This FAQ was first published in Terminaali 3/00 by Jari Korhonen. Updates have been made occasionally since then, so there might be some minor errors in the answers. If you find any, please notify the current Minister of Information.

About Studies

1. Do I need to register for courses?

Yes, you need to register for courses yourself, either through Peppi or Tuudo. The only exception is the first courses of your freshman year, for which you don’t need to worry about registration before your studies begin since you’ll do it on the first day under the guidance of your tutor. Some courses have more flexible registration requirements, while others are stricter. For example, language courses are held in smaller groups and tend to fill up quickly, so keep an eye out! It’s also important to check when registrations close. There have been cases where students missed out on the Programming 2 course because they didn’t register on time! The registration deadlines for courses can be found in Peppi and Tuudo.

2. How do I know which courses to choose?

The courses required for your degree, their planned completion times, and optional courses can be found in the University of Oulu’s study guide. In your freshman year, the studies are very similar for all students in the same field, and your tutor will also guide you in choosing courses and creating your study plan during the early autumn.

3. Do I have to attend lectures?

Check if attendance is mandatory for the course’s lectures. For most courses, attendance is not required, so you are generally responsible for your own studies. Attending lectures or exercises is not necessarily mandatory. In language courses, the teaching resembles high school education, and attendance is more or less mandatory.

4. Is it worth attending lectures?

Most students find lectures genuinely helpful. Often (but not always), the most crucial aspects of the course are better understood during lectures than by reading books. It’s also good to remember that attending lectures does not replace independent study but supports it. If the lecturer is poor, meaning they just read the slides aloud, attending lectures might not be worth it. In most cases, it’s entirely possible to achieve the same results through independent study as by attending lectures. It’s always a good idea to attend the first lecture of a course because that’s when the course’s requirements, study materials, exercises, lab sign-ups, etc., are told. You’ll also get an idea of what the lectures are like. It’s also generally worth attending the lecture before a midterm or final exam because many lecturers provide good “tips” for the exam and review the key points.

5. What about exercise sessions?

Attending exercise sessions is usually beneficial, even if you don’t enjoy lectures. While lectures often involve one-way communication from the lecturer, exercise sessions resemble high school math classes (in a positive way). During these sessions you can solve problems yourself, and also examples are discussed. Additionally, in case of difficulties the people holding the session can help with the problems. For some courses, participating in exercise sessions can earn you extra points, which can boost your score on final or midterm exams. The implementation varies; sometimes, it requires solving additional tasks independently, while other times, just attendance is enough. So, it’s worth being active in the exercises. Solving tasks yourself rather than copying solutions is probably the best way to pass math courses at least.

6. Where can I find information about course schedules, lecture cancellations, exercise groups, etc.?

The primary communication channel for course schedules, assignments, etc., is the course’s Moodle page. Any cancellations are usually also emailed to those registered for the course through Moodle. Schedules can also be found on the course’s Peppi page and in Tuudo’s timetable. Courses always start at the time and location specified in these resources unless said otherwise.

7. Where do I get course materials?

Lecture slides and course materials are nowadays almost exclusively available digitally on the course’s Moodle page. The high-quality lecture slides provided are sufficient to pass the course. If the quality happens to be poor, using additional materials such as the course book, other literature, or the internet is advisable, especially if you don’t enjoy lectures. When preparing for exams, going through past exams is really popular among students. Old exams can be found, for example, in our student organization’s electronic exam archive. Some course instructors also include past exams in the course materials on Moodle.

8. How do I find the right lecture hall or classroom?

The Linnanmaa campus is large, and the building may initially seem very confusing. However, you’ll most definitely learn to navigate the campus quickly. Tuudo has a handy map where you can search for rooms by name. The university’s website also has a campus map.

About Exams

9. Do I need to register for exams?

Yes. Failing to register can lead to an unpleasant surprise when submitting your exam paper depending on the assistants. You usually register for midterms through Peppi or Tuudo at the same time as for the course itself, but final exams and exams outside the course are done at a later date. The exams are usually held simultaneously with many others in a large lecture hall. There are only as many seats for a particular exam as there are people registered in advance. Also, remember to register for the exam by Monday of the previous week before 12:00 noon. So don’t forget this! More instructions about university exams can be found on the university’s website.

10. Where and when will the exam results be available?

Exam results are published in Peppi and Tuudo. For some courses, the results are also anonymously published on the course’s Moodle page. According to the University of Oulu’s regulations on teaching and students, exam results must be published within three weeks after the instructor has received the submissions for grading. Summer exams are an exception; their results should not be expected before autumn. If the exam results don’t seem to appear, it’s a good idea to ask the lecturer about them. If there’s no response, contact the student organization’s Minister of Education. However, course instructors have requested that if you need the course credits or confirmation of passing the course urgently for some reason, inform them before the exam so things can proceed more smoothly.

