Since 2019 Student Guide is not updated.

Dear students, welcome (back) to Tartu, to the university, to study!

This summer, I came back to the university after ten years, and I feel a shiver of excitement. The university is a truly awesome place, with about 3,000 new students coming here every year.  What makes the university is the people, the discussions, the discoveries, the friends and the parties – the environment that with the spirit of the city, the university’s traditions and the high level of university teachers has been proved to be the best place in both Estonia and, actually, more widely.

The university welcomes you here and expects your active involvement! Good learning requires you to be brave, open and inquisitive, to be prepared for studying and to cooperate with both fellow students and teachers. Read and think of these and other principles of good learning in this booklet. You will find a lot of useful information here to make the most of this journey.

I was already at the end of my studies, when I came across a learning theory which showed I had learnt in a wrong way for the greater part of my studies – done things without actually understanding, drawing connections, or delving into the matter. That was a pity. Today’s students have much more experience. They are older and they work more, and one in every ten students comes from another country.

Dare to ask yourself whether you study what you need and whether you learn in such a way that you will benefit from it later. Ask yourself whether you get the most out of this wonderful opportunity. If in doubt, seek advice! We have tutors, teaching staff and support specialists at the institutes and counsellors and psychologists in the Office of Academic Affairs. Today, the university sincerely cares about good teaching and good learning. The university regards it important that the education you get here is top-level and useful – so you will not regret that the summer is over and the academic year is beginning.

We have experienced an unprecedented hot and beautiful summer – and the autumn will also be different this year. It will bring us the newly renovated library, the first parts of the new study information system will be completed shortly, and to appreciate good teaching, students will be the ones who elect the best teaching staff. Also the system of asking for student feedback will see changes.

There are many plans. I hope you have plans, too. Let’s make them happen!

Aune Valk
Vice Rector for Academic Affairs