To familiarize yourself with your future hometown, visit the websites: and

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1 1 (6) Dear Exchange Student, Congratulations on making the decision to study in another country! It takes courage and a certain spirit of adventure to do that and we are glad that you have chosen to study at JAMK University of Applied Sciences. A warm welcome! In this letter you will find important information concerning your future stay at JAMK and Finland. Please go through this letter carefully and do all the necessary things before departure to Finland to make your arrival and settling down smoother. JYVÄSKYLÄ AND TRANSPORTATION Jyväskylä is located about 250 km from the capital of Finland, Helsinki. Through the following link you can view different kinds of maps (e.g. aerial) of Jyväskylä: To familiarize yourself with your future hometown, visit the websites: and The connections from Helsinki to Jyväskylä are excellent. Websites with information on the schedules are available at: Flight: Railways: Bus: ARRIVAL You are requested to arrive by 21 st August, since the orientation for all incoming international students starts on this day. The orientation will continue starting from the 25 th August for all new students. The location for the orientation is the main campus (Rajakatu 35). Please contact Mr Jari Aho (jari.aho@jamk.fi) no later than three weeks before your arrival and confirm your arrival date and time to Jyväskylä by e mail to him, if you haven t done so already. Also agree with him whether he or your tutor will meet you upon your arrival to Jyväskylä. If you do not agree with the International Coordinator about the details of your arrival, you will have to find your own way to your housing and the institution. ACCOMMODATION International students usually stay in the furnished shared flats of the Central Finland Student Housing Foundation (KOAS) in Roninmäki and Myllyjärvi. Linen, blankets and kitchenware are not included in the rent. For further information visit the website of the foundation at

2 2 (6) You have to apply for your accommodation independently by submitting an application on the website of KOAS at The deadline for applying for accommodation from KOAS is 10 June 2014! NOTE: Use the Application for JAMK Exchange Students link to submit your application! If you want to assure getting an apartment, you need to apply for the accommodation immediately (by 10 June at latest) as the situation with flats is really tight in Jyväskylä. Note that the apartment/room has to be rented for the whole semester/whole academic year (from the beginning of August until the end of December or May) and the rent for the apartment must always be paid for the whole month. So even if you move in at the end of the month or move out before the end of the month, the rent must be paid for the whole month. There are also other agencies for rental apartments that you could contact, for example: Forenom: SATO The rental agency for students Opiskelijoiden vuokravälitys, contact information: Yliopistonkatu 6, Jyväskylä Tel , and Fax E mail jkl@ovv.com On the Student Union of the University of Jyväskylä (JYY) website there are ads (most of them in Finnish) on apartments to lease. Please see the website at students/housing andincome/apartment forum/ INSURANCE COVERAGE AND PERMITS Exchange Students coming to JAMK should take care of insurance coverage for the whole time of their stay before arriving in Finland. The insurance should also cover the free time. One option for insurance is The Student Insurance Program. Please see further information at EU citizens can apply for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The card holders are covered by health insurance in one of the EU member states and they have the right to immediate medical treatment while they are in any other member state. Please find out more on this from your local authorities. Students outside EU or EEA need to apply for a residence permit or visa and take care of the sufficient insurance coverage. Do it without delay at the nearest Finnish consulate or embassy before leaving for Finland. You can find further information on permits and the compulsory Student s Health Insurance on the Finnish Immigration Service website at Closest missions to you can be found on the website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs: Diplomatic Missions Finnish missions abroad by country You will also receive an official Letter of Acceptance in which it states that you have been officially accepted as an exchange student at JAMK; the document will allow you to start the process of obtaining the residence permit or visa if necessary. Please, have the document with you when travelling to Finland in case you are asked

3 3 (6) to present it. If you are not sure whether you need to apply for residence permit or visa, please contact your closest mission for further information. ORIENTATION Orientation for Exchange Students takes place before the beginning of each semester, providing useful information on staying in Finland and studying at JAMK. You are expected to participate in the orientation to receive all the essential information concerning your studies at JAMK. The orientation for all incoming international students starts on the 21 st August, The orientation will continue starting from the 25 th of August until the 29 th of August for all new students. The location for the orientation is the Main Campus (Rajakatu 35). The detailed programme and the place of the orientation will be published on our website at information/international/for incoming exchange and double degreestudents/services for Foreign Students/. ACADEMIC CALENDAR Autumn Semester st period: 25 August October 2014, week 42 is contact free Note that classes for exchange students run from 1 st September onwards 2nd period: 27 October December 2014 Spring Semester rd period: 7 January March 2015, week 9 is contact free 4th period: 16 March May th period: 11 May June 2015 Note that the courses usually end by 19 December 2014/8 May 2015, unless you have signed up for the 5th period (summer studies) as well. The dates in your final Transcript of Records (and a Letter of Confirmation, if requested) after the exchange period will be written according to your actual studies and your physical stay at JAMK, no later. Please take this into account when you are planning your exchange, since it might affect your grant. INFORMATION FOLDER AND REGISTRATION Upon arrival each exchange student will receive an information folder containing all the relevant information and documents concerning the exchange period. The folder contains e.g. documents to apply for student discount from the public transportation. Please notice that none of these documents can be sent to you beforehand. If your tutor does not hand you the information folder upon arrival, please pick it up from the International Services (Main Campus, room B104).

