Tips for the new academic year
Just like that, the summer holiday went by in the blink of an eye. Now it’s time to get oriented, wipe dust off the laptop and get back to business. Whether you are a new or continuing student, remember to do the following things to get ready for the new year of studying!
1. Join or renew your HAMKO membership
Remember to become a member of HAMKO, so you have a way to influence the things that matter to you – your studies and student life. As a HAMKO member, you can, for example, stand for and vote in elections for the Student Council and run for the Student Union Board. By becoming a member of the Student Union, you will receive a student card, which is a certificate of your student status and gives you access to thousands of student discounts throughout Finland. As a HAMKO member, you also get discounts on our events and on student overalls, for example. When you become a member, you will receive a plastic student card with an access badge that allows you to walk around HAMK’s campuses even when the doors are locked.
You can also get a mobile version of your student card. HAMKO’s mobile student card provider has changed from Pivo to Slice. So be sure to visit the Slice authorisation and update your details in the section or accept the authorisation when joining as a member to get your mobile student card.
2. Remember to pay your healthcare service fee
The Student Health care fee must be paid to Kela every semester, i.e. in both the autumn and spring semesters. The fee is determined annually and the contribution for 2024 is €36.80, the contribution for 2025 has not yet been determined, so you cannot yet pay the contribution for the spring semester 2025, but you can pay the contribution for the autumn semester. The due date for the autumn semester is 15.11. You can pay the health care contribution on the Kela website in Omakela.
3. Remember to rest
The life of our university students is a mix of academic challenges, new life situations and social life. While studies and social life are an important part of a university student’s everyday life, it is also very important to make time for yourself. Do the things you like, take a break and even take a well-deserved nap.
4. Get your study equipment in order
To ensure that your studies go smoothly, remember to have your pens and pencils ready. Check last year’s supplies to see if you can reuse them, repair old ones if possible, ask friends if they have any unnecessary school supplies, or buy any missing school supplies you need. However, please prefer second-hand or recycled equipment! As a hint, here’s something we’ve found to be useful for studying and especially for time management: Get a calendar (either a paper calendar or use a digital calendar on your phone or Outlook, for example) where you can mark due dates or other important events so that you don’t miss anything.
5. Take part in student events
Remember that your time as a student doesn’t have to be all about sitting at a computer and studying modules. Remember to leave time for social life too! Take an open-minded approach and get involved in different study events, where you can meet new people and create unforgettable memories.
6. Smile and ask a friend how they are doing
It is important to remember that we can never know what another person is going through in their own life. Therefore, let’s be kind to each other and treat each other with respect. Let’s smile and greet each other when we meet. We also remember to ask each other how they are and to give them time to tell us, to be present and to listen.
7. Have an unforgettable academic year
So, to conclude, we would like to encourage you to live and enjoy all that the academic year has to offer. Good luck and stay well, let’s spend an unforgettable school year together! <3
Henriikka Mastokangas and Meeri Järvi, chair persons of the Student Union HAMKO