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Hi, 5 ways to survive the holidays while living abroad

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, or any other fancy happening, you will have some free time during the December holidays. Some people are fortunate enough to return home and visit their families, but others will be staying in Oulu, in some cases for the first time. If you are one of those who won't be able to go home for the holidays, here are five ways to keep your spirits up during the festive season.

In English

TEKSTI Marcelo Goldmann

  1. Keep a routine

One way to keep your mind off the downer of not going home for the holidays is to keep your schedule as regular as possible. We humans are creatures of routine, and we tend to feel the most comfortable when sticking to our routines. Do what you normally do and go on about your day as usual. Take showers, have lunch, meet some friends for coffee, go shopping.

 

  1. Treat yourself a bit

And on the matter of shopping: nothing raises your spirits quite like getting something you like. Maybe you crave a new pair of shoes, or that game you have been meaning to play all year, perhaps some sports gear, or even just a nice dinner outside. Treating yourself will not only make you feel good, but will also provide you with a mini-adventure. The whole process of going somewhere to get something you want will motivate you and the payoff of finally obtaining it will be very satisfying. If you are like me and prefer online shopping, you can still have fun window-shopping as you try to find what you want.

 

  1. Start a project

Now that you will have some free time, you will have the chance to use that time in anything you like, and keeping your brain productive is a good way to keep your mood up. Start going to the gym, take up an instrument, build a model airplane, make a painting, catch up on all those series that you like. If you keep yourself occupied and more importantly, entertained, you will feel great and energized.

 

  1. Get together with others

Perhaps the best way to cheer up during the holidays is to find other individuals who are also not going home. You can get together and have your very own celebration and have a dinner where everyone brings something typical of their hometown. I find this method to be the most effective. Having not returned to my hometown for years, I can say that getting together with friends and having a nice dinner and laughter has always made me feel better about staying abroad for the holidays.

 

  1. Travel somewhere close

If all else fails, you can always travel somewhere closer (and cheaper) than your hometown and having a grand old time. At the very least you’ll not be confined to your apartment and you’ll get to know a new place or revisit a place that you already like. It doesn’t even have to be another country, you could travel inside Finland. Adventure could be waiting for you around the corner.

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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

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Marcelo Goldmann

Hi, 5 ways to improve your winter biking skills at -20 °C and below

Finnish winter is no laughing matter, particularly when it comes to riding a bicycle on snow or ice. This can be especially challenging if you come from a place without snow. May the next 5 tips make your riding safer.

In English

TEKSTI Marcelo Goldmann

  1. Use winter tyres

Winter tyres are compulsory by law for cars during winter. This is not the case for bicycles. However, winter tyres are essential if you plan on taking on those treacherous snowy and icy bike roads. Not only will the winter tyres allow for better handling of the bike, but also for a much safer ride. If the cost of the tyres scare you (35+ eur), then you should at least get one for the front wheel, even if you don’t change the tyre of the back wheel.

 

  1. Lock Oil

At freezing temperatures, it can become difficult – sometimes impossible –  to open the lock to your bike. The moving parts will freeze and can ruin your day. All you need is a special blend of oil and solvents called “lukkosula” (lit. lock melt) in Finnish. You can buy lukkosula at any convenience store. This magic substance will not only defrost the inside of your lock, but will also protect it for some time against freezing again.

 

  1. Avoid sharp turns and brake slowly

One of the hardest things to learn when riding a bike on snow or ice is unlearning to bike on dry pavement. Before making a turn, make sure to decelerate in advance and to make the turn broadly. The reason for this is that snow and ice provide much less friction than dry pavement. When you make a sharp turn, you are producing more force on the ground than when you make a broad turn. Thus in a sharp turn, the dry pavement can provide enough friction against the tyre to keep you up but the snow or ice cannot, causing your tyre to slip.

This is also the reason why you probably don’t want to brake suddenly, but rather taper your braking slowly over time. A sudden braking will create too much force on the snowy or icy ground and even if your wheels are not rotating, your whole bike (and yourself) will slip and keep going.

 

  1. Wear a helmet

It might not be the most fashionable accessory, but a helmet is the best way to protect that precious head of yours. Even a relatively small fall can have devastating consequences to your noggin if you hit it against the ground. The last thing you want to take home from your time in Finland is a concussion. Be safe and wear a helmet, at least until you’re a pro at winter biking.

 

  1. Choose clothing wisely

The “layers, layers, layers” rule applies here. Choose your layers properly: a base layer, a second layer, a third layer if necessary, and a windproof layer on top (e.g. ski pants and ski jacket). A beanie is also necessary to keep your ears and that head of yours toasty and protected. If you cannot stand the wind on your face, you might want to wear a scarf or facemask. As you bike, your body will get warm, really warm, even at -30 °C.

