in english arkistot - Page 3 of 11 - Oulun ylioppilaslehti

From a metal band guitarist into a career counselor and author ─ Sami Lopakka spent years finding his own place

Even before his studies in Finnish language, Sami Lopakka always dreamed of writing a novel. Even though he is a published author now, the career still feels unreal.

In English

TEKSTI Iida Putkonen

Musician, author, project manager, Sami Lopakka has collected a list of titles over the years. He is probably best-known for his career as the guitarist and songwriter of the metal band Sentenced. He is also a Master’s graduate in Finnish language ─ and from time to time a little bit of both.

“I made music during my studies at least half professionally ─ we recorded albums and toured all over the world with Sentenced on a regular basis. Around the time I graduated we decided to retire the band as well,” Lopakka says.

The transition from being a student and a musician to being a Master’s graduate was challenging for Lopakka. After touring the world he suddenly had to stay where he was, and instead of studying he had to find a job. After receiving his diploma he felt, in his own words, lost.

“In many ways I was in a new situation and somewhat adrift. Eventually, along with some friends, I ended up starting a business which had really nothing to do with my degree.”

His career as an entrepreneur lasted six years, but according to the man himself the business never really took off. Once again it was time to find another path. That was when Lopakka ended up at a job that felt, and still feels, right for him. He ended up developing the kinds of services that he never had when he graduated.

“After my career as an entrepreneur, I have been working on different projects and initiatives concerning employment issues of graduates. In that respect there is a logical continuum since these are the kinds of services I was missing when I graduated. So, the beginning of my working life was a bit of a struggle but eventually I found my own place, just with a little delay.”

These days Lopakka works as a project manager at Urasampo and offers guidance for higher education graduates. Even though the field does not quite match his Finnish language degree, Lopakka is nonetheless grateful for his studies.

“My studies further specified my own expertise and what kinds of skills I have and don’t have. Surely years of studying at a university also teach organization skills, stress tolerance and the ability to continuously keep developing ourselves. A job is learned by doing it, but studies can offer a set of tools for that learning”, Lopakka explains.

An author schooled by life

In addition to developing career services for graduates, Sami Lopakka also makes music and writes literature. He says he will continue to do so in the future as well. Writing is not exactly new to him since he used to produce lyrics for Sentenced during his studies. He also chose Finnish language as his major because of his interest in language and writing. Despite the common features of his roles as a student, songwriter and author, the roles are very different to him.

“I don’t think that my job as a musician has given me any help as an author other than with choosing the subject of my first novel. Of course both as a songwriter and as an author, you need to be able to shamelessly express and expose yourself. But writing song lyrics and prose are two completely different things ─ sort of like an athlete would switch over from gymnastics to road cycling.”

However, songwriting or graduating from the Finnish language programme did not magically make Lopakka an author. He had to learn the secrets of a creative job just as any other job.

“Authors are not born in auditoriums, but schooled by life, slouching over a keyboard in the middle of the night. In order to write fiction you need to be able to draw upon your life experience,” Lopakka says.

A lifetime of experiences can certainly be found in the author’s works. He describes his own text as “so grotesque and full of pitch-black humour that a smart person probably wouldn’t publish it under their own name.” Yet his second novel Loka was published last year, with his name on it.

Even after the publication of his second novel, his career, which for a long time had only existed in his dreams, still feels like a dream sometimes.

“Writing novels was a distant vision already in my twenties. I didn’t think it was going to become a reality for a long time. A career writing novels still feels unlikely even though I have already published two novels,” Lopakka laughs.

Now his novel Loka is nominated for the Botnia award of the Writers’ Association of Oulu. Botnia is an annually granted award especially for Northern Ostrobothnian authors. It is granted for the fourth time in October. The nomination for an award of 10 000 euros is a sign that Lopakka’s career is in fact real and even growing. He feels honored about the nomination.

“It feels great for sure. Writing is a very lonely job and in my case, also a job that takes years. So every spotlight that shines my text feels meaningful.”

If writing a novel really takes years and agony, how does Lopakka manage to do it?

“At heart I write because I have a compelling urge to scream into the wind and pour something out of my own chaos. For me it has always been the only way to create something meaningful out of nothing.”

Who?

Sami Lopakka

45 years old.

Comes from Oulu and has lived his whole life in the area.

Author, whose first book Marras was published in 2014. His latest book Loka was been nominated for the Botnia literature award 2020.

Works as a project manager at Urasampo developing career services for graduates.

Graduated from the University of Oulu in 2005 as a Master of Arts (M.A.) from the degree programme of Finnish language.

Was the guitarist of the heavy metal band Sentenced from 1989─2005 and an entrepreneur for six years.

Thinking back to his years at the university, he especially enjoyed finishing his Master’s thesis and the freedom to choose your subjects based on your interests.

Encourages the students of today to consider the possibilities of working life already during their studies, and to build a network from your peers, education staff and people from extracurricular activities.

In his free-time he consumes music, movies and literature, and enjoys nature.

Dreams of a peace of mind.

Read this article in Finnish. Translation by Saana Haapala.

Julkaistu 23.10.20201.2.2023

Iida Putkonen

Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Tiedeviestinnän maisteri ja glögin ympärivuotinen kuluttaja. Etsii revontulia, riippumattoja ja juuri oikeita sanoja.

Lue lisää:

Hallopeds – affecting the future of the University one meeting at a time

From the beginning of October, the fees paid for hallopeds increased. But what is this mysterious halloped in the first place?

In English

TEKSTI Anna-Sofia Tastula

KUVAT Iida Putkonen

Read this story in Finnish.

The announcement begins. A meeting fee of 41,20 euros per meeting is paid to student members from 1.10.2020 onwards from the following meetings: Collegium, Board of Examiners, Education Management Group, the Education Council, the Faculty Board, Faculty Steering Group and Education Committee. Announcement ends. A number of questions arise: What meeting? What committee? What fee? What student member?

