Guide for International Students
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction to Kymenlaakso Polytechnic A. PREPARING FOR YOUR DEPARTURE 1. Documentation
B. SURVIVING IN KOTKA AND IN KOUVOLA DISTRICTS 1. Climate
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction to Kymenlaakso Polytechnic A. PREPARING FOR YOUR DEPARTURE 1. Documentation
B. SURVIVING IN KOTKA AND IN KOUVOLA DISTRICTS 1. Climate
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KYMENLAAKSO
POLYTECHNIC
Kymenlaakso Polytechnic is one of the 28 polytechnics (AMK-institutions) authorised by the Ministry of Education to provide higher education (so called non-university sector) in Finland as from 1992. The polytechnic is an international, and in particular, a European model of vocational and application-oriented higher education, set up alongside the universities. Polytechnic studies are characterised by their practical orientation and freedom of choice. Polytechnic studies take from 7 to 9 semesters, and they consist of obligatory, elective and optional studies. The degree includes a degree work (dissertation or final project). A work placement of one semester is compulsory and an essential part of the polytechnic studies. Kymenlaakso Polytechnic offers the following degree programmes which all are comparable with the EU programmes: BUSINESS AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
TECHNOLOGY
FORESTRY AND WOOD TECHNOLOGY
SEAFARING AND MANAGEMENT
HEALTH CARE
SOCIAL CARE
DESIGN
MEDIA COMMUNICATION
For your further information please refer to the Students' Handbook published every academic year and/or special information leaflets available at each department. [Back to top]A. PREPARING FOR YOUR DEPARTURE Under no circumstances should you leave for Finland until you have obtained the necessary documents. Depending on your home country, you may need a student or a work authorisation (or even a visa). Be sure you carry all the relevant information on your person. Do not pack it in your baggage. Documents needed in most cases
In general, the residence permit has to be applied in one's home country before departure to Finland. Please contact the Finnish Embassy or Consulate for further information. EU and EEA (European Economic Area) citizens
For a longer period than 3 months you need to apply for a so called ETA card (or EEA card) which allows you to stay in the country for the time stated in the card. The ETA card can be applied at the local police station in Finland, Department of Foreign Affairs (in Finnish ULKOMAALAISTOIMISTO). In Kotka the police station is located at Ruukinkatu 6, tel. 2191216 and in Kouvola at Hallituskatu 7 C, tel. 7774250. After applying, you should get the card within two weeks. The residence permit must be applied for within a week after your arrival in Finland if you know that your stay is longer than 3 months. The documentation needed for an ETA card application are:
When you arrive in Finland as a foreigner, you should have a valid passport issued by the authorities in your home country. If you are not a citizen of an EU or EEA country , you are required to have a work permit if you come to Finland for work, and a student authorisation if you come here to study. Foreigners coming to Finland as tourists are required to have a visa, unless their home countries and Finland have concluded and agreement abolishing this requirement. Finland has concluded such agreements with more than eighty countries. Please check whether your home country is included in this list. Remember the Customs regulations. Detailed information about Finland's Customs regulations is available from the Finnish Embassy or Consulate in your home country. If you arrive in Finland at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport there are good coach connections (e.g. Finnair buses) to the Helsinki city centre (main railway station) at the cost of FIM 24. Taxis in Finland are relatively expensive but there is a Yellow Cab service at the Airport which takes you to any address in Helsinki at FIM 60. Passenger ferries arrive at the Helsinki harbour which is located in the city centre at distance of 2 kms from the railway and bus stations. There is an easy reach to the Bus terminal and to the Railway Station. Ask for guide maps at the information desks. The best way to reach Kotka is to take a bus from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport either directly to Kotka or Helsinki city centre (bus terminal). The cost would be around FIM 100. It takes abt 2 hrs to arrive at Kotka. The easiest way to travel from the Airport to Kouvola is an Express Bus which leaves from the front door of the International Arrivals. The trip takes about 2 hours and costs abt FIM 100. When you arrive you are advised to have at least FIM 300 - 500 in cash for