However, the two parts of your body that will likely remain colder are your feet and your hands. Thus, remember to give these two parts special attention: wear warm socks, winter shoes, and windproof mittens.

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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

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Marcelo Goldmann

Debate, diplomats and Finnish Sauna – Getting to know diplomacy in Helsinki

"You learn many things during these new experiences, things which you don't learn in your daily life. So never be afraid to travel and socialize", says Ammar Bukhari after participating in FinMUN 2017.

In English Yleinen

TEKSTI Kaisa Tervahauta

At the University of Oulu there are plenty of student societies that offer all kinds of possibilities according to ones’ interests. However, for those interested in international relations the choices are very limited. That’s why Ammar Bukhari took the opportunity to join Finnish Model United Nations in Helsinki.

During an intense weekend in April he met statesmen, diplomats and students from around the world. We asked Ammar to tell you all about his first FinMUN experience.

 

Who are you?

“Ammar Bukhari, 23, studying Master’s Programme in Product Management in University of Oulu.”

 

What is FinMUN?

“FinMUN is an annual conference where many international people and people from different parts of Finland come to debate. It is a simulation of United Nations, where each delegate is representing one country allocated to them. You debate like it happens in the actual United Nations and learn about diplomacy. It is a type of public speaking exercise. It is organized by Finnish Model United Nations Society.”

 

What was the program like?

“It was a great experience! The best part was the visits and diplomacy we learned from respected people.

The first day, a welcome session was held at the EU office in Helsinki where Canada’s representative gave a talk. Then we were welcomed at Helsinki City hall by few representatives from the local government. The second day we visited Swedish Embassy and met the Swedish Ambassador who welcomed us and gave a talk about Swedish and Finnish collaboration and shared his experiences in the UN.

We also visited the Finnish Ministry of Environment, where we discussed Finland’s stance and efforts for the Arctic region. We also learned about the experience of Finnish Sauna diplomacy, which was actually adopted by a former Finnish prime minister.”

 

What was your role?

“I was representing France in the United Nations Security Council, and was declared best delegate (most active delegate) in the committee, even though there were many experienced MUN speakers. Other participants flew in from Germany, Spain, Sweden and Russia to join students from all over Finland.”

 

How can I join?

“Anyone can participate. You apply online, tell them what you study or have any experience in this MUN public speaking before or not. Most students are studying international affairs and I was the only one with engineering background. It was also my first time participating in the event. You just have to participate, it teaches you a lot! In my experience you learn many things during these new experiences, things which you don’t learn in your daily life. So never be afraid to travel and socialize.”

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Kaisa Tervahauta

Pohjoismaisen filologian, valtio-opin ja viestinnän opiskelija. OYY:n hallituksen jäsen vuonna 2017.

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In English Yleinen

Kaisa Tervahauta

Renovation of Teekkaritalo will move next autumn’s freshman events somewhere else

Teekkaritalo, the center of many student events, started undergoing renovations in the beginning of May. The improved version of the house will be available for use in October.

In English Yleinen

TEKSTI Sanna Häyrynen

KUVAT Anni Hyypiö

In Finnish

Teekkaritalo, built in 1993, will receive a large-scale renovation during the summer.

According to Tero Marin, the chairman the board of Teekkarilupi Oy, the organization responsible for the upkeep of Teekkaritalo, the house has received only small maintenance and repairs when needed during the past 24 years.

“The surfaces are in such bad condition that a large-scale renovation has to be done”, Marin explains.

The total expenses for the five-month period will easily reach six-figure numbers. Financial aid will be given by companies and private donators.

“The house has without a doubt given many people a lot of hilarious moments, great experiences, warm memories and new friends. Now is a good chance to give something back to the house”, Marin states.

The members of Teekkarilupi will take part in voluntary work when it comes to demolition work and acquisition of materials, for example, but the more advanced maintenance work will be left to the professionals.

 

Oulun ylioppilaslehti 2017.
This is how ascetic Teekkaritalo appears at the moment. The entire floor on the first floor of the building will be renewed and underfloor heating will be installed. Tommi Portti, pictured above, visited the worksite on 24.5.

 

A LONG TO DO-LIST

The kitchen of Teekkaritalo will undergo changes, as it will receive new appliances and furniture. According to Marin, the main objective is to make the kitchen more practical than before.

The entire floor on the first floor of the building will be renewed. It will be cast again, and underfloor heating will be installed. The floor that previously consisted of tiles and wood will be replaced by rubber matting.

“The heating channels next to the dance floor, the dread of all those who use high heels, will be removed. Because the new floor consists of unbreathable material, we have to ensure that water cannot access the structures, so underdrain pipes and a rainwater sewer will be installed in the yard surrounding the building”, Marin notes.

