Getting started at Novia

The first couple of days in Finland will be exciting. You will be stunned by the beauty of the nature and the kindness of people. Fortunately the studies at Novia start slowly, so you should really use the first couple of months to orientate and travel!

Your first duties will be concerned about the administrative part of your studies. The International Coordinator Isabelle Bonnet will be a helping hand with most of the forms. She will sign the Certificate of Arrival for your Erasmus agreement.

If you decide to get a bus card, she will also help you to fill out the Finnish application form and inform you about the different options of bus cards. By the way, you do not necessarily need to get a bus card. I used my bike for the majority of time, as it is cheaper and also faster – dependent on where you live though!

A very important task, you should take care of as soon as possible is the student card. The student card gives you discounts in shops, restaurants, trains and long-distance buses or the student café’s and you can use it to prove that you are student. There are two different cards the Samok and the Frank. However during our studies, we found out that the Samok card is less expensive for Novia exchange students. To get the card, you need to fill out an online form. After about 3-4 weeks, you can fetch your card in the Novium Office on the 3^rd foor.

For more information, you should visit Novium's webiste!

The Erasmus card costs 5€ and will give you discount on activities and parties organized by the Erasmus networks of the Universities. There are several Erasmus Networks: ESN Uni Turku, ESN Abo Akademi and ESNIAC. As an exchange student you can participate in the activities of all organizations. Getting the card is a bit tricky, but you can visit the ESN Uni Turku office in Rehtorinpellonkatu 4-6 B, room B1-43 (behind the swimming pool). If you are planning to participate on the Lapland or Russia trips with ESN, it is recommended to get the card. 

It's also handy to like all of their Facebook-pages to be up to date!

As you will write plenty of assignments during your studies, you should get a library card. There are several libraries in Turku. Novia has it's own library on the 2nd floor in Building A. However, if you are planning to write your Bachelor Thesis, their stock of books probably won't be sufficient. I collected a lot of books from Abo Akamdemi libraries. Abo Akademi has several libraries organized by specific areas. For business students, the main library (next to the Cathedral), the ASA library in Vänrikinkatu 3 A as well as the Economic library in Henrikinkatu 7 might be relevant. Other than this, the Turku School of Economics has a wide-ranged stock of books. You can get library cards for free in at the Info Desk in each library. 

My card collection :D

Novia uses electronic door keys. For your own flexibility and convenience you should get one! It allows you to have access to the computer rooms or the gym during the entire opening hours of the University. The deposit of 40€ can be paid in the Student Affairs Office.  

By the time you start your studies, you will own a whole bunch of cards! 

By the way, the International Student Identification Card (ISIC) is not necessary in the northern countries due to the local student card system. I only benefited once, when I received a discount of about 50 cents when I climbed a church in St. Petersburg. 

Feel free to contact us, if you have any questions! Also the International Coordinator Isabelle Bonnet will be happy to help you! :)

Stay tuned

Raisa