A student member represents students in university administration. Their job is to bring forward a student’s perspective and look after students’ interests. A student member is plenipotentiary in the meetings of the university. In other words, they have an equal say and vote in all matters just as any other member does. These members are called hallopeds, a.k.a. student representatives in administration, who influence the future of education and research in the university they represent.

Hallopeds can also represent in administrations outside a university. As for the University of Oulu, its hallopeds can represent in the boards of student owned restaurant chain Uniresta, Oulun ylioppilasapu ry (‘Student help association in Oulu’) and the Student Housing Foundation of Northern Finland (PSOAS), and also in the nationally operating delegation of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) and in the locally operating executive board of FSHS healthcare service unit of Oulu. Hallopeds are appointed either by the Student Union or the student body.

You might be thinking ‘wow that’s a lot of responsibility’. So many delegations, committees, councils, management groups and boards! There’s no denying that the list is quite extensive. But if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. The University is a big institution, where several matters require decision-making. Without student representatives nobody would know of the real problems that students face. After all, universities were founded to suit the needs of students. Students themselves established the university institution during medieval times, and sought out their own teachers.

But what are the things that students might want to influence these days? Who has the energy to meddle with the details of every bureaucratic decision? As a matter of fact, the issues can be rather tangible. If for example, a student restaurant serves bad quality food or neglects allergies, hallopeds can address that. They can also affect what kind of thesis supervision a student receives. With the help of hallopeds these things can change. The accomplishments of hallopeds include for instance, the Quiet Room at the University, and the “55 study credits” overall patches and meal tickets, although the latter don’t exist anymore.

What about the fees then? A student representative does not receive a salary per se, but they do receive a meeting fee of 41,20 euros from most meetings they attend. So, did the announcement from the beginning mean that hallopeds are getting more money? From the beginning of October, hallopeds receive the meeting fee from more meetings than before, but the numeral amount of the fee has not changed. Influencing the extension of the fee was Aino Rossi, a Specialist in Academic Affairs at the Student Union of the University of Oulu (OYY). Among other people, she helped accomplish better compensation for the efforts of hallopeds.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A SUPERHUMAN

A third-year economics student Antti Pennala thinks that anyone can be a student representative. All you need is the motivation to use their own time to further common affairs. Pennala is a student representative in the Education Management Group (EMG), where they collaborate with Education Deans and the Vice Rector for Education to discuss education strategy. Basically it means that Pennala is affecting the development of future education at the University of Oulu.

According to Pennala, what is important to understand about halloped activity, is the long-term nature of the decisions and the fact that they might not affect the students of today.

“The people needed as hallopeds are the ones who care about making a difference on what our University is going to look like after we’re done studying here”, Pennala says.

According to OYY’s Aino Rossi, hallopeds are not superhumans.

“You don’t have to be a super-student in order to be a halloped. It’s more important to know the problems of ordinary students. If you apply to be a halloped and indicate your interest in the issues, you are very likely to get appointed. The applicants aren’t exactly pouring in from every open window”, Rossi says.

Nita Tuomi, a student representative in the Faculty of Science Education Committee, agrees that being a halloped is quite effortless. She believes that anyone can be a halloped because the job is really not that difficult.

“Working as a halloped in the Education Committee requires nothing more than a few hours a month and an interest towards education and its functionality. Specialists in Academic Affairs in particular can benefit from working in the Education Committee because they can function as an excellent link between students and the University all the way to its administration!” Tuomi says.

Nita Tuomi represents students in the Education Committee meeting. There for example decisions are made concerning the student admission amounts and the design of diplomas. The meetings are held once a month and the material for the meetings needs to be viewed beforehand.

Antti Pennala also says that his activity as a student representative in the Education Management Group is really just attending the meetings. In preparation for the meetings he needs to go over the meeting material and meet with his vice member as well as OYY’s Specialist in Academic Affairs, Aino Rossi.

“We decide in advance which matters we might want to discuss in the meeting. When we’re there, we pay attention to the conversation, and as it goes on we comment on the things worth commenting. So if you absolutely don’t have to, you’re better off not commenting on everything,” Pennala says.

Pennala’s enthusiasm for getting into this type of interest work came from getting to know other hallopeds at the University.

“It was suggested to me that I should apply in the Education Committee for Oulu Business School. I got elected and had my first experience with halloped activity”, Pennala recounts.

According to Pennala, halloped work provides you with many opportunities to develop yourself. For example, in the meetings you might come across bigger themes, and once you have already grasped them, you can make use of them in working life as well. Every day is an opportunity to learn something new.

“As a halloped I can fulfill my thirst for knowledge and learn something new every day. It’s rewarding to succeed when you have spent so much time commenting on some new principles, and you notice that the matters are actually passing in the meetings”, Pennala says. He also emphasizes learning to collaborate with the faculty and university administrations.

Merely by complaining though you won’t get very far.

“Generally it might feel like nothing is ever going well when it comes to student-related issues. Still it’s important to remember that positive feedback is needed as well. This concerns all things in life but with halloped activity it has been nice to notice that this is in fact the case”, Pennala reminds.

Not everything about a student representative job in administration is just learning, bureaucracy and hustling around. It also involves meeting a bunch of new people, who you can work and trade thoughts with.

“This wouldn’t be half as fun if you didn’t get to meet and spend time with new people, who have similar interests as you do. In fact, I would like to see more hallopeds from every year and all faculties. It doesn’t really matter where you come from but what you are prepared to do. The views of a new student are just as valuable as the ones of an older one”, Pennala says.

“ONE HALLOPED REPRESENTS HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS”

Nita Tuomi had also decided to apply as a halloped after hearing the recommendations of earlier hallopeds.