4 4 (6) Registration is done online after you arrive at JAMK. STUDENT UNION JAMKO The Student Union of JAMK University of Applied Sciences, JAMKO, functions as the supervisor of the interests of all JAMK s students. The student union has a legal status and functions. Its main functions include choosing student members for the committees of JAMK University of Applied Sciences, supervising the interests of students and passing on information about current issues. In addition to its legal functions, JAMKO organises leisure time activities and provides its members with student cards ( SURVIVAL KIT Those exchange students who do not want to bring their own linen and kitchen utensils can rent so called Survival Kits : packages with basic kitchenware, a blanket, a pillow and sheets. The Student Union of the JAMK University of Applied Sciences JAMKO runs the Survival Kit service. In order to get a Survival Kit the student should fill in a Survival Kit Form given by a tutor upon arrival. A partly refundable deposit of 75 Euros has to be paid at that point. Part of this deposit will be paid back if the rented items are returned clean and in good condition. For further information: 2/, or contact opiskelijasihteeri@jamko.fi FRIEND FAMILY PROGRAMME The International Services of JAMK University of Applied Sciences coordinates a Friend Family programme for international students and Finnish families. Students staying in Finland for a semester or longer can participate in the programme, which will help them know more about the Finnish culture and way of life through a local friend or family. An online system for the friend family programme is currently being planned. Its purpose is to provide the students and families a forum to find each other, after which they can meet. More information will be given in the orientation. LEARNING AGREEMENT Your Learning Agreement from the online application system will be printed out and sent to your home institution for approval and signatures before the beginning of your exchange period. If you are an Erasmus student, you should make sure that your Erasmus+ Learning Agreement is signed before the beginning of your exchange period also. Notice that your Learning Agreement is the official and binding study plan that will be followed throughout your studies. STUDIES Classes in Finland might be different from those at home. You may find that teachers are less formal here. For example, it is not unusual for you and the teacher to address each other by first names. Teachers want you to feel comfortable and welcome, and everyone is expected to treat each other with respect.

5 5 (6) Studies at our institution also take place outside the lecture rooms: many programmes include independent study, group work and online learning. Students from non English speaking countries who are attending academic classes may find that they need some time to adjust to listening and speaking a foreign language. Nevertheless, you need to be active as well as have initiative and above all, stay positive! The values of JAMK are responsibility, trust and creativity. Every member of the higher education community is expected to act consistently with these values. In addition, our activities are guided by general ethical principles and field specific ethical guidelines supplementing them. In practise, this means, for instance, that JAMK s students are responsible for not fabricating, plagiarizing or cheating in their studies. For further reading about ethical principles at JAMK: oppaat.jamk.fi/global/tietoa%20jamkista/esittely/ethical%20principles% pdf. WEATHER AND CLOTHING Remember to bring some warm winter clothing with you. The temperature may vary between 25 C in the winter months and above +20 C in the summer time. For further information about the weather in Finland: EXAMPLES OF COSTS Average monthly living costs for students are estimated to be about 750 euros. A bus ticket costs about 60 per month (single ticket costs about 3,30 ). Lunch at the school cafeteria costs about 2,60. Please see further information at oppaat.jamk.fi/en/study Guide Bachelors Degrees/General Information for Students/Living Costs Student Financial Aid /. LEARNING THE FINNISH LANGUAGE A Finnish course for Exchange Students will be arranged during your studies. You can also study Finnish on the internet, for example, on the following websites: (vocabulary) LINKS TO USEFUL INFORMATION FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTS

6 6 (6) CONTACT INFORMATION The International Coordinator of the Teacher Education College Mr Jari Aho Tel Piippukatu 2 (visiting address Piippukatu 11), FI Jyväskylä *********************************** International Services Rajakatu 35, FI Jyväskylä, Finland Room B104 international@jamk.fi Fax Office hours: Monday Friday 9:00 11:00 & 12:00 14:00 Welcome to study at JAMK University of Applied Sciences!