travelling expenses to Kotka/Kouvola. We also recommend that you would carry enough cash or traveller's cheques at least for your first three week's expenses. Because of various extra costs during the first month, this can amount to FIM 2000 or more. A credit card is always very practical. Please let us know in advance how and when you will be coming to Finland and further to Kotka or Kouvola so that we can advise you in detail of the connections and arrange somebody from the Polytechnic to meet you at the Kotka bus station or at Kouvola railway or bus station, if you wish. 3. HEALTH CARE INSURANCE AND OTHER INSURANCES It is extremely important that you have an insurance for your stay in Finland. Your insurance should cover the costs incurred for services provided by a physician and for hospitalisation. Always remember to bring the insurance policy with you. If you have existing medical condition or detailed medical history, bring with you a copy of it. As well be sure to bring an adequate supply of any prescription medication you are presently taking. EEA citizens are eligible for normal public health care. For this, please do not forget to acquire an E111 form in your own country. We have a nurse in our Polytechnic to take care of students' minor health problems as well. We recommend for you to take an insurance in your own country. There are, however, some special insurances for the foreign students and trainees offered by some Finnish insurance companies. For more information, please contact the International Relations Office, tel. 2208236. In addition to the health care insurance, you should have a traveller's insurance covering your baggage and possible accidents occurring while travelling to and in Finland throughout your stay away from home. It may take several days or even weeks for your funds to be transferred through regular banking channels. You should find out from your local bank how long it takes to transfer funds to Finland, and arrange the transfer well before your departure for Finland. There are several banks located in the city centre of Kotka and Kouvola as well as in the neighbouring municipalities. Accommodation for exchange students is arranged by the International Office in Kymenlaakso Polytechnic. A typical student's residence is with a single bedroom and shared kitchen and bathroom. In Kouvola there are usually 2-3 students living in the same flat and in Kotka most of the foreign students are placed in a hostel with ensuite bedrooms and a shared kitchen and drawing room. You will draw up a written rental agreement between you and your landlord specifying such things as the amount of the rent, the dates it is due, and the period of giving notice. In Kouvola you have to pay the registration deposit of FIM 200, which is returned back to you at the end of your stay. In average the monthly rent is FIM 800-1000. The rent is usually paid in advance every month and we expect you to pay your rent regularly. Please keep your flat in good condition and let the house care taker know immediately if there are some problems with heating etc., or, of course, if some damage has been caused for some reason. Most of the student residences have the basic furniture. You do not
have to worry about it before your arrival. If separately requested, please
bring your own sheets, pillow covers and towels, though. You may also have
to purchase some dishes and kitchen equipment. These can be bought at a
reasonable price here in Kotka and Kouvola.
The academic year at Kymenlaakso Polytechnic is as follows (see below). The year is divided into two semesters (autumn and spring semester) Autumn semester:
There is a one-week holiday SYYSLOMA (autumn break) in October, from 20 to 25 October. Christmas holiday is from 20 December 1997 to 6 January 1998. There is also a winter break in week 9, from 23 to 28 February, 1998. During Easter time there are only two extra days off (Friday and Monday). Finally, prepare yourself for giving some presentations and talks about your country, your university and your studies. You might be invited for visits to the local schools, for example. Bring along with you some pictures, slides, etc. and information about your home country and yourself. B. SURVIVING IN KOTKA AND KOUVOLA AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS
