Freshman Checklist

Remember to accept your study place, register as present at the university, and pay the student union membership fee.

The acceptance of your study place and registration at the university are done in the same place, via the "Oma opintopolku" service on opintopolku.fi. When registering as present, you will also pay the student union (ISYY) membership fee, which is paid annually or per term. The fee amount is determined separately for each academic year. After paying the membership fee, you will be registered as present for that academic year or term, and you will be entitled to sign up for courses and receive student benefits and discounts.

Once you have accepted your study place, you can obtain your student card, which grants access to numerous student benefits, starting from August 1st! Download the digital student card through the Frank App from your app store, and the card will always be conveniently with you.

 

If you prefer a physical student card, you can order it at www.frank.fi. It's recommended to order the plastic card right at the beginning of August, as the start of the semester is naturally a busy time. Once you have your student card and have paid your student union membership fee, you can pick up the academic year sticker for your card from the ISYY office at Lukema. This sticker needs to be renewed each year.

Get to know your new student organization through these websites and social media channels. You can find Preemio’s accounts under the username @preemiory. You can also check out the Fuksi follow list for these and other partners' social media channels.

 

Also, be sure to read the latest first-year issue of our member magazine, Riskipreemio, which is published five times a year. It contains all the essential information for starting student life in Kuopio.

It’s a good idea to start looking for housing as soon as your study place is confirmed. For student apartments, check out the offerings from Kuopaksen (Kuopion Opiskelija-asunnot Oy). However, there are usually long waiting lists for student housing, so it’s important to be proactive in your search.

 

One helpful tip is to set up property alerts on platforms like Vuokraovi or Oikotie, or post an apartment search ad on Tori.fi (https://www.tori.fi/) or Kuopion kirppari (https://www.kuopionkirppari.fi/). Be sure to also check Facebook groups like "Vuokra-asunnot Kuopio" for available rentals.

 

Public transportation links to the university from various parts of the city are excellent, and during the summer, you can use services like Vilkku bikes. So, even if Niirala apartments are fully booked, you’ll have other options!

 

Once you’ve secured your apartment, remember to:

- Submit a change of address to the postal service and the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

- Get home insurance.

- Set up an electricity contract. In one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, electricity usually costs between €15-30 per month, plus the electricity transmission fee, which is provided by Kuopion Sähköverkko Oy.

The Finnish Student Health Service (YTHS) provides general health, mental health, and dental services to university and higher education students. The Kuopio office is located at Niiralankatu 23, 70600 Kuopio.

 

Explore YTHS’s services and register as a user at yths.fi. Also, remember to pay the university student health care fee! The fee must be paid proactively to Kela for both the autumn and spring semesters, as no separate invoice will be sent for this payment.