“I acted as a Minister in Academic Affairs at the subject organization of biology Syntaksis. I thought that being a halloped could also benefit the subject organization”, says Tuomi.

Tuomi also says that by being a halloped she has been able to affect student-related decisions still under planning, and reshape them to better suit the needs of students.

“Because of halloped activity, I am more informed than an average student is about matters concerning University administration, which naturally affect students directly. I feel like I can truly make a difference through this job and get to see the results immediately”, Tuomi explains.

Annakaisa Tikkinen, a student of English Philology, says that when it comes to decision-making in administration, a student member carries the same amount of responsibility as any other member.

“You’re not just a messenger there. In the bigger picture it’s about the realization of the entire University democracy”, Tikkinen states.

That is why it takes a serious level of commitment to be a halloped.

“By calculation, one halloped can represent hundreds or thousands of students. It’s important to commit to the job, so that the voice of students can be heard when making decisions”, Tikkinen highlights.

Tikkinen herself is a student member in the University’s Board of Examiners. There matters such as petitions for correction of students and student applicants are handled. One can file a petition for correction if they are for example unsatisfied with the evaluation of their thesis, a decision concerning acceptance of credits or the scoring in student admission.

Tikkinen says that affecting the rights of students and the development of the University community feels meaningful to her.

“It’s also good preparation for working life!” she adds.

Both Pennala and Tikkinen agree that as a halloped you need to know how to speak up.

“The most important thing is having the courage to speak up at the right time. Whether it’s about stating your opinion or saying that ‘hey, I don’t understand, could somebody explain, please’. Working in administration is also a good place to practice that courage even if the thought of it might seem scary. Being a halloped is good for someone who has courage or someone who wants to have courage”, Tikkinen says.

“Having the courage to speak up when it’s needed can be helpful: you can deal with big themes and sometimes think outside the box”, Pennala says.

OYY’s Aino Rossi explains that there are many more good sides to halloped activity. As a halloped you can gain experience, networks (for example, with the University administration and people responsible for academic affairs), filler for your CV, study credits, and from many meetings you can get money or even meeting snacks. Then there’s information regarding University matters still under preparation, and you can also comment on documents you can’t otherwise influence.

OYY also organizes coffee meetings, get-togethers and other meetings for hallopeds as well as annual christmas parties, May Day mead-celebrations and a water-bus tour. At these events you can meet subject organization active members and other hallopeds. Without these kinds of activities the job could get quite dull, and just hanging around in the meetings would make the experience rather one-sided.

THE GROUPS ARE REFORMED IN AUTUMN

Now, who can become a halloped and how? Anyone can apply as a halloped and you don’t need to have any prior experience in organization or interest work. Open calls can be found at OYY’s website and in the halloped portal of the University of Oulu.

Many additional calls are still going on at this moment. Every other fall there is a larger open call, where all hallopeds are elected. OYY trains all of the student representatives and arranges orientations. The latest orientations have been this September, but additional training can be arranged throughout the year regarding subjects that the hallopeds themselves request.

Most student representative jobs in administration last two years. You can however resign during your term if the job gets too straining or if you happen to graduate. In addition to the ordinary members there are also vice members involved. Vice members don’t need to participate in the meetings unless the ordinary member is unable to attend for some reason. Aino Rossi also points out, that the experts at OYY will help with any problems and answer questions.

Hallopeds do not have to work without the support of other students either. Hallopeds can be provided with feedback, which they can take into account. Student members represent students and oversee their interests, which is why they need the support and opinions of other students. Questions and feedback can be sent to the present hallopeds straight via email. The contact information of all present hallopeds can be found at halloped.fi/en/oulu. There you can also find all of the committees, the lengths and descriptions of halloped jobs and ongoing halloped calls.

So, the stiff announcement from the beginning shortly entails the following: The student members, who represent students in the meetings of University administration, are being paid a meeting fee from more meetings than before. Students are getting financial compensation for the work they are doing – That is all in a nutshell.

This article was translated by Saana Haapala.

Julkaistu 21.10.20201.2.2023

Anna-Sofia Tastula

Maisterivaiheen kirjallisuuden opiskelija ja syksyn toimittajaharjoittelija. Lapsenmielinen noolikontti, joka on kiinnostunut kuolemasta, kirjallisuudesta ja kuolemasta kirjallisuudessa.

Lue lisää:

Student lunch prices to go down in 2021

In Finnish. The Finnish Ministry of Finance decided in its budget negotiations on the 16th of September to compensate student lunch prices. The prices will go down from 3,06 euros to 2,70 euros maximum at the beginning of 2021. In August 2020 the government raised the student lunch prices due to increased ingredient costs. All […]

In English Yleinen

TEKSTI Anna-Sofia Tastula

In Finnish.

The Finnish Ministry of Finance decided in its budget negotiations on the 16th of September to compensate student lunch prices. The prices will go down from 3,06 euros to 2,70 euros maximum at the beginning of 2021. In August 2020 the government raised the student lunch prices due to increased ingredient costs.

All student restaurants have not increased their pricing to match the maximum price, which is currently 3,06 euros. Using the government funding is up to each restaurant, so not all restaurants choose to use the maximum funds for meals. Currently the maximum price for preparing one student meal is five euros.

At the University of Oulu, both Juvenes and Uniresta raised their prices to 3,06 euros. Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oamk) students paid 1,1 euros for their lunches before the raise in August. Also affecting the price is the move to Linnanmaa campus. The Oamk students now pay almost two euros more for their lunch.

Most exchange students in Finland are eligible for student priced lunches. Since 2012 students have paid 2,60 euros for their lunches. Student lunch prices have varied according to the maximum production costs. The maximum costs define how much money can be spent on making one meal. In 2011 the price for lunch was 2,50 euros. From 2003 to 2007 the price was 2,55 euros. The maximum prices have risen approximately 20–30 cents. The biggest increase, 46 cents, happened earlier this year.

