Life as a student in Turku extends beyond the classroom. The city offers a vibrant student life with numerous opportunities to stay active, explore Finnish culture, and meet new people.
Many of the below-mentioned organisations/activities are also presented during the Orientation for new exchange students.
Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is a non-profit international student organisation.
The aim of ESN Uni Turku is to promote interaction between international students and Finnish people and culture.
ESN organises a variety of free-time activities and trips for exchange students.
More information is available on the ESN Uni Turku website as well as on Instagram @ESNUniTurku.
In TYY’s student organisations, you can meet new people, discover hobbies, and have the opportunity to develop your skills. Over one hundred different organisations operate within TYY.
TYY's organisations include:
- subject organisations
- student nations
- hobby organisations
You will find information about all student organisations on the TYY website.
CampusSport offers affordable and versatile sports services for the students and staff of the higher education institutions in Turku.
By paying the sports fee, you gain access to:
- Instructed classes
- Ball sports shifts
- Gym facilities
- Membership benefits
Language circles are a free-time, non-credit-bearing activity for international and Finnish students and staff members. Taking part in a language circle provides an opportunity to meet new people and learn languages. The introductory meetings for new language groups are always held at the beginning of the semesters in September and January.
The idea is that the groups are formed for different languages - the specific languages depend on the participants who turn up to the initial kick-off meeting at the start of the semester. Each group (or language circle) will primarily communicate in the group's designated language, but otherwise, the members can freely decide on the group's activities. There are usually language circles in Chinese, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Swedish and Russian, but there can be other languages too. Besides learning a new language, you can also take part in a language circle for your native language to help others with their learning!
The kick-off meeting is organised by the Centre for Language and Communication Studies. After this, the language circles decide on their own schedules for meetings and meet independently.
You can find more information on the Intranet and Moodle page of Language Circles (login required).
Turku University Library provides extensive collections of materials, both physical and electronic. Students can study independently, use workspaces, and borrow materials.
Turku City Library offers public library services across Turku, including the Main Library, 10 branch libraries and mobile libraries. Visitors can borrow books, materials and equipment, use computers and devices, join events, and book meeting or group rooms.
The City of Turku offers a variety of leisure-time student benefits.
The City's student discounts let you enjoy culture and fitness at an affordable price. These include:
- Gyms and swimming pool facilities
- Ice skating and skiing
- Theatre performances
- Concerts
- Museums
You need to pay the Student Union membership fee to use the student discounts.
Study in Turku is a cooperation network between the City of Turku, higher education institutions, student organisations and local partners. The network promotes Turku as an international and student-friendly city and supports students throughout their studies.
Through the Study in Turku network, students can easily find information about living, studying and enjoying student life in Turku. You can also check the Turku Region events calendar on its webpage.
Turku and its surroundings are perfect for enjoying the Finnish outdoors. The city has plenty of walking and jogging paths, and just a short bus ride away, you can reach Kurjenrahka National Park with its peaceful trails and beautiful nature. You can also explore the city and nearby areas by bike, following paths along riverbanks and through parks. The Turku Archipelago, the largest in the world by number of islands, stretches along Finland’s southwest coast and is also an interesting destination to explore while you are in Turku.