Academic culture at the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥
Table of contents
On this page you will learn some characteristics of the academic culture at our university. For example, the independent and flexible nature of university studies presupposes that you show initiative and take responsibility in the planning of your studies and in keeping to your own schedule.
Independent learning as part of weekly studying
In Finland, studying at university requires a lot of independent work. You may only have a couple of lectures per week, and the rest of the time you are expected to act on your own and take responsibility for your own studies. Studying full-time means around 36 hours of studying per week which includes lectures, independent work, exams, group work, and so on. You should schedule your days and weeks so that you have clear study time and clear free-time and also some days off. Work–life balance is important also when studying. It might be useful to make a weekly schedule for yourself. Mark in your schedule when you will be in class, when you will do groupwork, when you will work on reading and writing assignments, and so on. When it comes to course tasks, it is a good idea to divide bigger learning tasks into smaller steps.
Studying independently, however, doesn’t necessarily mean working alone. Independent work might also include working in groups, in which case you have to take into consideration the others and their schedules. When working in groups you have to agree on certain ground rules regarding deadlines, commenting on others’ work, and more. Remember and respect that each individual student acts and studies differently.
If you find it challenging to be self-directed, you can always talk to the course teacher and ask for support on how to schedule your independent work. You can also ask for help from the Goodies.
See also:
Communication and interaction with academic staff
As in Finnish society in general, universities also have relatively low levels of hierarchy. Therefore, communication and interaction between students and teachers or other academic staff is informal.
Teachers are usually available Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–4 p.m. You can find their contact details and preferred contact methods on the university website. When sending an email to academic staff, please write the topic of your email in the subject field (e.g. "A question about the completion method of Course X"). In the email, use a greeting, write your question clearly in the email and give all the background information needed (e.g. the name and code of the course in question), and clearly state your full name and student number or your study programme. Please use your university email address for sending emails.
Academic staff treat all students equally. If you have any challenges with learning (e.g. dyslexia, mental health issues), please let your teachers know before or at the beginning of the course. Asking for support or individual arrangements doesn’t affect your final grade for the course. All this information is always treated as confidential.
Along with students, all teachers are also equal at the university and qualified for their work, no matter their age or gender, for example.
See the university website on Accessibility and individual services.
Time-related practices
At the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥, teaching usually starts at quarter past the hour. Be sure to check if your course meetings or exams start on the hour or quarter past.
If you are late for a course meeting, please enter the room quietly so that you don’t interrupt teaching.
In some courses, teachers might want to know about possible absences in advance. In most cases you must make up for the lost time by either studying the missed lecture independently or handing in some tasks. You are responsible for checking what happened in the class and what needs to be done and possibly prepared for the next lesson.
Evaluation and feedback
In Finland, all students are treated and evaluated equally. The learning tasks and/or exams define the final grades, and it is not possible to negotiate the grades. Please note that asking questions or asking for support will not lower your grade.
Plagiarism is absolutely forbidden at the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥.
Read more about plagiarism and academic misconduct.
Peer feedback and self-evaluation are sometimes used on courses. The teacher gives the official final grade but it’s also an important skill to be able to reflect on one’s own learning regularly and to be able to give and receive feedback.
Read more about feedback skills.
Academic writing
Assessment at the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ is often based on exams, essays, and other types of writing assignments. In writing assignments, students demonstrate their thinking. Academic writing is a learning and problem-solving activity requiring complex thinking processes. It is based on information and ideas gathered via research and study, and it respects the rights of intellectual property and academic integrity. In other words, you must follow good citation and referencing practices. The purpose of academic texts is to produce new information or at least new viewpoints.
There is no one single template for writing assignments at JYU because the type of writing task depends on the course, the faculty and other factors. You are expected to follow department or field-specific writing conventions in all writing tasks. If unsure what is expected in the writing task, you can always consult with the teacher. For more information, see this page on academic writing skills.
In academic writing, it’s important that you reflect on your previous knowledge and experience in relation to the articles/books in question and include critical points of view in your writing. However, please note that the use of plagiarism is absolutely forbidden (JYU policy on plagiarism). It is important that your own viewpoints can be distinguished from what you cite, and that you do not use, for example, a text written by another student without citing it correctly. There are also JYU guidelines for using AI in learning tasks: You need to clearly point out which parts of your text or which ideas aren’t created by you.
See the JYU instructions for written tasks.
Movi also offers courses to help you with academic writing.
Working in groups
Lectures and seminars at the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ can include different types of studying methods. In addition to independent work, some courses include learning tasks that are completed in pairs or small groups. Usually, groups are multilingual. It is important to remember and respect the fact that each individual student acts and studies differently.
It is essential that all the group members take responsibility for the work. The group members are usually responsible for negotiating the group’s rules, dividing roles and tasks, defining the aims and check-up points for the work, creating a schedule and making sure the work is finished within the deadline. Usually also the group work process is evaluated within the group, and sometimes by the teacher, too. If you or any of the group members face any problems with the group work, it is a good idea to discuss it first with the group members and after that with the teacher, if needed.
Support for study skills and wellbeing
The Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ offers a range of tools and help to support you in your studies. You are not alone with your study-related questions and challenges! Ask for help and support whenever you need it.
If you have any challenges with learning (e.g. dyslexia, mental health issues), please let your teachers know so before the course begins. Asking for support or individual arrangements doesn’t affect your final grade for the course.
If you feel stress or that you have too much to do, remember to prioritize the most important tasks. You can always ask for help from, for example, Goodies, the university’s wellbeing advisors. Always leave enough time for rest.
See the JYU Student wellbeing website.