É«É«À²

Activity ideas

1. Low-Stress Icebreakers (First Meetings)

• Campus Coffee: Meet up at an Otaniemi cafe. Walk around the campus, talk about how student life has changed (or stayed exactly the same), and map out basic survival tips for the coming weeks.
• Supermarket Safari: For a new international student, a Finnish grocery store can feel like a maze. Meet up for a quick shopping trip to point out the best local rye bread, explain what ±è¾±¾±³¾Ã¤ is, or decode dairy labels.

2. Uniquely Finnish Experiences

• A "Museum and Dinner" Night: Take advantage of the local culture. Visit a museum together (like EMMA in Espoo or Amos Rex in Helsinki) and chat about the art over coffee or dinner. 
• Seasonal Traditions: Introduce your student match to seasonal mainstays like baking korvapuusti (cinnamon buns), celebrating Vappu, or lighting candles for Independence Day.
• Nature & Foraging: Take a walk through a nearby nature reserve or national park. If the season is right, show them how to spot edible berries or mushrooms.
• A Home-Cooked Finnish Dinner: Invite your student match over for a home-cooked meal. Stepping inside an authentic local home is often a rare and memorable highlight for international students.

3. Practical Help & Guidance

• Navigating the Winter: Share your personal survival tactics for the dark season, such as vitamin D recommendations, best local winter clothing brands and reflective gear, and others.
• Finnish language: Share language tips, practice Finnish together, or do a language exchange!

4. Free and Low-cost Activities

• Aalto Events: Check out some Aalto events together such as TOKYO's student art and design fair, current Aalto exhibitions, or one of Aalto's many workshops

Keep communication open, and remember that simple, informal meetings are often the most meaningful!

Bear in mind that all participants are responsible for covering their own costs.