Cluster ry Fresher's brochure

Cluster Fresher’s Brochure

2021

Contents Greetings from the Chair .................................................................................................................................. 3 Greetings from LTKY ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Greetings from the Fresher Captains ............................................................................................................... 5 Cluster ry – Too Long; Didn’t Read ................................................................................................................... 6 Social Media .................................................................................................................................................. 6 Events ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 Kiltis, i.e. the Guild Room ................................................................................................................................. 7 Who’s Responsible? .......................................................................................................................................... 7 Introductions ..................................................................................................................................................... 8 Chair .............................................................................................................................................................. 8 Tutors ............................................................................................................................................................ 9

Greetings from the Chair Hi and congratulations for being accepted into Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT)!

Cluster ry is the oldest guild/association for software engineering studies in Finland, and as its chair I would LOVE to welcome you to join us!

I’m sure you’re feeling excited about your new study destination and that you are positively swamped with orientation material, but as your new guild we would like to make first contact before you arrive at campus. The logo found on the cover of this brochure is the symbol of a group of experienced software engineer students who have prepared a community for you to thrive and study in, and all of you are welcome to join.

This brochure has a summary of persons who you will be mostly seeing since your first day. All of you also have your own tutors, who are responsible for making sure you are aware of the school systems and nuances, such as how to register for courses. Later, you will find the introductions of the Study Officer, who will be your main representative for issues related to courses and studying.

The freshers captain, on the other hand, will be introducing the Finnish student culture and local student culture, i.e., the Skinnarila Spirit, as well as taking you to events and the like.

Be active and participate in all the events that are hosted for you, so that you achieve an explosive start to your studies. Even if you feel that you aren’t familiar with anyone present, go ahead and tug the sleeve of any character dressed in red overalls, and we’ll be sure to give you a great conversation. Remember, you only get ONE fresher year, so make the most out of it!

Warm regards, Teemu Kauranen The chair of the board of Cluster ry

Greetings from LTKY Dear newcomer, congratulations on your acceptance to Cluster at LUT University! My name is Olivia and I would like to welcome you on the behalf of LTKY, the student union of LUT.

You have probably heard already that the office of LTKY is where you can get the sticker for your student card and enjoy a cup of coffee in the lounge. However, we have a lot more to offer too.

The mission on the student union is to make the life of students better. LTKY organizes advocacy and lobbying of the students’ opinion on local and national levels. LTKY also runs Aalef ’s restaurants Yolo and Laseri as well as the small shop on campus’ main building. You can read about us in more details and see the several services we offer for students on LTKY website (ltky.fi). One of the main tasks of LTKY is to maintain and respect the student culture. At LUT there are nine guilds in total and more than 30 activity and hobby clubs. Finnish student culture is unique and interesting, and I really recommend getting involved in it. I would suggest joining your guild Cluster as well as ESN Lappeenranta, where you can find more international students. LTKY also organizes lots of activities and events together with the guilds and clubs.

In addition to studying, it is very important to have fun, enjoy life, and make a lot of memories while you are here. That’s why I would really recommend paying attention to all the extracurricular activities that LUT, LTKY and the guilds offer and make new friends along the way. From this point of view LUT is the perfect place; The majority of students live next to the campus or within twokilometer distance, creating lively community, where it is easy to make friends with other international and Finnish students as well.

Lastly I’d like to point out the beautiful scenery in Lappeenranta. I’m sure you will like that the campus is fully surrounded by nature; Trees, flowers and lake Saimaa. Relaxing and taking a little break is important and for that the nature is the the best place, in my opinion at least.

And to keep informed before and during your studies with news and also more humorous stuff, make sure to follow us in our social media! You can find us on Instagram @ltky_insta. Welcome to our community, enjoy your studies and make memories that will last for a lifetime!

Best wishes, Olivia

[Olivia is a member of LTKY’s board 2021. She takes care of wellness and sports of our students and is also in charge of international affairs.

Don’t hesitate to come say hello or ask questions!]

Greetings from the Fresher Captains Hi and welcome to your new life on the shores of Saimaa! We’re glad you chose Lappeenranta as your study destination and guarantee you won’t regret it.

We are Antti and Ari, the freshmen captains for all English-language degree students. You’ll recognize us in person from the multi-colored helmets we’ll be wearing throughout the year. The two of us will be working with you mostly during the orientation weeks, introducing the teekkari culture and Skinnarila spirit to you. We would love to elaborate on what those two strange words mean, but you’ll get to experience it first-hand on your arrival.

The first two weeks of orientation in August will familiarize you with the school faculty, the systems and online infrastructure of your studies (such as registering for your courses), the campus and its navigation. In addition to these there are several traditional events and excursions in the evenings organized on behalf of the school guilds (you’re reading the brochure of one of them!) and clubs, such as Erasmus student network (ESN) Lappeenranta. More info on these activities will be available closer to your arrival date as school and provincial covid regulations unfold.