In the future students will pay a maximum of 2,70 euros for their lunch. After the increase this August, the price will not go back to its previous level. The student priced lunch will cost 3,06 euros until the end of the year and even next year the price will be 10 cents higher than at the start of this year.

Julkaistu 17.9.20201.2.2023

Anna-Sofia Tastula

Maisterivaiheen kirjallisuuden opiskelija ja syksyn toimittajaharjoittelija. Lapsenmielinen noolikontti, joka on kiinnostunut kuolemasta, kirjallisuudesta ja kuolemasta kirjallisuudessa.

Lue lisää:

Tools and tips for the academic year that I wish I knew as a freshman

Studying is hard work, but the right equipment will make it a lot easier. In this article, Anca M. Catana shares her experiences and gives tips for successful student life.

In English Opiskelu

TEKSTI Anca M. Catana

There are things that will make studying a lot easier. Some of them might be obvious, but others not so much. Here is a list of things to consider, heading into the new academic year as a student.

A planner

Coming straight from being a high school student, or from a job with a regular schedule, or from a parental leave with a very irregular schedule, the need for a planner might not be so obvious to you at this point. But once the courses get rescheduled, the assignments pile up and your free time gets crowded, you will definitely feel the immediate necessity of such an item. Luckily, there are several options regarding planners and I have tried them all.

Online calendars. They are ok, but not great. I’ve been using online calendars as a back-up/complementary calendar to my paper planners, but never exclusively. The biggest advantage is that it’s always there, so you can easily book a date. The downside is I feel it easily gets more crowded than it actually is, and you might just “lose the track of time” if you ran out of battery.

Standard planners from supermarkets or book stores are for you if you just want to keep up with your lectures, assignments and student events, but are not the most hyper-busy type of student. Inexpensive (compared to other paper counterparts), ready to fill-in, with tons of design options to choose from, you just couldn’t ask more from a basic planner.

A personalized planner made-to-order. This is the option I chose for the upcoming year. If you can’t find your soulmate amongst the tons of ready-made planners, you can definitely create one fit for your taste and needs. The biggest downside: it is much more expensive than the standard one. Of course the production and shipment also take extra time. But if this doesn’t stop you from ordering one, you can finally become the organizing freak you were always meant to be!

Bullet journals. Some fall utterly in love with them. I love the time and money I save by not using one as my planner. If you have the time and inspiration to fill in a layout every single month/week/day and the money to spend on all the fancy accessories, go for it! After having a horrible time with a bujo last spring, I decided to opt out from using it as a planner this year, but I still bought a basic one (and the most basic accessories) for, well.. journaling. So I can keep all my 100 year-plans and 1,000,000 euro-worth ideas neatly in one place.

Writing tools

It’s a no-brainer. You’ve been buying writing tools since pre-school. But if you are one of those who fancy using a fountain pen, you might reconsider your choice, since the ink is very difficult to come across in the Finnish bookstores.

Pencil and eraser. They never fail. I’ve seen people going through their uni years with only just that. So if minimalism is your way, just get your pencil and eraser (borrow the sharpener from your classmates when needed).

Erasable pens. If there’s something that I totally loved from my bujo adventure, that’s the erasable pens. When I first discovered them, I had a Eureka moment. How did I manage to survive some 15 years of education without ever using one is a mystery for me. But now, I can’t go anywhere without them. You need them in your life, too!

A laptop

This is another one worthy of “duh”. The point I wanted to make is that, when choosing your laptop, especially as a freshman, it is not a good time to get stingy. Do yourself a favor and go for a proper one. You will need it like air, because you need a tool that can keep up with you as well as your Zoom lectures.

A bag that fits your new laptop, if you are a minimalist. If not, you probably need a bag that is sporty, a bag that is more fancy, a bag that can resist a winter storm… and the list can go on and on. But really, you need some reliable ways of carrying your laptop around (or just go for a desktop instead), so the rain, snow and cold of Finnish weather won’t ruin your precious.

Discounts

Get all the discount apps/cards/coupons you can get your hands on (Tuudo app, Pivo app, student sticker). Now life in Oulu ain’t cheap, but over time, with a bit of diligence, you can save a fair amount of money by paying a close eye at all the offers available. There are student discounts for meals in university’s restaurants, bus card discounts, drinks, pizzas, movies, hairdresser, you name it, so you can spend the money on things that really matter (that laptop, I’m telling you).

A thermos

A reusable cup and/or a thermos and a water bottle. The winters are dark and cold, and coffee is your best ally ( we welcome tea-drinkers in our club as well). Do yourself (and the world around you) a favor and buy a reusable cup for when you need to run with your coffee from one place to another. A thermos will save you some nice money in the long run if you choose to bring your coffee from home. (It might not work that well if you like your coffee milk. As I learned, it starts tasting funny after using it for a few weeks).

If you are going to follow your studies exclusively from home, nothing compares to a sip of hot coffee (yes, or tea) enjoyed outside by the fire on a freezing day!

A plan

While a planner will help you deal with day-by-day stuff, it is important that while in the midst of stress and rush, or the enthusiasm of a new academic year, you don’t let the big picture get completely out of sight.

The beginning of a new academic year is a good moment to draw the big lines regarding the following semester and year. Think about your academic objectives and work life related objectives.

If I learned something after four years of studies, is that you simply don’t have time to do everything you would like to do. You can’t take all the courses with catchy names, visit every event and fare, be involved in all the societies and organizations, while keeping healthy relationships and having a balanced lifestyle which includes lots of rest.

As an example, during my first semester as a freshman, I focused on the compulsory studies, and on the second one, I focused on studying Finnish. During my second year I decided to focus on my personal life and family, while during my third year I focused on catching up with all the school work. Last year it was all about gathering different experiences and networking.

