Welcome to study Environmental, Energy or Bioengineering in Tampere!
You’ve made an excellent choice in coming to study engineering at the Tampere University Hervanta Campus. This page contains plenty of information regarding the beginning of your studies, so take your time to read the page and learn what there is to come.
Good questions:
What is YKI?
Ympäristöteekkarikilta or YKI in short is the subject association (guild) for Environmental, Energy and Bioengineering students. YKI offers many services to its members; take a look at the rest of the pages to find out more! YKI can also be found on Facebook and on Instagram.
What is a fuksi?
First year students at Finnish universities are called fuksis. When you start the university, you will become a fuksi and after Teekkarikaste, you get to call yourself a teekkari.
Teekkari and Teekkarikaste?
Teekkari is a term for an engineering student who has gone through the Teekkarikaste. In Teekkarikaste all fuksis will be dipped in the ice-cold Tammerkoski (Tampere Rapid) and be reborn as teekkaris.
What is Indikaattori?
Indikaattori is the Guild Magazine of YKI, which is published about three (3) times a year. The Fuksi edition, Fuksikaattori, is published in the summer. The Magazine is mostly in Finnish but especially the Fuksikaattori contains some English sections, take a look here!
What is a tutor?
An older student who’s in charge of guiding new fuksis at the university. A tutor is here to guide you on all extracurricular and freetime activities; not to be confused with a study counsellor, though they can also provide limited help with studies as well.
What is a Fuksivastaava (Fuksi Representative)?
Fuksivastaava is the person responsible for introducing university life and teekkari culture to new students. In the 2023–2024 semester YKI’s fuksi representative is Otto Mäkinen. Fuksi officer (fuksitoimari) is the fuksi representative’s helping hand. During this semester YKI’s fuksi officer is Annikaisa Vainiotalo. YKI has an international fuksi officer (KV-fuksitoimari), who is responsible for especially new international students. The international fuksi officer for this semester is Julius Tast. Helping our so called “fuksi team” are fourteen national and four international tutors. You can find an introduction of all of them on this year’s Fuksikaattori!
What is Hervanta?
Hervanta or Herwood is inarguably the best part of Tampere. The Hervanta Campus is a place where every engineering course is held. You’ll be studying mainly in the Hervanta Campus, so take this into account when you’re looking for an apartment.
What is the Varaslähtö? (Head Start)
On the Sunday before orientation week starting at 6 pm on the Hervanta Campus front lawn you’ll have a chance to meet the tutors, fuksi personnel and other new students before the official Welcome Week starts!
Teekkari Culture
As the old saying from Herwanta goes, studies without life are nothing.
Be ready to start your teekkari life, here’s a few important terms to get you started!
Fuksi passport
Fuksi passport is meant to introduce Teekkari culture to first year students. The passport will be handed to you in the beginning of the semester. By participating in events you’ll gain points to your passport, so always keep it with you!
Overalls
You can recognize a student by their overalls, whose color is specific to the field they study in. YKI’s coveralls are forest green. The coverall project is managed by a team consisting of Fuksis, and it includes reaching out to sponsors who want to advertise on the coveralls.
The Guild Room (or just guild)
The guild room is a place meant for members to hang out between lectures or on free time. The guild room provides services such as coffee and a computer. YKI’s guild room is located in Konetalo in the room K1727.
Excursion
Excursions or field trips are organized by the guild and their destinations include nearby areas, elsewhere in Finland and occasionally abroad as well. In excursions we usually visit different companies. Fuksis have their own excursion in the fall, which is free of charge!
Kesätappo (summer cottage weekend)
Kesätappo, or summerkill/killing of summer in Finnish, is an event in the summer where guild members gather to spend time together traditionally in the Kortejärvi cottage. Fuksis are warmly welcomed in the event! The event is held on 30.6.-2.7.2023 in Kortejärvi cottage. If you want to participate, ask Julius for more details!
Terms
TREY is the student union of Tampere University, whose job is to represent the students within the university, organize different events and lobby in the Finnish politics for students’ rights, provide different services, to which all members are entitled to. A separate organization from the university itself. For example guilds such as YKI are member associations of TREY.
Tampereen Teekkarit is a head organization for teekkari organizations, such as guilds, which for example organizes important events for teekkaris, such as Teekkari Dipping.
TUNI is the forbidden abbrevation of Tampere University which is used in online communication contexts only. The university is responsible for services such as study counselling, and is the main contact for any study-related problems or questions.
TOAS is the foundation of student housing in Tampere. TOAS offers affordable housing near the university, ranging from shared apartments to larger three-room apartments for families.
Things to remember
- Accept the degree place
- Enroll on the semester
- Register your TUNI-username
- Apply for a student card already before the semester
- Visit the Tampere University website
- Arrive to the university on the first day of the semester
- Download the messaging app Telegram on your phone, and message the user @fuksiofficer so you’ll get to join the group for YKI fuksis!”