Orientation = the start of studies and getting to know the new school, people, and procedures.  

Orientation is: the first step for new students at the beginning of their studies.  

A period (e.g., orientation week) during which  

• the school, services, and practices are introduced  
• students are helped to get started with their studies  
• group formation and integration into the student community are supported 

Orientation sessions begin in August / January.  

Orientation is an essential part of starting your studies, and attendance is required and expected for all incoming students!  

A smooth start to your studies depends strongly on your participation in orientation, which covers the key practices, systems, and procedures for beginning your studies. During orientation, you will gain the information and skills needed right from the start of your studies, and not all the orientation content is necessarily available elsewhere in the same format. During orientation, you will, among other things, register for your first semester courses togerher.  

You can find the orientation week programs here: Bachelor’s orientation | eLAB and Master’s orientation | eLAB. 

Attending orientation is always the preferred option.  

If you are unable to attend for a valid reason (e.g., illness), you should contact your tutor teacher. You can find the contact information for tutor teachers from the Start of your studies pages: Bachelor’s orientation | eLAB and Master’s orientation | eLAB. 

In this case, the student is responsible for obtaining the information covered in the orientation through other means. This may involve, for example, separate instructions, independent study, or a meeting with your own tutor teacher.  

Please note that the orientation program as a whole cannot always be made up for later. Not all parts of the program are recorded.  

Carefully review the instructions on starting your studies available in eLAB: Starting Your Studies | eLAB

Events common to all students are recorded, so you can watch these on your own later. You can find links to the recordings here: Orientation Videos and Materials | eLAB   

New students begin their studies with orientation. You can find the detailed orientation schedule, including times and locations, in the TimeEdit timetable. You can find the link to TimeEdit and login instructions from the Start of your studies pages: Bachelor’s orientation | eLAB and Master’s orientation | eLAB. 

You will meet your tutor teacher during the first few days of orientation, either on campus or online. 

You can find the contact information for tutor teachers from the Start of your studies pages: Bachelor’s orientation | eLAB and Master’s orientation | eLAB. 

You can find the contact information for peer tutors from the Start of your studies pages: Bachelor’s orientation | eLAB and Master’s orientation | eLAB. 

Tutor teacher supports the students in their group at different stages of their studies. If you have questions related to the content of your studies or your course choices, you should turn to your tutor teacher. Each starting group is assigned its own tutor teacher.

A Peer (student) tutor is a fellow student who has joined the tutoring activities. The purpose of student tutoring is to help new students become familiar with the institution, studying, the local area, and leisure activities. 

Student tutors are involved in many activities, especially at the beginning of studies. However, they are not responsible for teaching or formal guidance related to your studies. Guidance in these matters is primarily provided by the tutor teacher as well as other teachers and student support and guidance services.

You may enroll as absent during the first academic year only for the legal reasons which includes service under the Conscription Act, the Non-Military Service Act, the Women’s Voluntary Military Service Act, maternity, paternity or parental leave or own illness or disability. You have received the instructions for the absence in your letter of acceptance.

First-year students, see additional information on registering for leave of absence: Suspending your studies | eLAB.

Students must also contact their tutor teacher. You can find the contact information for tutors from the Start of your studies pages: Bachelor’s orientation | eLAB and Master’s orientation | eLAB. 

Arrival deadlines and deferral instructions are given on important dates -page | eLAB. 

Please check the instructions from the Important dates for the start of studies – page. 

Please check the instructions from the Important dates for the start of studies – page. 

Every foreign student needs a Personal Identity Number. You will receive it from Digital and Population Data Service Agency (DVV). Please read more from the Starting studies page, Checklist number 14. 

Further information on housing in the different locations will be found on eLAB Housing -page. 

Students completing a degree at LAB University of Applied Sciences are covered under the insurance policy as follows: Student's insurances | eLAB

Exchange students: All students are responsible for their own insurance arrangements, and we strongly recommend you to take a comprehensive insurance for your stay in Finland.  Read more about exchange students insurances. 

If you have any questions about starting your studies, please contact Student customer Services. 

Ask your peer tutors about student life, studying in general, and campus and city-specific matters. You can also start with Student life | eLAB

Arrival schedule: Inform your tutor teacher about your arrival, especially if you miss the on campus orientation. In case you miss the arrival deadline completely, contact LAB.scholarship@lab.fi about saving the tuition fee payment. Arrival deadlines and deferral instructions are given on important dates -page.

If you need other kinds of support, check out our Study guidance and support services | eLAB

When your LUT account is ready to be activated, you will receive instructions by email from Student IT Helpdesk Services (student.ithelpdesk@lut.fi). The email will be sent at least one week before the start of your studies. Please remember to check your spam folder as well, as the message may end up there.

Please check the page: LUT ID and signing in | eLAB 

Student schedules are created in the TimeEdit program. You can find the TimeEdit link and login instructions from the Start of your studies pages: Bachelor’s orientation | eLAB and Master’s orientation | eLAB. 

Sisu is the student information system used by LAB, where you can, for example, create and manage your personal study plan, track your academic progress, and register for courses and exams.

You can find a link to the Sisu system and instructions on the Sisu website. 

When logged in to Sisu, students can view their student number in the “My Profile” section along with their other basic information. 