Bonus tips

While this is not directly related to the studies, what I personally think works wonders for your well-being and time management is a fitness tracker.

For example, if you decide to study using the Pomodoro technique (look it up if you don’t know it), you can set the countdown right from your wrist, so you won’t have to pick up the phone every time (and get tempted to check the notifications).

A fitness tracker will let you know how little you moved around if you studied remotely, so it will motivate you to go for an evening walk or jog. It will also track your sleep, so when you will feel exhausted, you will know if you just need extra sleep, or it’s another culprit (lack of D vitamin for example).

Finally, you should be able to set different alarms/notifications on your wrist, For meal times, or breaks or what not. The only one I don’t recommend is the morning alarm, it doesn’t work for me. And I am the one who never snoozes a morning alarm.

An app and notifications blocker. The smartphone is a great tool for every student and an absolute must. But if you tend to get too distracted by it, particularly during lectures or study times, an app and notifications blocker might save you from lots of headaches and stress, and will make the study time significantly shorter and more efficient.

A multi subject notebook. You can go through your university years without touching a single notebook if you like. But if you are like me and remember stuff better when you write it, or get distracted by the laptop (aye for both!), a multi subject notebook might be great for you. Even if you do take notes during classes, there won’t be that much to write that you can fill-in a whole notebook for each course, and we don’t want to waste no paper, do we? Plus, it will be easier to prepare your bag if you just need to use one notebook everyday, instead of digging amongst ten different ones.

And finally, as your student career progresses I wish you good luck!

Julkaistu 2.9.20201.2.2023

Anca M. Catana

Education student, theater enthusiast, nature lover. Curious, spontaneous and ambitious, open for new challenges.

Lue lisää:

Autumn starts with remote teaching, orientation for new students will be held in small groups on campus

There is no return to normal during the autumn for students at the University of Oulu, as online teaching will continue for the first period. Contact teaching will be organised only if it cannot be arranged remotely. This means, for example, laboratory teaching.

In English

TEKSTI Anni Hyypiö

KUVAT Anni Hyypiö

In Finnish

The University of Oulu has decided on guidelines regarding teaching for the start of autumn. According to the bulletin released on the staff intranet Patio and on the website of the University on Tuesday 9 June, remote teaching will continue due to the coronavirus pandemic.

During the first teaching period (August 1 – October 25) contact teaching will be organised on the campus only if the teaching cannot be held online. This means mainly teaching and learning in laboratories or other experimental teaching.

The orientation for new students will be organised in small groups on campus. According to the University, this should support the formation of groups of new students and to ensure that the new students starting their studies will be attached to the University.

Lecture-type events will also be organised for all new students via remote connections. The guidelines issued by the University also state that the orientation period must also take into account students who cannot come to the campus.

The electronic Exam will be the main tool for assessing learning during the first period, but other alternative methods for completing courses can also be implemented, such as essays, home exams, or learning diaries. Traditional exams at campus are not recommended to be held on the general exam days but organised by the course teachers individually. However, general exams can still be arranged with the safety distance of 2 metres between the students. This in turn requires more supervisors for the exams.

These guidelines and principles apply to the first teaching period, from 1 August to 25 October. Decisions regarding teaching after week number 44 will be made in August.

Before this announcement from the University of Oulu, the University of Eastern Finland and the Tampere University had already notified that online studying would continue in the autumn.

The University of Oulu moved to online teaching in March. While some of the restrictions have already been lifted, teaching has continued remotely. From the beginning of June, students have been able to enter the campuses with the 24/7 access card on weekdays from 8 am to 5 pm. At the Linnanmaa campus, entry is possible through the main door 2T and door A3, and at Kontinkangas through door 7A.

The effects of the coronavirus to students have been analysed in a survey by the Student Union of the University of Oulu. According to the survey, the exceptional spring has caused extra workload and stress, and has caused problems in advancing studies. Students have been mainly happy with online teaching, though there are some differences between the faculties. The students at the Oulu Business School were highly critical of remote teaching in the survey.

According to a survey done by the University of Helsinki, students have been more exhausted than normal during this spring. The survey was answered by 2,500 students of the University of Helsinki from various fields. Out of all the respondents, 29 % said they were highly motivated and committed to their studies and felt no exhaustion. Another 29 % deemed their wellbeing fine and found their studies quite interesting. However, 18 % of the respondents were exhausted by online studying and 24 % were at a risk of burning out.

According to the guidelines by the University of Oulu, teacher tutors will follow and monitor their students’ progress closely, and be in touch with their students if the studies are not advancing as planned.

Translation: Kalle Parviainen

Julkaistu 10.6.20201.2.2023

Anni Hyypiö

Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Twitter: @AnniHyypio

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OYY’s corona survey: the exceptional spring has made studying harder and increased workload, satisfaction in teaching and communication varies between faculties

In a survey conducted by the Student Union, the students at the University of Oulu stated that their studies had become harder due to, for example, lack of equipment needed for the courses, increased workload, and uncertainty regarding income. Flexible solutions in organising the courses and well-functioning courses have helped the situation.

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TEKSTI Anni Hyypiö

In Finnish

The exceptional spring has caused stress, additional work, and slowed down studies for many university students in Oulu. The students have needed guidance and support as they have been forced into lockdown and isolation, lacking communality, and also to alleviate the anxiety and uncertainty the situation has caused.

However, most people have been satisfied with the quality of the remote teaching, and in some cases, the exceptional circumstances have even made studying easier.

This information is evident from a survey done by the Student Union of the University of Oulu (OYY). The questionnaire was answered by 1,603 students, which is roughly 12 percent of all the students of the University of Oulu. The survey was open for all degree students, doctoral students, and students in the open university.