The climate in Finland is relatively mild, even though the country is located far in the North. During July, the average temperature is 17oC, whereas in January it is about -6o C. During the summer the temperature might exceed 25oC even in northern Finland. On the other hand, during the winter the temperature might drop to -25oC or below even in southern Finland. Here in Southern Finland we usually get the first snow in November. Very often, though, the permanent snow cover is received in early December and it will usually stay until middle of April. The snow cover can range considerably within a relatively small geographic area. In the coastal regions there is usually much less snow than in the interior parts of the country. In northern and eastern parts of Finland there are usually good chances for skiing, for example, from the beginning of November until the end of April. Normally the lakes and also the sea on the coast is covered by ice for 3-4 months every winter. We suggest that you bring warm clothing along with you, winter coat, hat, gloves, sweaters, long underwear, warm shoes etc. If you need to purchase any new articles, it would be advisable to wait until you arrive in Finland. In Finland each block of flats quite often has its own sauna to which there are special times scheduled separately for men and women. Ask for details in your residence and for help/advice from your Finnish friends. The health services in Kotka and Kouvola and their surroundings are well organized. In the case of illness or injury, you can contact the local health centre ( TERVEYSKESKUS or TERVEYSASEMA). Also dental services (HAMMASLÄÄKÄRI) are arranged by the health centres. During the week days there is a nurse/public health inspector ( TERVEYDEN-HOITAJA) available at the Polytechnic and its various departments. Ask for detailed information on the visiting hours of the nurse in your department. Pharmaceuticals are sold at pharmacies (APTEEKKI). You can obtain some medicine, for example for headache, without prescription. Even though you will spend a short period of time in Finland, it is practical to have a bank account. The banks (PANKKI) will advise what form of account is best for you. It is easy to manage payments from a normal deposit account, and a bank card can also be obtained for the account enabling its holder to make withdrawals from cash dispensers, which you can find in all towns. Foreign currency can be exchanged into Finnish marks at banks or in currency exchanging machines. You will find post offices (POSTI) also in very small towns as well as in most of the suburbs in Finland. The opening hours may vary but normally they are Monday - Friday from 9.00 to 17.00. The main post office in Kotka is located at Kapteeninkatu 14 and in Kouvola at Kauppalankatu 13. You can shop for groceries at supermarkets, such as City-Sokos, Prisma, City-Market, Anttila (in Kouvola). There are also several smaller stores and shops. Stores are usually open six days a week (Mon-Sat). Typical opening hours in big supermarkets are Monday - Friday at 9.00 - 20.00 and Saturdays at 9.00 - 18.00. Smaller stores usually close a couple of hours earlier the big ones. Alcoholic beverages are heavily taxed in Finland and are sold in special stores called ALKO. Some lighter beer and cider types can, however, be bought in normal food shops/grocery stores. Public transportation covers the entire country quite efficiently. Long
distance travel is run by the state airline, FINNAIR, and its subsidiaries,
the Finnish State Railways (Valtion Rautatiet or VR) and private bus companies.
Local transportation in larger cities is provided by a municipal companyor
by private companies. In some means of transportation there are some
discount rates available for students. Ask for details.
The area code of Kotka and Kouvola and their regions is 05. When making local calls leave out the area code. To call Helsinki, start with the area code 09. In order to phone or fax from abroad to Finland, you need to omit the first number of the area code, i.e. 0 (zero). For example, if you want to call to the central office of the Polytechnic, please dial + 358 5 2208111. For international calls from Finland, dial the international prefix 990, 999, 994 or 00, then the country code, area code and telephone number. For example, to make a call to the Fachhochschule Lübeck, Germany, dial 994 (or 999 or 990 or 00) 49 451 5005001. For more exact information please see the "How to use telephone in Finland" pages in the telephone directory. Telephone directories are available, for example, in all public phone boxes. In most phone boxes you can still use coins but card phones are getting more and more common. Phone cards may be obtained from R-kioski -shops, post offices and from the telephone companies (in Kotka: Kymen Puhelin(= Telephone company of Kymi), Liikekeskus / In Kouvola: Ilmarinkuja 3). Every Finnish municipality has one or several public libraries (KIRJASTO) from where residents may borrow material (books, periodicals, audio-visual material, ADP and CD-ROM discs, videotapes...) in most cases free of charge.If an item is not returned by the due date, a fee will be charged. Material in foreign languages is available as well. Kotka City Library (KAUPUNGINKIRJASTO) is located at Kirkkokatu 24. Kouvola