Wellbeing tutoring project

The Finnish Student Health and Wellbeing Survey (KOTT) - conducted every four years - was last realised in February-April 2021 when more than 6,200 students in universities and universities of applied science completed it. “The study is used to investigate higher education students’ physical and mental health, lifestyle, perceived wellbeing, and social relations and the factors affecting these, and the students’ ability to study and related support needs,” the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) describes on its website.The latest research shows that one out of four university students feel lonely. At the same time, one out of four university students do not feel that they belong to any study-related group, such as a class, study group, subject society, department/unit or the like.

To combat these challenges, the Student Union of the University of Oulu (OYY) operates the wellbeing tutoring with funding awarded by the Ministry of Education and Culture in 2021 as part of special grants to support the wellbeing of university students. The purpose of the special grants is to organise activities that alleviate loneliness, provide low-threshold services, and support students' life management.

The aim of the wellbeing tutoring is for students to guide and help each other. Hobbies and stimuli are organised in three different categories: culture tutoring, skill and knowledge tutoring, and sport tutoring. Thus, students are offered a wide range of sports, knowledge and skills, and culture, including both activities organised with own resources and attractive experiences outside one’s own study community - mostly at reduced prices or with special opening hours.It's a way of helping local and international students find new friends and discover new hobbies.