Student Life in Tampere (beside studies)

How's life in Tampere as a student, then? It can be very lively and active! One just need to look around. The city is the third biggest in Finland and you can find almost everything you need to divert sometime from studying. Not just many bars, pubs and discos, but also gyms, sport and swimming halls, libraries, parks and lakes ... but even much better, are active student associations, which luckily, in Finland are really almost an institution.

And here I'm not talking just of the Student Union, which every Finnish university has and every student has to be its member, but also faculty and hobby associations, which you can voluntarily join, following your interests, and get to know new people and activities.

The Student Union of the University of Tampere (Tamy, www.tamy.fi) is a great help especially when starting your studies: you get the first information and even some starting packet for the first year. But the famous "student card" (opiskelijakortti) entitles with public transportation and lunches discounts which are valid nationally. But other general support and advice, even legal, can be provided by the Union Office, whenever needed, since its purpose is to watch over the students interests, propose benefits and organize various events during the academic year.

Under the Student Union are the various student associations, which are organized around a specific discipline or hobby, and in my opinion, one of the most valuable side of Finnish student life! Here being active and positive yourself, you can get more easily contact with other Finnish and international students and through them know of the various opportunities in town, 'cause most of time information flows faster by individual word of mouth.

I'm myself member of ISOT, International Students Of Tampere, which represents the international and internationally minded students of Tampere and organize events to help international students to face cultural shocks and get to know Finnish culture, but also have some fun! A great happening, we are going to have is a "Tampere Rock" evening where there will be music form different Tampere's bands, mixed all night long [Tampere is somehow considered as the Finnish Rock Capital, and thus we honor such tradition :) ]. Other important function of the association, as said before, is spread information on what's happening in town, so that everyone can possibly look for and find the activity he/she wishes. English bulletins are also issued weekly by Tamy.

Anyway, my point here would be to be active and curious yourself: there are various opportunities and possibilities to continue previous hobbies or start brand-new ones, and help and advice can be found by other students and associations! Just ask them!

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P.S. If you want to know more why I really choose Finland to study and the CBU Master Program in particular, then you can read a my interview made last September for Osaaja-lehti. You can find the article in English at the last page of the journal available at

http://www.europass.fi/verkkolehti/

just click "Lataa PDF-lehti 2010" and then turn to the last page :) It was nice that they eventually published it in English. Hope you'll enjoy!