City-Provincial Library is located at Salpausselänkatu 33. There are also several branch libraries (SIVUKIRJASTO) in various parts of both Kotka and Kouvola. When you visit a library for the first time, take an ID along with you. The library will issue you a library card which you can use to borrow the material you want. The lending period is generally a maximum of one month. The Polytechnic has also good library facilities in each department. Ask for further information. The most important holidays for the Finns are New Year's Day, Easter, Mayday, Midsummer, Independence Day (6th of December) and Christmas (Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day). There are also some other public holidays and school holidays. On the major holidays stores, offices and civil service agencies (such as banks and post offices and government agencies) are generally closed. Kotka and its neighbouring towns are well-known for their sports. In general, Finns are enthusiastic about participating actively in sports events as well as being spectators. There are several sports grounds, sport halls and swimming pools in the Kotka - Kouvola region. Ice-hockey (JÄÄKIEKKO), cross-country skiing (HIIHTO), down-hill skiing (LASKETTELU) and basketball (KORIPALLO) and volleyball (LENTOPALLO) are very popular as well as Finnish baseball (PESÄPALLO) and football or soccer (JALKAPALLO). There are also opportunities for e.g. golf, bowling, riding, tennis, etc. A great variety of water sports like sailing, canoeing, rowing and rapids shooting are available in summertime especially in Kotka locating by the sea. Kymenlaakso Polytechnic has excellence facilities for indoor sports; students can play volleyball, badminton, tennis etc. without any charge. There are also a lot of cultural events in the Kotka - Kouvola region; very active City Theatres, several other theatre groups, orchestras and choirs, art exhibitions. In addition to more ordinary cultural services there are also several summer festivals taking place regularly in Kotka. One of the best known is the Kotka Maritime Festival (4 days) which takes place at the end of July and brings to Kotka more than 100 000 visitors during one weekend. It is also possible for you to take evening classes in the Finnish language. "Finnish for foreigners" courses are organized by Evening Colleges. We recommend you to attend these courses, especially if your department does not offer you any Finnish in the curriculum. You will definitely pick up something during your studying/training period or when communicating with local people but it is not a waste of time to study a little bit more. Ask for more details. In the event of emergency, call the general emergency number 112. By calling this number you can contact the ambulance services, fire department and other emergency (rescue and police) services. You can call this nation-wide number free of charge also from the call boxes. The emergency number directly to the police is 10022. 12. THE RIGHT OF PUBLIC ACCESS In Finland everyone is allowed to roam freely throughout the countryside.
It is referred to as the right of public access ("JOKAMIEHEN OIKEUS").
This means that you can walk around and pick up berries and mushrooms,
go boating and swimming on or in what is actually private land or water.
The exceptions to this law should be carefully observed. They are:
In Finland we have freedom of religion. In Kotka and Kouvola there are many different churches and denominations represented. The majority of Finns are Lutheran. You will find the addresses and telephone numbers for the Lutheran Churches in the telephone directory under Seurakunnat, Kotkan seurakunta, tel. 213400 or in Kouvola; Kouvolan seurakunta, tel. 3115701. Other churches include e.g.
There are several activities arranged by Kymenlaakso Polytechnic students. They may arrange sport events, run the coffee shop, book shop, photocopier... Ask about the events and take part in them whenever you get a chance. More information about the events and contact persons is available at the offices of Kymenlaakso Polytechnic. 15. KYMENLAAKSO POLYTECHNIC SITES Kymenlaakso Polytechnic has eight different sites. In Kotka and in Kouvola they are located within a cycling distance. (Between Kotka and Kouvola there are some 50 kms). The addresses of the departments and the names of the people you may need to contact are given below: Kymenlaakson ammattikorkeakoulu
E-mails to the staff: name.surname@kyamk.fi (if the name is with ä- or ö-letters, change them to a or o) 16. USEFUL ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS A. Tourist information
B. Travelling
Oy Matkahuolto Ab Oy Matkahuolto Ab
Please do not hesitate to contact International Affairs Office for
further information,
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