The purpose of student tutoring is to offer peer support to new students. Starting your studies is an exciting phase in life – during this time, student tutors offer important guidance to the ways of university life. International student tutors also introduce the new student to Finland and student life here.
Rebecca explains on the video below why tutoring is important for new students.
Tampere University is responsible for student tutoring, but TREY is tasked with responsibilities such as organising tutor recruitment and tutor training. TREY is actively in contact with the tutor organisers and international organisers in subject associations. At the student union, the board member responsible for tutoring and the Specialist in Tutoring are responsible for tutoring matters. You can ask them for more information about tutoring and TREY’s services for tutors.
Please contact TREY’s tutoring sector by emailing tuutorointi@trey.fi. Personal contact info is available on the Contact page.
National student tutoring
National student tutoring means tutoring taking place in Finnish-speaking degree programmes. Tutoring can be integrated to your degree, please read more on the Students’ guide here. Tutoring Finnish degree students requires fluent Finnish skills.
International student tutoring
International student tutoring is a great way to gain international experience, get to know new people and do some good: as a student tutor for international students, you can ease their culture shock and provide help during the beginning of their studies. Assistance is needed as the international students arrive to Tampere. The tutors help them adjust both to the university community and student life here. To become an international tutor, you need above all an open mind and daily language skills in English; other skills related to international tutoring are easy and quick to acquire.
International student tutoring can be integrated to your degree, please read more on the Students’ guide here. This is a study module with clearly defined expected learning outcomes and ECTS credits. The module includes training sessions, the actual tutoring work and reporting. The tutors can receive a small monetary compensation for their work and a certificate upon request. By participating in international tutoring, you can also get course credit for the Internationalisation Module of your degree.
There are two kind of international tutoring at Tampere University:
- International tutors in degree programmes support new students in English-taught degree programmes to integrate into the university community and studies.
- International tutors for exchange students help exchange students coming to Tampere for a semester or academic year to get acquainted with Finnish study culture.
Application form and tutor selection
Anton, an international student tutor, tells below on the video why you should join the group of tutors, too!
Tutors are sought three times a year. National tutors and international degree student tutors have only one application period in January-February. The application form for degree tutors is the same for all applicants. In addition, exchange student tutors are sought later in spring and autumn, as exchange students will be arriving at the start of both semesters.
Tutor selections will be made by the subject association after the application period ends. Some associations may interview applicants after the application period, so keep an eye out on your email! The chosen tutors will be added to e-mailing lists and they are expected to keep up with important information on, for example, the upcoming tutor training sessions. If you have questions regarding the tutor selection, please contact your subject association or degree programme. If you don’t know who to contact, you can reach out to tuutorointi@trey.fi.
Tutor recruitments for the university’s new degree and exchange students took place in February-March 2025.
Tutor trainings
Please note that all tutors are expected to take part in the tutor trainings. Training material is shared on the tutoring Moodle areas. If you haven’t been able to access the Moodle areas, contact us via email at tuutorointi@trey.fi. Additional information about the trainings will be delivered to tutors closer to the training dates. All trainings held for the same target group have the same content, and it is enough to partake in one of the trainings.
Tutor trainings for new degree and exchange tutors took place in March-April 2025. If you couldn’t make the training sessions or want to return to the training material afterwards, you can find the material on the tutoring Moodles areas.
There are intercultural communication trainings organised for international degree and exchange tutors in May 2025. The training sessions have the same content, and it is enough to partake in one of the trainings. Due to the highly interactive nature of the training, no materials will be available afterwards on Moodle, but there is no need to replace the training with an alternative task afterwards either. The trainings are held:
Tuesday 6 May 2025 at 16:00 – 17:00 on the Hervanta campus in Konetalo K1702
Thursday 8 May 2025 at 16:00 – 17:00 on the city centre campus in Pinni B1100
Work of tutor organiser
A tutor organiser is a person in a student association or a guild, whose task is to coordinate, plan and execute student tutoring in their association. Organisers have the opportunity to do their work as a part of the tutor organisers’ course. The course can be completed only once during your studies.
The most important communication channels for tutor organisers are the mailing lists and Hovi telegram group. You can join the international tutor organisers’ list and Hovi by contacting TREY’s tutoring sector. If you are on the list and wish to unsubscribe, you can also reach out to TREY’s tutoring sector.
TREY will remain in close contact with subject associations throughout the academic year. For students working with student tutoring in their associations, this cooperation happens through Hovi (“The House of Tutor”). All people responsible for either national or international student tutoring are asked to join Hovi. The group has a Telegram chat group (Hovi 2025) to facilitate discussion and conveying information. Hovi will communicate bilingually throughout the year.
Tutoring mascot & merchandise
The mascot for tutoring at Tampere University is an ice cream called Tuutti who adventures in the recruitment ads for tutoring and in events aimed at freshers and tutors, among other things. Tuutti’s taste (i.e. color) and other decorations change every year, and each year’s tutor organisers get to vote on what Tuutti looks like during that year.
Each tutor at Tampere University is assigned two tutor identifiers with which new students can distinguish tutors from the rest of the student population. These identifiers are a tutor scarf and a tutor overall badge which are distributed to tutors through tutor organisers in subject associations.
In 2025, Tuutti is strawberry-flavored or light pink in color. In addition to the tutor badge that is distributed to all tutors, the two tutor events of the year – Tuuttikset and Tutor Porridge Party – deal out badges to participants, and they can be combined together as shown below.
Tutoring guidebooks
TREY and the university use Tutor’s Guides created by the Kupla project.