Moodle is an online learning environment. It contains course assignments, materials, and submissions. In Moodle you can submit assignments, participate in discussions, provide peer feedback on others’ assignments, keep a learning journal, work on group projects, and more. For more information, visit the Moodle website. 

LAB University of Applied Sciences requires new students to use their own laptop. It is recommended to have the laptop ready before the studies begin.    

When purchasing a computer, we recommend following the guidelines provided by the school’s IT support: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) | eLAB   

New students register for courses with their tutor teacher during the first few days of orientation week. You can also ask peer tutors for help. The course registration is done in Sisu-system. 

PSP (Personal Study Plan) is a student’s personal plan outlining which studies they will complete, in what order, and on what schedule. It is created at the beginning of studies together with a tutor teacher and can be updated as studies progress.

PSP is created in Sisu and enables students to consider their interests, career goals, and recognized prior learning (RPL). PSP is an important tool for the student in planning studies and tracking progress. 

RPL refers to the recognition of prior learning. The process is for students who want the recognition of prior learning as part of the qualification to be obtained, either for compulsory or optional studies.  Always discuss first with your tutor teacher during your PSP discussions.  The RPL application is submitted through the Sisu system. Read more about RPL from eLAB. 

In contact teaching programmes you study primarily on-campus. Naturally also these studies can include online courses and courses that have parts of them online.

LAB's blended teaching programmes include face-to-face courses, online courses, and courses that combine both. Timetables for the courses are published by the start of each semester. Studying in the blended teaching programmers requires attendance on campus, for example weekly or monthly.

In the online programmes you can study flexibly online, except for a couple of on-campus days for example during orientation to studies. Online studies include both studies you do at your own pace as well as courses that are run according to a timetable. These courses can include scheduled online lectures and online meetings. According to your Personal Study Plan you might also have the possibility of enrolling in courses that require attendance on campus.

Many of our master’s programmes have schedules that are as working life friendly as possible. This means that timetables emphasize teaching during after-hours and on weekends, but they can also include individual full teaching days on weekdays.

At the beginning of the course, each teacher will explain the course content and methods, the schedule, and more detailed information about how the course will be conducted. 

Read more: Planning your studies | eLAB 

LAB's blended teaching programmes include courses with contact teaching, courses that are taught online and courses that combine both online and contact teaching. Timetables for the courses are published by the start of each semester. Studying in the blended teaching programmes requires attendance on campus, for example weekly or monthly. 

Discuss this with your tutor teacher and the course teacher. They will give you the instructions.  

In the online programmes you can study flexibly online, except for a couple of on-campus days for example during orientation to studies. Online studies include both studies you do at your own pace as well as courses that are run according to a timetable. These courses can include scheduled online lectures and online meetings. According to your Personal Study Plan you might also have the possibility of enrolling in courses that require attendance on campus.  

Many of our master’s programmes have schedules that are as working life friendly as possible. This means that timetables emphasize teaching during after-hours and on weekends, but they can also include individual full teaching days on weekdays.  

At the beginning of the course, each teacher will explain the course content and methods, the schedule, and more detailed information about how the course will be conducted. 

It depends on the teacher and the course content. At the beginning of the course, every teacher will explain the course format, schedule, and policies. 

Talk to your course teacher/s about your absence and find out how you can make up for it. 

Student card is the official id of a student. When you become a member of Student Union KOE you get a student card and all its benefits and discounts locally. Degree student card offers you national student benefits as well as local discount in Lahti and in Lappeenranta. Read more about student card and membership

To access LAB campuses, you will need an Access card (Lahti) or an Access key (Lappeenranta) 

At Lahti campus you will need a photo Access card OR Student card. This is ordered through the Student Union KOE at the beginning of your studies. To order this, you will need a photo of yourself and your student number. You will find your student number at Sisu. For more instructions you can find  Electronic access card - Lahti -page. Please note! If you have ordered a student card, you do not need a separate Access card.

At Lappeenranta campus, you can purchase an Access key for 10 euros from the LAB webshop. The key can be collected from the Student Union KOE service point (LAB main lobby) upon presentation of a purchase receipt. For more instructions you can find from  Electronic keycard - Lappeenranta -page. 

A good way to get familiar with student life right at the beginning of your studies is to take part in activities organized by student tutors. On the eLAB website, you will find a dedicated student life section with plenty of information on the topic. Getting involved in the activities of the Student Union KOE and your own field’s student association is also an excellent way to immerse yourself in student life. Start by visiting the eLAB website: Student Life | eLAB  

Sports Services MOVEO Wellness and Sports Services | eLAB is a great way to meet new people or try a new sport.

Together, LAB and LUT form the university community of which you are a member as a student. The campuses have Community Spaces where you are welcome to meet other students and explore the wide range of services and activities offered by the schools and campus towns. Read more: Student Community Coordinators | eLAB 

You can find campus-specific parking instructions here: Campuses | eLAB 

You must pay the student healthcare fee if you have registered as attending at a Finnish university or university of applied sciences and you are completing a degree there

Find more information about Student's healthcare services from FSHS- page and about healthcare fee from Kela- page.

We have compiled general information about student health care on eLAB.

FSHS services are also available in other cities. You can find more information and instructions on the FSHS website: Home - FSHS