Become a student tutor or kummi student for the academic year 2025-2026

The application to become a tutor or kummi student for the academic year 2025-2026 is open from 2nd of Januany here, and continues until the 9th of February 2025. Please read through carefully the information on this application page before applying.

Please note that if you are selected as a tutor or kummi, the choice is binding. Think carefully about whether you can commit to the role!

You can use the same application form to apply for becoming:

• a student tutor for the new students in study programmes taught in English,
• a student tutor for the new students in study programmes taught in Finnish,
• a kummi student for exchange students arriving in Autumn 2025
• a kummi student for exchange students arriving in Spring 2026.

Please note, that if you apply to become a tutor for students of study programmes taught in Finnish, you are required to speak Finnish fluently.

For questions and more information about the application: opiskeluntuki@oulu.fi.

We will also organise an additional call for kummi students for Spring 2026 exchange students in Autumn 2025.

Student tutors tutor new degree students in English-language degree programmes. Often, the students tutors are from the same degree programme themselves, but there are exceptions as well. International tutoring is a great way to gain international experience, meet different people and do important work in helping international students adapt to the Finnish study culture.

International student tutoring can (depending on the faculty) start already during the Spring semester when the newly admitted international students receive accepted information about their place of study. In this case, as an international student tutor, you can already support the new international students in the Spring by answering their questions about their studies.

The orientation week for international degree students starts at the end of August, when you need to be present as a tutor. International students often arrive in Finland at slightly different times, and as an international student tutor, your important task at the beginning of autumn is to assist your students with their arrival in Oulu. This means, for example, helping them to get their keys to their accommodation and welcoming them at the airport or train station.

Tutoring your group of students happens during August-September-October, but depending on the faculty, it can start during the Spring in the form of communication and answering questions. For international tutors, the typical amount of tutoring hours for Autumn is averaging 15-20 hours.

The main tasks of an international student tutor are:

• communicating with your group of students before the start of their studies,
• supporting your group of students with the practicalities of arriving in Oulu, such as picking up the apartment keys in advance and welcoming students at the airport or train station,
• supporting students with integrating to the University and to the student community
• to familiarize the new students with….
  • pre-arrival information (arrival in Oulu, Housing)
  • the other students
  • the services for students
  • The university as a learning environment
  • the degree programme and how to study at the University of Oulu - tips for studying
  • planning studies and time management
  • the student life and free time activities
  • the Finnish culture and habits.

Exchange students at the UniOulu also have their own tutors, known as "kummi studenst". They can be students from any field of studies, and do not have to be from the same field as the exchange students.

As an exchange student's kummi your duties are very similar to those of a degree programme tutor. For example, you will help your group of exchange students arriving in Oulu with their apartment keys and by meeting them at the airport or train station. Kummis also help students to get to know their group members, the study environment and practices, and events and activities.

Exchange students are also often particularly interested in Finnish culture, Oulu, and the various leisure activities available, as they are here for a short period of time. You will therefore get a chance to introduce exchange students to a very wide range of Finnish culture!

Kummi students are needed for both the Spring and Autumn semesters. Working as a kummi for exchange students in the Spring semester, you need to be present from the very beginning of January. In the Autumn semester you need to be present from the beginning of September.

Tutoring hours for kummi students typically vary between 10-20.

The student selected as a tutor or kummi must be responsible, dedicated to the role, and committed to participating in the training and implementing the tutoring. Think carefully about your own motivation and why you want to be a tutor or kummi student. A good tutor or kummi is genuinely enthusiastic and willing to help new students, and this should be your main motivating factor. Also, consider your own study timetable and whether you can realistically commit to giving the amount of time that tutoring requires.

A good tutor or kummi is:

• Conscientious and responsible,
• dedicated and committed to their role,
• aware of their own schedule and able to arrange their schedules to fit the trainings and tutoring,
• has made progress in their own studies,
• committed to attend the trainings,
• physically present and available when the tutoring starts.

