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The Fresher Week is an event aimed at the new students of the University of Helsinki, offering a dive into the world of student life and the University community. During the Fresher Week, we will introduce you to the Student Union’s activities, organisations, and the University’s operators. The week culminates in Friday’s Fresher Challenge, where freshers will get to complete various tasks, each more fun than the last. After the Fresher Challenge, we will also have an awesome remote afterparty that you will not want to miss!
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HYY is there for students from your fresher year all the way to graduation. Get to know your student union!
Community
We are, above all, a community of students. You can take part in HYY’s activities in just the way that you find the most interesting. We organise fun events throughout the year, from fresher events to May Day. Everyone can be a part of the student community in the way that suits them the best.Events
Committees
Organisations
Organisation (HYY)Advocate
We look after your interests. Thanks to our long-term and often invisible advocacy work, students are able to enjoy perks such as student meals subsidised by Kela, affordable student apartments and the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS), which looks after students’ health.Our advocacy work
Student meals (UniCafe)
Student apartments (HOAS)
Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS)Service provider
HYY’s members are entitled to several benefits that include subsidised student meals, legal aid, the Ylioppilaslehti and Studentbladet magazines, the student calendar, the Fresher Guide, the student card and student discounts all over Finland.For members
Survival guide
Student card
Ylioppilaslehti
Studentbladet -
There are over 250 organisations operating under HYY – which one suits you the best?
Are you interested in finding your own community based on your degree programme or faculty, home region, ideology or religion? Would you perhaps like to spread your wings by joining a choir or a theatre? Organisations include everything from beer enthusiasts to taekwondo and from roleplaying to academic kinksters!
▶︎ Subject and faculty organisations
In the University of Helsinki there are eleven faculties and each of them has several organisations that connect students studying the same subjects. Many faculties also have faculty organisations connecting the subject oraganisations. There are also many multidisciplinary organisations.• Subject and faculty organisations
▶︎ Nations
Student nations are interdisciplinary associations of the students of different ages and different fields, where members are usually connected by their ties to the same geographical area. Any student union member can join a student nation, regardless of their study field, lifesyle and political preferences. Often a student joins a student nation based on a municipality, student housing, hobby, or friendship or family relations. Student nations are the oldest student organisations in Finland. Of the 15 student nations of the University of Helsinki, 4 are Swedish-speaking.• Nations
▶︎ Social and religious organisations
Non-profit organisations from all corners of the political landscape, societal activities ranging from nature conservation to human rights, as well as various spiritual societies.• Social and religious organisations
▶︎ Culture organisations
Choirs, orchestras and theatres of all levels, clubs engaging in cultural activities together.▶︎ Other organisations
Academic hobbies ranging from food and drink clubs to role playing, video gaming and debating. Martial arts, team sports, individual sports – everything related to exercising and sports. -
FRESHER CHALLENGE 25.9.2020
Are you ready to accept the challenge?
The Fresher Challenge features plenty of different fun checkpoints, organised remotely. You can start completing them either by yourself or as part of a team!
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The Fresher Challenge is a virtual checkpoint adventure aimed at the new students of the University of Helsinki. In the Fresher Challenge, new students form teams (of 1–8 members), complete fun checkpoint tasks together and dress up in spectacular team costumes! The Fresher Challenge is an excellent way for new students to take the plunge into student culture and the University community.
Prizes in the Fresher Challenge are awarded to teams that complete a sufficient number of checkpoints and have outstanding costumes.
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▶ SIGNING UP
Sign-ups for the Fresher Challenge open at 12 noon on 2 September 2020 and end at 11.59 pm on Sunday 20 September 2020.
Sign-ups for the Fresher Challenge has closed.
Participation in the Fresher Challenge is team-based, with team size being 1–8 members. The team must consist of new students of the University of Helsinki but may also include tutors. Participation in the challenge is free for everyone.
The sign-up form for teams will ask for the following information: team name, faculty, size, language, captain and the captain’s contact details and the names of the adventurers.
▶ CHECKPOINTS
All checkpoints in the Fresher Challenge are available in the separate Fresher Challenge mobile app that will be published a few weeks before the event. The actual checkpoints will be published in the mobile app when the Fresher Challenge begins – at 4.00 pm on 25 September.
The checkpoints have been divided into ten categories: quiz, for fun, creativity, puzzle, music, sports, improvisation, science, cooperation and student culture.
▶ MOBILE APP
A mobile app that collects all the information needed by the teams is in use in the Fresher Challenge. The app includes all the checkpoints of the challenge along with their descriptions as well as the schedule and the rules of the Fresher Challenge.
You can browse the checkpoint descriptions in the app even before the challenge begins, selecting your favourites using the ‘favourite’ function.
Psst! The mobile app also includes a map that features the descriptions of all organisations taking part in the challenge as well as the locations of their premises. Reading the map is a fun and easy way to find organisations you might be interested in.
The mobile app of the Fresher Challenge will be published a few weeks before the event.
▶ PRIZES
Best team costume
Events of the fresher autumn have traditionally featured spectacular costumes, as freshers have pushed themselves above and beyond to make the best possible team costumes. Check out the atmosphere of the 2018 Fresher Adventure here, for instance! Take part in the Fresher Challenge costume contest by adding a photo of your team on Instagram using the hashtag #fuksihaastepukukilpailu (‘Fresher Challenge costume contest’) and tagging @hyy_hus. Please note that for the photo to enter the contest, your profile must be public. You can participate in the contest from 4 to 8 pm on Friday 25 September.
The three teams to collect the most likes will be awarded prizes as will one team chosen by the judges. The winners will be announced in @hyy_hus Instagram after the challenge!
Checkpoint tasks
All teams that complete a total of 10 checkpoints from five different categories in an acceptable manner during the Fresher Challenge will be awarded a prize! Further information on the prizes will be provided later.
RULES & INSTRUCTIONS
- Teams may not split into several groups in order to complete multiple checkpoints simultaneously.
- Teams must complete at least ten checkpoints.
- Teams must complete checkpoints from at least five different categories.
- Teams must take the coronavirus restrictions in effect at the time into account in their activities.
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▶ WHY SHOULD I BECOME A CHECKPOINT HOST?
The Fresher Challenge is a cross-disciplinary dive into the Student Union, its organisations and its close cooperation partners. Hosting a checkpoint in the event, which is organised by HYY, is a fun way to introduce new students to your organisation and its activities!
HYY’s cooperation partners may also host checkpoints in the Fresher Challenge. Ask for further information about cooperation partnerships from Susanne Salo, susanne.salo@hyy.fi.
▶ SIGN UP AS A CHECKPOINT HOST
Sign up as a checkpoint host here!
Sign-ups for checkpoint hosts are open until 11.59 pm on 30 August.
The sign-up form asks for information including a contact person, a link to the page with the checkpoint task and a short (max. 200 characters, spaces included) description of the checkpoint for the Fresher Challenge mobile app.
Other parties than HYY’s organisations are accepted as checkpoint hosts on a case-to-case basis. Contact us for further information on this!
▶ CHECKPOINT PLANNING AND A GOOD CHECKPOINT DESCRIPTION
You can find instructions for planning checkpoints right here!
Planning checkpoints for the Fresher Challenge differs notably from planning them for the Fresher Adventure – please read the instructions carefully.
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Join us on @hyy_hus Instagram after the Fresher Challenge!
We’ll be sharing highlights of the day’s checkpoint performances and announcing the winners of the costume contest.