11. Why don’t we get the exam papers back?

Generally, exam papers are not returned. This is due to regulations that require the university to archive the exam papers for a certain period. If you want to review the grading of your exam, you have the right to do so. You just need to ask the course instructor for the exam papers. You also have the right to get a copy of your exam paper.

About the Characteristics of an Engineering Student (Teekkari)

12. Can I choose the color of my overalls?

You chose the color of your overalls as you accepted your study place in the computer science and engineering program. One of the purposes of the overalls is to signal your field of study from afar and help you find your peers in situations like parties. The black color of the computer science overalls is also traditional: computer science students from other tech cities (except Lappeenranta) proudly wear black overalls as well.

13. When do I get my overalls?

The overall order is often delayed until the turn of the year, and the overalls arrive around March. You will be informed about this, so be patient. You’ll get to try on and pre-order your overalls as early as September.

14. Why is the Teekkari cap so expensive?

The Teekkari cap from Oulu is a unique version compared to its southern cousins, so the production quantities are small. However, it is the most important and traditional characteristic of every engineering student from Oulu and is definitely worth the investment. After all, you usually buy it only once in your life. And remember: the Teekkari cap from Oulu is the best Teekkari cap in the world.

15. What do the knots in the tassel rope of the Teekkari cap mean?

The knots indicate the number of yearly Teekkari Wappu celebrations spent in Oulu and so do not technically indicate the year of study. Of course, the number of Wappus spent can often give an idea of how many years one has studied: usually, a two-knot engineer student is in their third year unless they’ve spent a year, for example, in military service and still celebrated Wappu. After graduation, the knots are untied; only a graduate engineer or architect wears an Engineer cap from Oulu without knots. It’s worth noting that this knotting practice only applies in Oulu. Teekkaris in the south don’t have the same practice, as their tassel ropes come from the center of the cap. For them, a knot might indicate, for example, marriage, the number of children, etc.

16. What about the decorations on the cap?

The Teekkari cap from Oulu uses the guild’s cockade as a badge. The cap, therefore, indicates not only that you are from Oulu but also your field of study. The possible additional decorations on the tassel usually indicate high positions in the guild or the Technical Students Association of Oulu. Some people may also attach the cockade of their former guild to their tassel after changing their field of study.

About Student Life

17. What is student life like?

Student life can be experienced in many different ways, and there are events available that suit all interests. The guild, other student guilds, and interdisciplinary events (open to all university students) are available nearly every day, so there’s plenty to choose from. The well known “drinking and partying” lifestyle is possible but not at all mandatory for finding your own group. Studies are much more independent than at lower educational levels and are not necessarily tied to a specific place or time.

18. Where are the best bars in Oulu?

It depends on your preferences. Large university student overalls parties are usually held at Mango Discobar or Ilona. On weekends, university students generally prefer 45 Special (rock music with a bohemian atmosphere), Kaarlenholvi (extremely crowded every Friday and Saturday), or Mango Discobar (for those who also enjoy Eurodance). Ilona is the choice for those with a bigger budget. Students can also often be found in bars like Mallaskellar, St. Michael’s, Leskinen, and many other places. Ask someone who knows your preferences for more specific recommendations.

19. When and where do we eat?

You can eat whenever you feel like it. On weekdays, there’s always a restaurant open at the university from 10:00 to 19:00. Juvenes offers discounted meals for student union members (that’s you, dear student who paid the student union fee) in restaurants located throughout the university. Meal prices range from 2.90 euros (basic meal) up to 12 euros (special meals and junk food). Both physical student cards and the digital student cards in the Tuudo or Pivo apps are accepted at university restaurants. You can easily find the menus on the Juvenes or Uniresta websites, or in Tuudo. Some Juvenes restaurants have self-service checkouts, which require the Tuudo or Pivo app and a digital student card.

20. What are the biggest and best freshman events of the year?

The biggest freshman events include the Freshman Orienteering, Freshman Sitsit, Freshman Capping, and the Wappu events such as Freshman Swimming and the Capping. In addition to these, the best freshman events are definitely the guild’s freshman info session, the guild room tour, and the tutor final party. You’ll definitely hear about all of these from your tutor, as well as from the freshman representative and/or helpers.

21. What does the guild’s board do?

The board’s duties include leading the guild’s activities, calling the guild meetings, preparing matters to be presented, implementing decisions made at these meetings, supervising the activities of committees and officers, and representing the guild. The board serves for one calendar year and is elected at the election meeting. The most visible board member for freshmen is the Freshman Representative (fuksivastaava), also known as the Minister of Freshman Affairs.

22. How do I get involved in the guild’s activities?

The guild’s activities are open to all guild members, and freshmen are also welcome to all guild-organized events (unless otherwise stated). The easiest way to become active in the guild is at the late autumn election meeting where not only the board but also the officers for the following year are elected. These officer roles handle many important guild tasks but are more friendly for freshmen. You can get more information about the positions by asking the board or current officers, as well as from the position presentation event held before the election meeting.