A separate drain for a hot tub will also be installed. Teekkaritalo does not currently have a hot tub of its own, but users can bring a rentable hot tub with them.

The old plywood board of the sauna building’s exterior surface will be replaced by wood and steel surfaces. The roof of the sauna and the roof terrace will also be repaired.

An entirely new storeroom, which will also be larger than before, will replace the old one.

“Unfortunately, the storeroom has seen more than a few break ins. The new storeroom will be more durable, and will also have some working space”, Marin adds.

 

ALTERNATIVE PREMISES

When the renovations are finished in the end of September, Teekkaritalo is supposed to function as before. However, the freshman events in September might cause some trouble, as traditionally many of them have been held at Teekkaritalo.

One alternative option, according to Marin, was to start the renovation already in April.

“In that case, all the Wappu events would have had to be moved somewhere else. We had to choose the lesser of two evils.  The summertime has always been very quiet, so we had to time the renovation somewhere around it”, Tero Marin explains.

Teekkarilupi has suggested that student organizations could, for instance, rent the guild house of the architecture students, located in Pikisaari.

 

Translation: Joonas Pelttari.

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Sanna Häyrynen

Tiedeviestinnän maisteri, joka tykkää kuunnella, kun asiantuntija puhuu. Twitter: @sannahayrynen

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Sanna Häyrynen

Women in Science: Why Are There So Many Guys in STEM Fields?

What is commonly used as a joke among students actually reflects a sad truth: If you want to hook up with the opposite gender during your studies you have to select your university carefully. A school heavy on engineers signals to mating-willing students “There are just guys!”, and they might want to migrate for parties to the part where education and social sciences are studied. Sounds like the beginning of yet another American Pie movie? Sadly this is how gender is distributed across study fields even in the 21st century.

In English

TEKSTI Bianca Beyer

KUVAT Alisa Tciriulnikova

The idea for this article struck me during an exam supervision. Staring at poor students who are suffering to solve their tasks for three hours is not exactly one of the most entertaining things about working at a university, so I involved them unwillingly in my next research project for this magazine.

Soon after they had started writing I realized something: The room was overpopulated with guys. There were three different exams from technical and sciences faculties and still, in 2017, this seems to be the main determinant for gender distribution. I quickly evaluated the boys-to-girls ratio and concluded that there were approximately two thirds guys and one third girls in the room.

The population in Finland is more or less equally distributed among men and women and considering that Finland is one of the most balanced countries when it comes to gender equality, it seems very odd to me that there is still such a huge difference in STEM-fields between men and women. STEM is short for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and can historically be thought of as rather male-dominant fields of study. Apparently this is still the reality!


Guys like technical stuff, girls like humans and arts

Finland, just like its Nordic neighbors, has always been very forward-thinking in terms of equality. After all, there’s not even a distinction between masculine and feminine in the Finnish language. Could this whole exam-gender-distribution maybe be attributable to a coincidence and the other girls who study engineering and chemistry just took the exam on another day?

I checked the official statistics to be sure and the results are sadly not too surprising. The results suggest that when it comes to applicants on fields like natural sciences, engineering, sports and even economics, boys outnumber girls up to 2.5 times.

The numbers for the University of Oulu compared to the whole country vary only slightly. Opposing, or rather complementing, this stereotype is just another stereotype. Girls outnumber boys, beating the aforementioned ratios, in fields such as education, social sciences, and humanities. Five times as many girls as boys are interested in health science!


Boys are evaluated better than girls 

On the search for an answer for this odd phenomenon I stumbled into more questions. Eileen Pollack, author and one of the first two women ever to graduate from Yale with a Bachelor of Science in physics in the 1970s, looks at the problem in an article in the New York Times Magazine.

Pollack refers to a Yale study where two made-up candidates apply for a position. Their training and skills are the same, the only difference is their gender. Yet, all study-participants favor the male applicant in almost every category, and also offer him a higher annual salary. Study participants were both women and men. Apparently we are all sexist.

There seems to be something deeply rooted within our subconscious beliefs that makes us value a man higher than a woman, and consider men more fit for technical fields like engineering, mathematics and natural sciences. On the other hand women are considered to be better at creative and social field of study.

Perhaps the answer lies in biology. Boys and girls develop and behave differently, but this cannot entirely be explained by our society. If you try to find a gender-neutral congratulations card for the birth of a baby, you’ll fail most probably and have to decide for pink or blue. But it is hardly believable that the baby already cares about that.

According to an article in Psychology Today, infants already show differences in development, such as being interested in social stimuli versus being interested in things and systems. Could the explanation really be this easy?