Nearly half of the students (47 %) who answered the survey felt that their studies have become slightly harder due to the circumstances. Almost a quarter (24 %) of the respondents felt that the exceptional circumstances have had a major impact on their studies.

However, a bit over half of the respondents (57 %) answered that they felt they had the opportunity to progress their studies as planned, regardless of the exceptional circumstances. Out of the respondents, 32 percent felt that their studies had not progressed the way they wanted.

On the other hand, 13 percent of the respondents felt that the circumstances have helped their studies either by little (9 %) or greatly (5 %). Additionally, 15 % of the respondents answered that the circumstances have had no noticeable effect on their studies, neither improving nor worsening them.

The University of Oulu moved to remote or distance learning in a short timespan due to the restrictions placed to combat the spread of the coronavirus. The gradual easing of these restrictions began on 14 May, but remote learning continues for now. The Oulu Student Magazine wrote about the online learning experiences of four students in an article published on 31 March.

LABORATORIES BEHIND LOCKED DOORS

The chance to advance studies as planned has varied from faculty to faculty. According to the survey, the students in the Faculty of Medicine have managed to progress their studies the best. Comparatively well did also the students in the Faculty of Education, the Oulu Business School, as well as the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

According to the survey, below-average progress of studies has been possible in the Faculty of Technology. Students have faced the most difficulties in advancing their studies in the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, in the Faculty of Humanities, and in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering.

According to the Education Dean of the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Tuomo Glumoff, an obvious reason for this is the nature of the studies in the Faculty: biochemistry is something that is done in a laboratory. As the doors to the campuses were closed in March, the teaching laboratories were closed as well. Two courses carried out in a laboratory environment were left incomplete, and their completion was moved to May. However, an exceptional arrangement is still in place: at all times, the maximum number of students allowed in the laboratory is nine students and one assistant.

For some students in the Faculty, the experimental work for their pro gradu theses was also halted. Glumoff states that the students who would graduate on 31 July at the latest have been granted a special permit to enter the laboratory already a few weeks ago, and the rest have been able to continue their work on 14 May.

“You cannot learn laboratory skills via a correspondence course, you must be able to do the work yourself.”

Glumoff continues that some of the courses this spring have been modified so that they can be completed online. For example, some practical work has been modified into problem solving exercises, which can be figured out outside the laboratory.

“You cannot learn laboratory skills via a correspondence course, you must be able to do the work yourself.”

Aino Rossi, the specialist in academic affairs of OYY, states that about four percent of the studies this spring could not be organised remotely, for one reason or another. Thus, they have been either moved to another time or organised on campus with exceptional permission. Rossi also says that relocating the studies from the planned timeslots makes advancing studies harder.

The Student Union’s specialist in social affairs, Sanna Kangasniemi, says that some students are worried about their income as the coronavirus has affected employment. That in turn influences how their studies can be progressed, or if they can be advanced at all.

According to the survey, the uncertainty of livelihood had hampered studies slightly for 23 percent of respondents and significantly for 13 percent of respondents. Personal reasons were cited as something that hindered studies slightly by 31 % of respondents and significantly by 21 % of respondents.

The open answers revealed that the personal reasons listed as having a negative effect on the studies were, among others, factors related to stress, motivation, and the wellbeing of self or others.

Changes in the availability of study material and the learning environments, lack of equipment required for the courses, increased workload, difficulties in the practicalities of the course, uncertain income, and personal reasons were among the negative effects the exceptional circumstances have caused.

A child staying at home and difficulties in receiving information and guidance were also listed as things that make studying harder.

However, making things easier were the flexibility of the courses and how well they were executed.

STRAIN FROM THE QUICK CHANGE

A majority of the respondents estimated that the move to remote learning and studying online was slightly, reasonably, or very stressful.

Many respondents felt that moving to remote studying and online learning in general was strenuous. Of all the respondents, 26 percent felt this change was moderately stressful, and 16 percent of respondents felt it was very stressful. The situation was ‘slightly stressful’ for 28 percent of respondents.

Contrary to that, 28 percent of respondents viewed that the shift and studying online did not increase their stress at all.

“Weekly tasks were mentioned multiple times in the open answers. If a student has many courses with weekly exercises, it is a large change compared to having just lectures and a learning diary or an exam.”

According to the specialists of the Student Union, the experience of stress and increased workload can be explained by the changed methods in completing the courses.

“Weekly tasks were mentioned multiple times in the open answers. If a student has many courses with weekly exercises, it is a large change compared to having just lectures and a learning diary or an exam,” says Aino Rossi.

The suddenness of the change as well as its execution have also increased the strain towards students.

“As the exceptional circumstances have forced performing this so-called digital leap quickly, there have been problems in organising the studies and uncertainty how to do the assignments. That is something that affects one’s perception of the workload,” Sanna Kangasniemi states.

DIFFERENCES IN COMMUNICATION IN THE FACULTIES

Communication is often criticised in exceptional circumstances. Especially at the beginning of the crisis the communications from the University of Oulu were criticised in social media and on Yle’s article (13 March).

According to the recent survey, most respondents felt that the policies and instructions from the faculties and the University as well as information on completing the courses were communicated to them well or very well. Half of the respondents deemed they had received information well, and 19 percent extremely well.

However, 11 percent of the respondents felt they received information poorly, and 3 percent answered extremely poorly. 16 percent stated that they felt they did not receive information well or poorly, and 2 percent were unsure.

The survey reveals that there are differences between the faculties on how well information is relayed between various parties.

In the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, there were no students who felt they received information poorly from the Faculty. The Faculty also performed well in communicating how to complete the courses.

Tuomo Glumoff states that the Faculty has organised weekly briefing sessions on Zoom since the crisis started.

