For Freshmen

Hello, freshman! Big congratulations for receiving a spot in one of our fields and welcome to YRK. Whether it's environmental or civil engineering, you've made a brilliant choice, as the built environment requires experts now and in the future. 

First year students are called "fuksi" and there are many events geared towards them during the year. At the end of their first year, freshmen will receive the title of Teekkari and join our one big Teekkari family. Many call the first year one of the best years of both their student and regular lives, so we heartily recommend you to make the best of it, to join all kinds of events with an open mind and to meet freshmen from other guilds as well. 

The first weeks of studies may cause one to feel nervous. New people, a new school and possibly a whole new town can have any fresh university student scratching their heads. You will be given a program where you can find all the presentations, occasions, lectures and mandatory events during the orientation week. Therefore there is no need to worry about any study-related matters before the first day. 

Jokainen opiskelija liitetään jo ennen orientaatioviikkoa samaa alaa opiskelevista koostuvaan pienryhmään, jota ohjaa vanhempi alan opiskelija, pienryhmäohjaaja eli tuutori. Pienryhmäohjaajasi on tukenasi koko syksyn ajan, hän osaa neuvoa mm. kurssi-ilmottautumisissa, opiskelijahintaisen lounaan saamisessa sekä tapahtumalippujen hankkimisessa. Tuutorien lisäksi fuksien tukena on killan fuksitoimikuntaa johtava fuksivastaava sekä fuksiapurit, jotka järjestävät isommat killan fuksitapahtumat, hoitavat fuksien edunvalvontaa ja toimivat linkkinä fuksien ja killan välillä. 

Members of YRK are recognized by their colorful, red, blue and yellow overalls and by the Teekkari cap, which features the guild cockade (our logo) at the front. Often events will also include our sauna on wheels, the löyly or drawbar of which is a nice chance to meet other Teekkari people. The civil and environmental engineering guild arranges social evenings, sports trials, career infos, outdoor trips and all kinds of other things. Our guild room is located in the "catacombs" of the university and every guild member is welcome to hang out, study or drink coffee between lectures. 

If you have any questions before starting your studies or at any other point, you may contact the guild's freshman representative at fuksivastaava[at]ymparistorakentajakilta.net

Frequently asked questions

Studies and the working life

• When and how will I get information about my studies starting?
  • For people who've used Opintopolku, you'll receive the first emails at the address you've given them. The date varies slightly by year, but usually you'll receive them around mid-August, well before school starts.
• What happens during the first weeks?
  • During the first weeks you'll be familiarized with the university, the curriculum, the guild and other freshmen through different lectures, visitations, group meetings and other events. The first courses also start during the first week. You'll receive a program for the orientation week, where you can see all the lectures and the most important events you should take part in. From your group director you'll receive an expanded plan, where you can see group meetings and freshman events.
• What has to be done before I can start my studies?
  • Visit https://www.oulu.fi/en/for-students/new-students-welcome-university-oulu and follow the relevant instructions (for exchange students as well). Wait for the field-specific information message. It's best to handle housing matters well before you start, so you can properly focus on the orientation.
• How do I sign up for courses?
  • The easiest way is with the Tuudo app, your group director will advice you on this during the first days.
• How do I know what courses I should pick?
  • The courses belonging to your degree, their planned dates and electivities can be found in the university study guide (https://opas.peppi.oulu.fi/en/index). During the freshman year, studies for all engineering students are pretty similar. Your group director will give advice on course selection and creating a curriculum in the beginning of autumn.

The first year and becoming a Teekkari

• When do I get my overalls?
  • Student overalls are ordered at the beginning of autumn and they usually arrive by the end of the year. 
• What is a Teekkari?
  • Teekkari is the name used for engineering students in Finland. A freshman isn't a Teekkari, however, as the moniker must be earned by surviving your first year honorably.
• How do I get a Teekkari cap?
  • Teekkari caps are ordered by spring through Oulun Teekkariyhdistys. One is first allowed to wear the cap in the morning after overcoming the challenges of their first TeekkariWappu. 
• What are the best and biggest freshman events?
  • Suurimpia fuksitapahtumia ovat fuksisuunnistus, fuksisitsit, fuksilakitus sekä Wapputapahtumiin kuuluvat fuksiuitot ja lakitus. Parhaimpia fuksitapahtumia edellisten lisäksi on ehdottomasti killan fuksi-info, kiltiskierros ja tuutorpäättärit. Kaikista näistä kuulet varmasti pienryhmäohjaajaltasi sekä fuksivastaavalta ja/tai -apureilta.
• What is the student life like?
  • There are many ways to pursue the student life, and there's a wide variety of events available. Our guild and other guilds, Teekkari or otherwise, hold different kinds of events nearly every day, so there's room for choice. The classic drinking and revelry is possible, of course, but definitely not necessary for finding your own group. Studying is notably more independent than during lower grades, and it's not necessarily tied to a time or a place.

The Guild

• What is a guild?
  • A student society connecting students studying in the same or similar fields. Advocates for its members in the university, helps new members get acquainted with the facilities and the student life, connects with other student- and subject societies across the country, encourages the following of career-related questions in related fields, and creates connections between students and enterprises in those fields. Guild members are also connected by their overalls, and their shared guild room and events.
• What is the freshman committee?
• The freshman committee consists of the freshman representative, their helpers, tutors, and faux tutors. Its most important tasks are to support freshmen at the start of their studies, to get them to join guild activities and to hold events for freshmen.

• What and where are the catacombs?
  • The catacombs are the maintenance tunnels under the Linnanmaa campus. Most Teekkari guild rooms and that of Finanssi (economics) are along this mostly inaccessible path. Every freshman gets to tour their own guild room on the first days, and the others later in the fall.
• What does the guild board even do?
  • The board's duties include to lead the functions of the guild, to assemble board meeting, to prepare the items to be disclosed and to carry out the decisions made, to oversee the duties of the committees and officials and to represent the guild. The sitting board acts for one calendar year and is chosen at the guild caucus. The most relevant board member for freshmen is the freshman representative.
• How can I join guild activities?
  • Guild activities are open for all guild members, and as such freshmen are also welcome in all events (unless otherwise mentioned). The easiest way to become a guild active is to be chosen in the caucus at the end of the fall semester, where the officials and board members are chosen for the next calendar year. One can get more information about the positions of guild officials by asking the board or current officials, and they're also presented at an event held before the caucus.