 

What went wrong in our own youth?

When thinking back to my own childhood and school time, I have no reasonable explanation for not having been interested in natural sciences and technology more. Now, today, I have developed an interest towards those fields. Back then, I couldn’t have cared less. This can neither be explained by a lack of support nor by some other external and sexist cruel force: my mother constantly and unsuccessfully tried to get me interested in chemistry, and we had feminist teachers fight for equality in almost every field throughout high school.

One interesting argument that keeps coming up is how boys and girls deal differently with challenges. While boys seem to be confident, almost overly confident, girls seem to need external approval and encouragement in order to proceed when studying becomes harder. When boys fail, they tend to think they simply did not put enough effort. Girls quickly believe that their abilities are not sufficient.

Eventually this could be explained by upbringing and society rather than biological differences. The famous difference between a fixed and a growth mindset is that those with a growth mindset know that they can develop and improve their skills. After all, the beauty of a mindset is that it is just another belief.


Future resolutions towards more equality

Perhaps there is a difference of biological nature between girls and boys and their interest in different fields. But most certainly this difference can be emphasized or dampened through education, upbringing and a change of our viewpoint.

We need to constantly keep on encouraging kids to pursue what they are interested in and offer them a wide range of the things they could become interested in. We should try to eliminate stereotypes as much as possible and raise boys and girls in the same encouraging way that boosts self-confidence. We need to constantly check within our own mindset if there is some hidden and subconscious, implicit sexism or some other discriminative thoughts going on in our thinking.

Implementing a women quota to get more equality doesn’t make sense if we don’t encourage more female students to actually take on studying the fields where women are missing.

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Bianca Beyer

When I don’t sit over plans to erase all evil and meet unicorns, or dream of eating cotton candy, I believe in hard facts and science, doing my PhD in Accounting at the University of Oulu. Using writing as an information transmitter, outlet for creativity or simply for mere entertainment, I believe I am totally living the dream with all my current jobs. Blog: beapproved.wordpress.com

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Bianca Beyer

Hi, 5 things to look forward to during Vappu

Vappu, or Wappu as engineering students call it, is a public holiday on the 1st of May. Vappu signifies the beginning of spring, but for students, Vappu is a two-week celebration with different day and evening activities and parties.

In English

TEKSTI Marcelo Goldmann

KUVAT Alisa Tciriulnikova

  1. Something to do every day

Vappu has no shortage of events for you to attend during April. Already weeks before the 1st of May there are different events cooking up. There is something to do every single day: Hot B**ch Party on the 19th, Vappu Openings on the 20th, Ööpinen publishing party on the 22nd, Rowing competition on the 23rd, BBQ on the 24th, Beer pong on the 25th, Rave on the 26th, Joyhouse party on the 27th, Picnic on the 28th, Vappu eve’s eve party on the 29th and Vappu eve party on the 30th. The reality is that there are so many events that it is likely you might not be able to attend them all, so choose wisely.

  1. Overalls everywhere!

If you thought there were times when there were a lot of students in overalls, you haven’t seen anything yet. During Vappu there are overalls as far as the eye can see. You get to see the wild students in their natural habitat, usually prancing around random places with a drink in their hand. These creatures are notorious for banding into groups with overalls of similar colors and singing very loudly. So sew some patches, put on your overalls, and join in with your friends. Just remember that whatever happens, you’re not allowed to wash your overalls.

  1.  The Water Bus

The Water Bus, Vesibussi, or Wessibussi, is one of the highlights of Vappu. Bus number 69 rides from Linnanmaa to the city center and from the city center to Linnanmaa. It has a capacity for about 100 people and it is magically insane. In the bus you will be able to party as the bus makes is way through traffic. As an added bonus you get to travel between Linnanmaa and the city center or the other way around. Inside the bus you can expect loud music and friendly people.

  1. The death of freshmanship

For freshmen (Finnish: fuksit) Vappu serves as an important rite of passage. Once they have experienced their first Vappu they are no longer freshmen. This is especially true for engineering students who take a dip in the waters of Åström Park. The students dive into the water as freshmen and come out as engineering students (Teekkari). The next morning, they receive the engineering caps. The dip happens on the 30th of April starting at 13.00.

  1. Vappu Radio

During Vappu, there are special broadcasts made by students in different cities of Finland. In Oulu the radio called Rattoradio, which literally translates to Pleasure Radio. Starting on the 2oth of April and ending transmission on April 30th, Rattoradio broadcasts at 98.1 MHz. Most of the programs are in Finnish but there’s at least one in English: Goldmann and Saksa in Your Mama’s House by UUNI’s own Bianca Beyer and yours truly. Find out more at rattoradio.fi.

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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

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Marcelo Goldmann