“Apart from conveying information, the idea was that communality clearly suffers as students are unable to enter the campuses. At least now we can meet once a week on Zoom. This has had multiple benefits: the students receive up-to-date information and answers to their questions. Additionally, thanks to suggestions from the students, two courses are now held as summer studies, and we would not have done this otherwise.”

According to the survey, communications were handled reasonably well in the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Medicine.

The survey shows that communicating policies and instructions was done moderately in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, the Faculty of Technology, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and the Faculty of Humanities.

Comparatively, the survey reveals that the poorest faculty in terms of communicating the policies and instructions was Oulu Business School. The Faculty also received negative feedback on informing the students how to complete the courses.

Why has there been disruptions in the flow of information?

Janne Järvinen, the Education Dean of the Oulu Business School and professor of accounting, states that the Faculty has many subjects that vary amongst themselves, and the courses are completed in multiple ways. This might be the reason for the confusion in communications, Järvinen ponders.

The responsibility of relaying the information to the students has been on the teachers of the courses. Information has also been passed on through the student society Finanssi.

“[The Faculty] did not organise our own info sessions, though we could have. Also, FMBB is a smaller faculty than us. We have been in contact with the student society and we thought that information will be passed on through them. We have had some constructive discussions with Finanssi. For sure, [communications] could have been done differently,” Järvinen says.

Järvinen also remarks that the quickly changing situation not only stresses the students but teachers as well. In such a rapid change, additional resources or a few helping hands would not have gone amiss.

“Everyone has been busy with teaching. I had a few courses that had to be moved online within a few days. There can be a large bachelor-level course with hundreds of students, and the alternative teaching methods had to be invented in a few days. I understand that the situation has been extremely challenging, but we made through it reasonably well.”

Lotta Leinonen, the board member in charge of academic affairs for the student society Finanssi, says that the organisation is also gathering data through their own survey, made in collaboration with the Business School.

The survey, aimed at members of the student society, is open until the end of May, but based on the answers so far, few points seem to be repeated.

According to Leinonen, the general picture on how the teaching has been organised is a positive one. In particular, streamed lectures and thesis guidance have received positive feedback. “Especially in master’s level there are courses that have received commendations.”

Leinonen continues that especially for first-year students there have been some courses with very little online teaching, or courses where an exam has been replaced by weekly assignments. Leinonen says that these lower the overall grade of the feedback.

“If you cannot get in contact with [the teacher] of the course or the workload has increased, it reflects instantly in the results of the survey.”

Situations in which students have been informed late on changes in exam practices have received criticism in the survey by Finanssi. There is also some feedback that on some courses the teaching has been organised almost the same as in normal conditions, but on some courses, there are no lectures at all.

“Why are there courses where the teaching could be transferred completely online, and others where this could not be done?”

STUDIES ARE NOT FLEXIBLE FOR EVERYONE

The increase in workload and the flexible arrangements of courses also varied between the faculties.

The detrimental effect of the increase in workload was experienced mostly by the students of the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and Oulu Business School.

The best comparative results were achieved in the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine as well as in the Faculty of Medicine.

The Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine was also above the average in the flexibility of the courses, along with the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. The lack of flexibility seemed to affect the students in the Oulu Business School and in the Faculty of Humanities the most.

In Oulu Business School, 19 percent of the responds estimated that the lack of flexibility had made their studies more difficulty, and 14 percent thought their studies were significantly harder due to the lack of flexibility.

The Education Dean Janne Järvinen states that the structure of the studies has an effect on their flexibility. On bachelor level, there are less opportunities to have flexible studies or alternative methods for completing the courses.

Järvinen says that many of the respondents have been precisely bachelor-level students. That influences how the workload of the studies is perceived. Overall, the need for support and guidance is greater at the beginning of the studies, and in these exceptional times this demand only increases.

According to Lotta Leinonen, the lack of flexibility as well as the cancellation of work practice and internships has also affected the studies.

“Worry has been caused by the coronavirus taking away student’s internship, and by the fact that the mandatory work practice cannot be replaced by any other course: hopefully this will not affect students’ graduation.”

Järvinen says that the competitive nature of the bachelor-level courses also influences the experience.

“How one manages on some of the courses during bachelor’s level decides the entry into the most popular major subjects. Some students experienced that their workload increased, and at the same time, they have had pressure to get good grades.”

This competitive aspect is something the Faculty is unable to change: “There are limited number of places in the major subjects, and if there are more applicants than places, there is a competition that will be determined by the grades. I think that those with not that high level of academic proficiency view the situation as stressful.”

Lotta Leinonen says that changing the way the courses are completed, with weekly assignments instead of an exam, has been a cause of stress for bachelor level students.

“Previously, with only an exam, it has been relatively easier to estimate how much one needs to do to get a good grade. Now, with weekly assignments replacing the exam, it has improved learning, but if a student has high ambitions, that has increased the pressure. The weekly tasks make it harder to estimate what are the requirements for a good grade. Therefore, it has caused even more stress for those who already stressed about the situation.”

WHAT ABOUT REMOTE TEACHING ITSELF?

The survey shows that remote or distance teaching has worked comparatively well in the University of Oulu, but the results vary between the faculties again.

Out of the respondents who have had online courses, 67 percent felt they worked well or extremely well.

However, 12 percent of respondents deemed distance learning to have worked poorly, and three percent answered that it has worked extremely poorly. Based on the survey, above average results were achieved in the Faculty of Medicine, and the worst results were in the Oulu Business School.

The Finnish Medical Journal Lääkärilehti reported on 24 April that medical students around Finland have been reasonably happy with their studies and how they have been organised.

Maintaining routines, organising schedules, and managing life in general are among things that are made harder by studying at home, according to many respondents of the survey.

Other challenges listed in the answers of the survey show that especially things related to mental health, life management, income, and organising teaching had made studying harder.