Previous experience in a similar role or activities is considered an advantage but not a necessity. The most important factors are your motivation and your ability to commit to the role.

In addition to the tutoring sessions themselves you need to make time to attend the training sessions, create a tutoring plan, and prepare for the tutoring.

Attending and passing the tutor trainings is a prerequisite for becoming a tutor or kummi. The training include:

• training sessions during Spring 2025 common to all international tutors and kummis at the university,
• completion of the Moodle course,
• faculty-specific training for tutors and kummis.

In addition, OYY will organise a complementary training in August.

Three training sessions in English will be organized in during Spring 2025 for all international tutors and kummi students. Attendance at the trainings is compulsory. You may be absent from one of the trainings, in which case you need to do some additional tasks. You need to attend these trainings if you are a tutor for new students in English degree programmes.

The dates of the training sessions will be updated later):

1)

2)

3)

Tutors and kummi students studying at the Kontinkangas campus will receive a link to join the training sessions online. Others must be present at the campus.

As part of the trainings, you will also need to complete a Moodle course to complement the content covered in the training sessions. To be able to act as a tutor you must pass the final exam of the general part of the training. The date of the final exam will be announced later.

You will also receive instructions from your faculty on how to participate in any faculty-specific training.

Kummi students for autumn 2025:

Three English-language training sessions will be organised for the kummi students of international exchange students in the autumn semester 2025 during the spring 2025. The trainings will be joint with the student tutors. Attendance at the trainings is compulsory. You may be absent from one of the trainings, in which case you need to do some additional tasks. You must participate in these trainings if you act as a kummi student for international exchange students in the autumn semester 2025.

The dates of the training sessions will be updated later:

1)

2)

3)

Kummi students studying at the Kontinkangas campus will receive a link to join the training sessions online. Others must be present at the campus.

As part of the trainings, you will also need to complete a Moodle course to complement the content covered in the training sessions. To be able to act as a tutor you must pass the final exam of the general part of the training. The date of the final exam will be announced later.

You will also receive instructions from your faculty on how to participate in any faculty-specific training.

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Kummi students for Spring 2026:

Kummi students for international exchange students in the Spring semester 2026 must watch the recordings of the common trainings held in Spring 2025, complete the Moodle course, and attend one common training organised live at the end of the Autumn semester of 2025. The date of the training will be specified later.

You will also receive instructions from your faculty for any faculty-specific training.

Tutors and kummi students are paid a fee after they've returned their completed tutoring report. The fee is paid based on the amount of completed tutoring hours you've given to your group, with one tutoring hour being 60 minutes. The fee is 14,10€ per hour. Please note that there is no fee for planning and preparing tutoring sessions.

NOTE! If you are employed by the University of Oulu at the time of your tutoring, you will not be eligible for a tutoring fee. This is due to the University's regulations regarding paying the fee for the in-house personnel. However, depending on the faculty practices, you may be able to receive study credits for the tutoring.

If you have been selected as a tutor or kummi, and you agree to employment with the University of Oulu before or during the tutoring, you must immediately inform the tutoring contact person of your degree programme about this. In this case, with the tutoring contact person, you will find out whether the planned tutoring hours coincide with the date of the employment contract. If your employment contract with the University of Oulu overlaps with your tutoring, we cannot pay you a tutoring fee.

You will receive information about the options regarding continuing with the tutoring from the tutoring contact person in case your employment with the university overlaps with the tutoring.

In addition to this, all tutor and kummi students get:

• valuable tutoring, planning and guiding experience,
• a work certificate issued by the University,
• the experience of being able to help others, and a possibility to meet new people,
• a chance to experience the freshman year from a different perspective,
• possibility to take part in the peer activities organized for all tutor and kummi students.

Depending on your faculty, you may also receive credits. To ensure your eligibility for credits, you can contact your faculty's study services for further information.