2020. The renovations will add over 600 customer seats to Foodoo and around 300 customer seats to Mara.
Foodoo and Mara will close their doors due to the renovations in two phases. The restaurant Foodoo, located opposite the zoological museum, closed its doors around Wappu, and the renovation of its kitchen is currently ongoing. The basic renovation of the restaurant will be completed in spring 2019. Before that, the customers on the campus are served by a temporary kitchen on the first floor of the zoological museum. The museum’s exhibition area will also be furnished as a temporary restaurant hall.
The temporary kitchen in the zoological museum will open its doors in the beginning of the autumn semester, on the 3rd of September.
Mara will close its doors as Foodoo is opened. The renovations for the new premises of the Oulu UAS will begin in phases around the northern end of the campus, starting this September.
Oulu University of Applied Science will move to Linnanmaa in autumn 2020. After the move, over 20 000 people will study and work on the shared campus.
Translation: Joonas Pelttari.
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Anni Hyypiö
Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Twitter: @AnniHyypio
Few things are as characteristic of Finland as the sauna. For thousands of years, sauna has been of great importance to the Finnish folk. It is said that the first thing to build when Finns were moving was the sauna. Thus, it is no secret that sauna holds a special place in their hearts. Whether you are a Finn or a foreigner, here are five interesting facts that will make you appreciate Finnish sauna.
There is one sauna per household or half-a-sauna per person
A home without a sauna is not a home, or so they say. In Finland, there were more than 2 million saunas by the end of 2017. Finland has about 5.5 million inhabitants, which translated to a bit less than half-a-sauna per person. This number is just an approximation, so the actual number of saunas could be much larger. This also means that it’s closer to one sauna per household, given that there were about 2.6 million households by the end of 2017.
It is believed that the modern word ‘sauna’ comes from the proto-Finnic ‘sakna’ which itself was derived from the proto-Germanic ‘stakna’, a forefather of the English word ‘stack’. Additionally, there is a proto-Sami word ‘suovńē‘ which means pit in the snow. It is believed that the first saunas were what we today call smoke saunas (Fin. savusauna), originally used for protection from winter. These saunas were actually pits dug into a slope where a fireplace equipped with stones would heat them up to increase the temperature of the dwelling.
After the industrial revolution, the saunas developed to include a metal stove and a chimney. The first electric sauna stove was introduced in 1938 in Vaasa. Nowadays, there are several types of saunas commonly used in Finland: the aforementioned savusauna, the wood-stove sauna, the electric sauna, and even the mobile sauna. Mobile saunas are equipped with wheels for transportation, and some of them are floating saunas instead.
As the old Finnish saying (roughly translated) goes: if booze, tar, and sauna do not help, you are probably going to die. Anything from the flu to arthritis and back pain was believed to be curable by the panacea which is the sauna. This is not completely false, as the warm steam could actually relief joint pain and have positive effects on your flu and sinuses.
Nevertheless, this is not a cure, but more of a short-term treatment. Naturally, we have modern medicine which can help us with our ailments. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose one over the other, you can combine sauna and medicine to your best benefit. Just remember to stay hydrated and consult your doctor if you have a heart condition before you go to sauna.
In the past, mothers gave birth in sauna to make sure the baby and the mother made it out alive. This was due to sauna being practically the cleanest place in the house, and thus the most sterile environment. To this day, there are apparently still people alive who were born in saunas. However, nowadays it’s just better to give birth in a hospital where proper care measures can be taken for both the mom and the baby.
If you’re a foreigner and have not been in Finnish sauna before, you might be confounded at the idea of being in an enclosed space, sweating with strangers in the nude. That’s perfectly normal, it takes some getting used to depending on your personality and upbringing. In the meantime, you can opt to use a bathing suit if it makes you feel more comfortable.
And fear not: Finns are very accommodating when it comes to sauna and they understand that people from different countries might be uncomfortable undressing in front of strangers. The worst thing that could happen is that you give yourself away as non-Finn, which might actually pique the interest of your peers and cause them to ask you about your background. You might be surprised by how open and talkative Finns can be in sauna.
Naturally, when you find yourself in a mixed sauna, where both men and women are allowed, it is possible that even some Finns will prefer to wear some cover. That is why there are normally turns for women and men in sauna. In families, the whole family might go together, or they might also take turns, especially if the sauna is not very large.
The Sauna Elf
In ancient times, the sauna elf (Fin. saunatonttu) was believed to live in the sauna. This elf was not an invader, but a friendly helper who took care of the family and warned them of impending danger. This, however, came at a cost, as the elf would have to be treated with respect and you even had to ask permission from the elf to enter the sauna. This also meant warming up the sauna sometimes just for the elf and occasionally leaving food outside for the elf to eat.
The sauna elf could also be angered by misbehavior, such as drinking too much, mistreating your animals, or just being a bad person. The elf would then show you its anger by making noises, throwing things, and jinxing you so your hunt went wrong. In worst case scenario, the elf could kill the person. Fortunately, as there have not been any murders by sauna elf, we must be doing something right.
A Doctor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Oulu. "Life is like a rubber duckie, you gotta keep it afloat to see its splendor."
Instagram: @marcelogman
Summer is right around the corner. Not only have we survived the wet autumn, but also the long and harsh winter. Finally, it is time to be outside and enjoy the sun. But the sun is just the beginning. In Finland, summer is a truly magical season and it needs to be experienced to the max. There are few better ways to accomplish this than to visit some of the amazing festivals that Finland has to offer.
Perhaps one of the best rock festivals in Europe, Ruisrock takes places at the Ruissalo island in Turku. Big Finnish names like Cheek and Sanni will be present, as well as internationally renowned group N.E.R.D. Ruisrock offers popular music for all tastes, as well as art exhibits and performances.
Nummirock (June 20-23)
If you’re into metal music, Nummirock is the place for you. Taking place at the Nummijärvi lake in Kauhajoki (near Seinäjoki), this legendary festival is not only a pleasant music experience, but also a great chance to camp and chill with your friends. Finnish and international bands play at several stages, so there is enough variety for all types of metal enjoyment. At the place, there is space to park your car and place your tents. There are day tickets, as well as 2- and 4-day tickets.
Pori Jazz (July 14-22)
If jazz is more your thing, you can enjoy the tunes of the great Pori Jazz festival, which will not only include talented jazz artists, but also popular artists like Alanis Morissette and James Blunt. This festival has been taking please since 1966, and its audience has grown considerably over the years. Check out the program and artist line-up at porijazz.fi.
Midnight Sun Film Festival (June 13-17)
Music is not the only thing you can enjoy in Finnish festivals. If you’re a fan of cinematography, the Midnight Sun Film Festival is for you. Founded in 1986 by the Finnish Kaurismäki brothers, the festival takes place about 120 kilometers above the Arctic Circle in Sodankylä. There will be films being shown in 4 venues all day and all night. You will find all information at the Midnight Sun Film Festival website.
Tampere Theatre Festival (August 6–12)
Many people don’t think of theatre when it comes to festivals. However, this festival promises to blow your mind with all types of theatrical performances, ranging from classical to contemporary, from drama to circus. Taking place in the beautiful city of Tampere, the Tampere Theatre Festival is celebrating its 50th anniversary, so you can expect a particularly enticing programme.
If none of these festivals tickle your fancy, you can always check festivals.fi for a large list of all types of festivals in Finland.
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Marcelo Goldmann
A Doctor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Oulu. "Life is like a rubber duckie, you gotta keep it afloat to see its splendor."
Instagram: @marcelogman