The answers also were related to employment: the respondents had difficulties in organising work practice, problems in acquiring income, and fears of delaying their studies and graduation. There were also mentions of the difficulties in communications, receiving information, and contacting the teachers responsible for the courses.

Maintaining routines, organising schedules, and managing life in general are among things that are made harder by studying at home, according to many respondents of the survey.

The survey also investigated the functionality of the various ways of completing the courses.

Home exams along with exams in Moodle were deemed to work well, as well as other written assignments, such as essays, reports, referrals and summaries. Doing remote group work was evaluated as the worst option.

Apart from the challenges, the survey also aimed to bring forth some successes during the spring. Most of the positive comments from the students were related to remote teaching and online lectures and seminars, and the respondents complimented the fluency of the courses and the knowhow of the teachers in managing the necessary tools.

Especially recording the lectures was deemed important, as the possibility of returning to the things discussed during the lecture was seen as making learning easier, as well as bringing flexibility to the time management of studies.

Special praise was also passed on to some of the tools and spaces for online studying, such as the arrangements in the IT services and the library Pegasus, and the online environment Moodle as well as the conference tool Zoom. Individual teachers and faculties were also complimented for working exceptionally well.

ADVANCING IN STUDIES AND RETAINING HIGH QUALITY

Even though the survey by the Student Union reveals that communications, flexibility, and stress have received criticism, the students in Oulu Business School have managed to advance their studies and their graduation has not been delayed.

This is something Janne Järvinen considers important.

“Following the weekly assignments, it seems that the percentage of submissions has been high, and they seem of high quality. From a Faculty point-of-view this is a good thing.”

“There were some perceptions that the workload had increased. Let’s put it this way: working is good for you. Or was someone expecting things to get easier in a situation like this?”

Could the Business School introduce some more flexibility in the future? According to Janne Järvinen, there is a large difference in how the bachelor’s and master’s studies are organised. According to him, the bachelor’s program is a clear “pipeline” that cannot be altered with the current number of students and teachers.

“The teaching is practically controlling large masses of students. In the bachelor’s studies, the challenge is that the teaching should be of high quality regardless of this. I am sure that our studies are high-class, but their size brings forth the special characteristics.”

However, the “master-level studies can have completely different systems in use.”

As an example of alternative ways of completing the courses during master’s level, Järvinen mentions the master’s seminar he held online. Participating remotely works well for those who work along their studies, as now they do not have to take a full day off to participate in the seminar.

Janne Järvinen says that introducing alternative methods for completing the courses is hampered by the requirement of being effective. One must achieve results, which means finished degrees.

“Having different methods for completing the courses would create additional delays in the process. We must put out a large number of students quickly and with high quality. That is the reality of the situation, as the field of business has a small multiplier in the financial model of the University.”

The cost for the University of arranging teaching varies from field to field. For example, the equipment the teaching requires, and the amount of contact teaching the courses have affect this. Some degrees are more expensive than others for the University, and these are taken into account in the funding model by a larger multiplier.

If remote teaching continues in the autumn as well, the survey by Finanssi reveals that their members would like to see more online lectures and more information on how to complete the courses and their structure and scheduling. On the other hand, streaming lectures could be used in corona-free times as well, as they allow students who work to participate on courses that have mandatory attendance, Leinonen says.

Janne Järvinen says that the Business School will examine the results of the surveys in the bodies of the Faculty.

“We are very interested in hearing what the surveys show.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

The results from the survey by the Student Union require actions, Sanna Kangasniemi judges. The results have been forwarded to the University, and the report has been published in its entirety on OYY’s website as well.

“Of course, at the moment we only have data on these exceptional circumstances. It would be intriguing to have information from normal times as well. There are some results that have been reacted to even before the survey was made. Now more emphasis will be placed on them.”

“We do not know how long the situation lasts. The students have wished that practices that work well in these times would be continued even after the coronavirus has passed.”

The flexibility of the studies that was praised in the results of the survey is in accordance with the Student Union’s policies, says Kangasniemi. OYY will continue to push more flexible studies in the future as well.

“We do not know how long the situation lasts. The students have wished that practices that work well in these times would be continued even after the coronavirus has passed.”

Has the Student Union received feedback on advocacy work during the pandemic?

Sanna Kangasniemi says that the open answers in the survey only had a few questions regarding why OYY does nothing.

Aino Rossi says that she has not received any direct feedback. There have been some requests for help, and those are desirable. Rossi has been answering questions about exams and theses, for example. “Theses are critical when you are graduating.”

International students have been worried about tuition fees for the upcoming autumn period.

The socio-political problems the students have faced are, according to Kangasniemi, student grant, layoffs, and for students with families how to raise the student grant if one is forced to stay at home with a child.

Kangasniemi says that a similar survey would be an interesting thing to do in the autumn, whether the remote learning continues or we are back into regular daily life.

“That would show what changes have been made.”

OYY’s corona survey

»A survey about the effects of the coronavirus was open between 3–11 April. The survey was sent via email to all students at the University of Oulu (degree students, doctoral students, and students at the open university)
»The survey was answered by 1603 students (12 percent of all students of the University)
» A vast majority (93 percent) answered in Finnish, only 7 percent in English
» Responses were received from each faculty
» According to OYY, the survey findings are presentable especially regarding the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. Slightly over-represented in the survey were the students in the Faculty of Medicine, and slightly under-represented were students in the Faculty of Technology and the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering.
» The University of Oulu Graduate School (UniOGS) was marked as their faculty by 2 percent of the respondents. The results of the survey are grouped by faculty, and it includes doctoral students as well.
» The whole survey can be found on OYY’s website in both Finnish and in English

Translation: Kalle Parviainen

Julkaistu 20.5.20201.2.2023

Anni Hyypiö

Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Twitter: @AnniHyypio