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INTO-FAQ

 

Frequently asked questions about INTO

 

 

If you have a question in mind and didn't find an answer from this site please read this FAQ and see if you can find an answer here before contacting us.

 

 

General questions about INTO:

 

"Q: How can I contact the club?"

 
"A: You can write an e-mail to the board to into-board<at>listmail.tut.fi"

"Q: Where is the club room?"

 
"A: The club room is located in Rakennustalo room RH209. Here you find a map of the location at TUT and at the building"
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"Q: Why don't I have any questions?"

 
"A: Obviously you do ;)"

"Q: Why should I join INTO?"

 
"A: Because it's a good way to get INTO the game, and to get to know a lot of people that you otherwise wouldn't meet. Social networking, you know."

"Q: How can I become member?"

 
Register with your e-mail address and pay 2 Euros during orientation week or in the office hours.

"Q: I just came to Finland and don't have any friends, where can I get one?"

 
"A: Just go to an international sauna or some other events organized by INTO. There are all your future friends just waiting for your arrival."

"Q: Where can I find more information about live in Finland in General?"

 
"A: CIMO the centre of international mobility in Finland offers a wide range of information from each field of life. It can be found under finland.cimo.fi

"Q: How can i ask a frequently asked question?"

 
"A: Just send the question to the board of INTO, and when somebody else has asked it too, then it becomes one."
 

"Q: How do I unsubscribe from the INTO list"

 
"A: If you are leaving Finland or you don't want to be on the list anymore you can go to https://listmail.tut.fi/mailman/listinfo/into

In the bottom of the page you can put your e-mail address to the field and press the button "Unsubscribe or edit options" After that you get to another page. In the middle of the page on the left side you can finally unsubscribe."

 

 

FAQ about Arrival:

 

"Q: How do I get to Tampere?

 
"A: You will find answers under: Practical matters guide by TUT

 

FAQ about Bank:

 

"Q: What is ATM?"

 
ATM is a bank automat, where you put your card, enter your pin-code and can get money out of your account. In Finnish ATM is called Otto, and you can find it everywhere and withdraw money from your account. Check this:
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_teller_machine

"Q: What is Web-Bank? Or Internet-service? What can I do with it?"

 
With internet-banking you can access your account online, you can do online payments (eg. toas rent, phone bill..), check your balance statement and do all the money transactions you need. So basically you never need to visit the bank! You will get your personal number, password and key numbers to access the account online.
 
It's totally safe to use internet-bank because of the changing key numbers every time. With this internet-banking you can do some online shopping in some Finnish companies as well, eg. Finnair. But for most online shopping websites you can not use the internet-service.

"Q: I want to purchase online. Can I do it with Visa Electron?"

 
No, Visa Electron is not a credit card. So you cannot do online purchasing on web-pages with the card. You can use Web-bank (internet-service) to pay your bills and access your account online.

"Q: How can I get a credit card, e.g. Visa or Mastercard?"

 
Unfortunately, you cannot get it if you don’t have Finnish Personal Identification number (it’s possible to get it, but it takes lot of efforts) and permanent salary coming to your account (which means that you have to be working permanently.

"Q: Can I pay TOAS-rent with my ATM-card or Visa Electron?"

 
Yes, you can pay bills with your ATM-card if you use the bill-payment machine of the bank. The easiest way to pay bills is trough the internet service. In Finland everybody pays their bills in internet!

"Q: What is the difference between ATM-card and Visa Electron?"

 
The difference is that with ATM-card you cannot pay in shops, supermarkets etc. But you can use Visa Electron in shops, supermarkets etc (also abroad). so you don’t need to carry cash with you.

"Q: What is the difference between Nordea account and SAMPO account?"

 
In SAMPO bank the account package is FREE, if you are under 26 years old. It has the same benefits as Nordea (including Web-banking), but a normal ATM-card instead of Visa Electron -card. If you are over 26 years old (when creating the account) this will cost you 2,9 € /month.
 
In Nordea the account package will cost 2 € / month (no matter of age). It has the same benefits as Sampo. And you can get Visa Electron -card.

"Q: Is there any other bank than Nordea or SAMPO?"

 
Yes, but they don’t offer accounts for international customers.

"Q: When can I get my account, if it’s pre-created in SAMPO?"

 
During your orientation week, 20th – 24th of August, SAMPO officer will come to our University, and you will sign the account and wet all the necessary information. If you want the account earlier, it’s best to visit the bank before that.

"Q: When can I get my account in Nordea?"

 
During the orientation week, Nordea will also come to the university and you can create the accounts there. But they cannot be pre-created, so it takes more time.

"Q: Which bank do you prefer, and why?"

 
I prefer SAMPO, if you don’t care about your card. For my point of view and experience: Because of the free account for people under 26 years, you can withdraw money with your ATM-card, much better service, a lot nicer office and not having to queue that much than in Nordea.
 
If you care about the card and don’t worry about 2 € / month, then Nordea is your choice. Visa Electron is very handy, because you can pay with it directly from your account in almost any shops. If you are planning to travel a lot, it’s also good, because you can use it abroad. Note again, it’s not a credit card, so you cannot exceed your account balance.
 
So the question is, do you want to pay with cash or with your card in shops, like supermarkets??

"Q: If I want my account before orientation week, what should I do?"

 
1. Find out, if you want Nordea or SAMPO
2. Take your passport, your Finnish address and maybe the paper that you have been accepted to TUT
3. Go to the mall DUO in Hervanta, Insinöörinkatu 23. (Next to our university TUT) The banks are situated just next to each other. The banks are open from 10am to 4.30 pm.
4. Tell that you are a new exchange student and want to create an account. They should speak fluent English.
5. So you get an account.
 
If you are afraid to go alone, you can ask me or your tutor to go with you!

"Q: How should I pay bills in Finland?"

 
You should pay with your Web-bank, so online. It is easiest and FREE option! If you can’t go in interned, you can use internet or bill-payment machine of the Bank. Using the Bill-payment machine costs a small amount. The last choice is to pay at the counter of the bank office, because it costs you something like 3€ - 6 € per bill!!
 
So pay in internet!!