Congratulations on your study place as a master’s or exchange fuksi (first-year student at Aalto)!
We hope all new students join this Telegram group for master’s and exchange students starting in the autumn of 2024. In addition, there is a separate International Captain’s info channel.
The Guild of Physics International Guide can be found online here. It contains useful information about the start of the autumn term, your studies, the Guild of Physics, and Teekkari culture. You can also open it by clicking the picture below.
You can contact the International Captain with any questions regarding the guide or your fuksi year in general either via Telegram, email, or phone. The International Captain’s contact details can be found on the left side of this page.
The Guild of Physics and international fuksis
The Guild of Physics is one of Aalto University’s Student Union’s (AYY) special sub-associations. The Guild organises a range of free time activities for its members as well as advocates for their student rights within the university, takes care of maintaining connections with other students of the same field all over Finland, and aims to take care of its students’ wellbeing. All the guild’s activities are based on the voluntary work of its members, founded from the good will of Teekkari traditions and a spirit of achieving things together. In the Guild of Physics, international fuksis are master’s students, including those who arrive from other Finnish universities, and exchange students. Exchange students stay in Finland for only a part of their studies, usually a half or a whole year, and they complete their degree in their home university. Master’s students complete their master’s degree in Aalto. International fuksis are taken care of by the International Captain, together with the Guild’s International BIGs. On the AYY level, international fuksis are taken care of by the International Committee (KvTMK), which is made up of all of Otaniemi’s International Captains.
Orientation week
The Guild of Physics programme for the orientation week 2024 can be found below. Events in yellow are organized by the guild, while those in orange are organized by the university.
For master’s students:
More information about the school’s programme (shown in orange) for Engineering Physics majors can be found here and for Mathematics majors can be found here. Note that the programme is still being updated.
For exchange students:
More information about the school’s programme (shown in orange) can be found here. Note that the programme is still being updated.
International Captain
The International Captain is there for master’s and exchange students, and is responsible for all things in the Guild that have something to do with them. The International Captain is there to welcome all of the new international fuksis on their first day in Aalto, and assists them throughout the year. If you have any questions, then you can always contact your Captain. The International Captain is best reached via Telegram or email, but you can of course also give them a call.
International BIGs
The international fuksis are assigned a BIG (tutor) in the beginning of the school year. They are typically third year, or older, students in the Guild of Physics. They are here to help international students get used to Finnish (teekkari) culture, guide the international students through their first days and show them around Otaniemi, as well as teach how things work in Aalto and on campus. Just as in the case of the International Captain, the International BIGs are always ready to help and can be contacted if any questions come to mind. The International BIGs organise a number of get togethers and other fun activities throughout the year, which are very good opportunities to hang out and get to know each other.
As the International Captain is also responsible for new Finnish master’s students, they and the international students are grouped together a lot, especially during orientation week. This is a nice opportunity to make both new Finnish and international friends.
Teekkari Points Card
At the beginning of the Autumn term, international students are given a Teekkari Points Card, which will be used to collect points from different activities during the first year of studies. International students who have collected enough points on their card are entitled to receive their Teekkari cap on the potentially organised Wappu. Points are collected from several categories, which include getting to know the Teekkari Culture, studying, related events, and a range of voluntary activities within the guild or outside, just to mention a few. Filling out the Points Card is a great way to familiarise oneself with everything that Aalto University, AYY, the guilds and Otaniemi have to offer to their students.
The Teekkari Points Cards are handed out during the orientation week on the first day at Kiljava by the International Captain. If an international fuksi is unable to make it to Kiljava, they can receive their Points Card from the International Captain later by request. The points are verified by the International Captain, and you can always ask the International Captain about the points. There is no need to worry too much about getting the points – by joining in and finding something that interests you, you will be sure to have points coming at you from every direction!