We’re sure most of you will be experiencing a significant change in circumstances and culture as you settle down for your studies. That's where we come in! We’ll be working with your tutors to help integrate you into our student culture. If you need help with anything at all, even outside of school, feel free to ask us and your tutors, as we’ll gladly lend you a hand with anything you need.

We wish you a pleasant stay in Lappeenranta and will see you soon.

Best regards, Fresher captains Antti Karhunen and Ari Holahan

Cluster ry – Too Long; Didn’t Read Cluster ry is the oldest software engineering association/guild in Finland (35 years old, almost 36).

We represent the rights of our members within the student community and the industry of software engineering, when possible. We wear red overalls.

Social Media You can find us all around the world wide web: Website: https://cluster.fi/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusterry/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cluster_ry/ Joining the guild is done through our website. A membership fee of 15 € is required, which is used to finance your overalls.

Events Normally (read as: without corona), we organize several events for our members throughout your studies. For example: -

Visits to firms in the industry Sauna evenings Parties Industry events (Hackatons, workshops with partner firms) Sports or activities that resemble sports Excursions, i.e. student trips. May include visits to other universities/cities and anything else you may find on God’s green earth Sits, i.e. academic dinner parties, where you eat, drink, sing and have fun

Additionally, our close partner Ruut ry is a gaming club that organizes LAN-parties known as LAGfest twice a year, which have been famously popular for Cluster members.

Events will be organized this autumn as well, but not as generously and as opportunities allow.

Kiltis, i.e. the Guild Room Cluster owns a guild room (called kiltis in Finnish) located on the second floor of the student union building. It is an excellent place to meet other members of Cluster, along with your fellow students, and is used for general relaxation and gaming. The luckiest ones may even get to hear stories of the golden days of the university from senior members and get advice on what courses to choose and how to complete them.

The following can be found in kiltis: -

game consoles (PS4, Xbox One, Super Nintendo, PS2…) board games free coffee (!!!)

Appropriately priced drinks (1€/ cola-can) appropriate as well as inappropriate reading material workstations, with powerful desktops and software provided by the university

The cleanliness of the guild room is the common responsibility of all members. Golden rule: leave it as you would like to find it.

If you ever have questions or concerns regarding the guild room, contact kiltahuone@cluster.fi

Who’s Responsible?

Cluster is run by democratic system, where a board is elected every year by a general meeting and vote. The new board takes responsibility after New Year’s. In addition to the board there are several smaller, officer roles, which are offered to active members. You may nominate yourself for any and all roles. The board of 2021 can be found on the website, but we will be introducing ourselves to you separately during the orientation week.

Although some older member with big roles and titles (such as chair or treasurer) may seem intimidating and command authority, there is a strong “us”-bond in the guild and very little hierarchy present. Although older members do have at least n+1 more years of experience than you, you may feel free to address them as your equals, and they will treat you similarly.

Introductions Below is a row of names, which you will surely become familiar with as soon as school begins. In addition to these there will surely be several other active guild members around, who will always be interested in getting to know you better!

Chair Nimi: Teemu Kauranen Nickname: TepaXD (I use this almost everywhere -> Steam, PSN, Telegram, kyykkä-team) # of Screens: 2 (280hz and 60hz) Do you own land: I wish Info “A fourth year student from Järvenpää. I work as the chair of the guild this year and ensure that things are done as they should. I have previously occupied many other roles in the guild in addition to tutoring. If you EVER have any suggestions or questions, you may always come by to tug my red sleeve.”

Contact: pj@cluster.fi

Study Officer Name: Joonas Kukonlehto # of Screens: 3 (165hz and 2x 60hz) Do you own land: I DO! Info: “A third year student from Säkylä (Satakunta). As study officer I help you freshers with any studies related problems such as making your HOPS (personal study plan). I have previously been a fresher captain, as well as a tutor. Ask me anything if you ever feel the need to.”

Tutors Name: Robert Hämäläinen Nickname: Depends, you'll find me if you need to.

Do you own land: I don't own forests or any land, but not because I haven't tried. # of Screens: Three screens is the lowest and the largest usable number of screens.

Info: “I escaped Kirkkonummi only to spend the most of last year in a 14,5 m^2 cell in Lappeenranta.

You can spot me playing kyykkä in the Skinnarila Garden or near the firepits.”

Name: Tommi Kunnari Nickname: Tompparella # of Screens: Only two (I know, I'm basically a subhuman) Do you own land: Hell yeah brutha Info: “Some idiot from Lapland who grew up with a herd of reindeer. First time in a civilized society, so please excuse me if I accidentally lick your face while socializing. I spend my days programming shitty games and trying to pass courses.

Hit me up if you want to go sing karaoke!”

Name: Lisa Tereshchenko Nick: Lisa Screens: 2, one is for work and the other is for South Park Forest: I am a Queen in Russia Info: “Just a spontaneous girl from Vladivostok exploring the Finnish lands.

Find me swimming in the Saimaa lake or in Saint Petersburg”