Tutors are at the heart of Haaga-Helia's community

For a young person, the transition to higher education and a completely new kind of life situation can prove to be a tough piece to handle.

It may mean moving to a new city or country away from friends and relatives. The lack of supporting networks can sometimes be frightening.

Regardless, no one should be left alone.

For this reason, tutors trained by the student union Helga are at the heart of the Haaga-Helia university community and have been supporting the new student since day one.

These purple-shirted casual heroes are in many ways a lifebuoy for novice students if they feel overwhelmed by a flood of information or a new social situation makes them anxious.

It all starts with the study orientations, where tutors play an important role. During the first few weeks, new students get to know each other, their studies, and of course, campuses.

At the same time, tutors strive to provide peer support and ensure that everyone finds their place in the community.

There are usually a variety of evening programs available that allow new students to explore the city and meet other students.

Tutoring can be life changing experience

A business student at Haaga-Helia, Iida Arpiainen, believes that tutors play the greatest role what comes to building student culture and links between the new and old students.

She has been a tutor twice in 2020 and 2021.

According to Arpiainen, being a tutor allows you to open yourself up to others in a whole new way. To her, being a tutor was an educational and developing experience that raised her as a person.

— Tutoring can be tough sometimes, but at the same time, it's really rewarding. For example, I learned a lot about group dynamics and how to build a prosperous environment while tutoring. I also realized how important community is for studying, Arpiainen emphasizes.

One of the most important tasks of tutors is to act as icebreakers and introduce freshers to each other. That is done, among other things, through various grouping games.

According to Arpiainen, studying can be challenging if left alone.

— Successful integration of new students into the UAS community reduces drop-out rates and prevents exclusion. Therefore, she thinks that the significance of the community can never be overemphasized.

- In Haaga-Helia, grouping begins in the orientation week as soon as studies begin. The same group usually studies together for at least a year and a half. Successful grouping makes it so much easier to study, Arpiainen summarizes.

Open, helpful and reliable

In Haaga-Helia, the training of tutors is a responsibility of the student union Helga, whose tutors are open, reliable, and, above all, helpful.

They are often described as a group of jolly people who are easy to approach for a new and slightly shy student.

The task of tutors is to create the best possible opportunities for new students to find support and secure each other during their studies.

Many say that study time is the best time of life. It's a time when new friendships are forged, professional skills are developed and one becomes involved in an active community.

Tutors are like Dumbledore from Hogwarts, who knows everything about the past, the future, and the present. They have the knowledge, skill, and wisdom to guide students if they are looking for answers to questions related to their studies.

Helga's tutors are recruited annually in February and their term of office is one year. More information on tutoring is available on Student Union Helga's website at: https://helga.fi/palvelusi/tutorointi/