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Dear Aalto students,

Spring term has begun under unusually wintry weather for Finland. On campus, however, the atmosphere is warm, and it is wonderful to see the enthusiasm – with maybe some nervous excitement – on people’s faces as the new term commences, and to hear the sounds of people’s voices and feel the ambiance of the new year.

Most of you have already done your planning for spring term well ahead of time and registered for courses according to your study plans. Multidisciplinarity at Aalto provides many interesting opportunities for learning about diverse fields and different perspectives. I trust you will make the most of these opportunities and find subjects to study that are meaningful and inspirational to you – including from among your elective study options. Browse the lists at courses.aalto.fi and explore the courses' contents with an open mind.

Interesting courses in languages and communication are also on offer through KiViTa (kivita.fi), a cooperative network of higher education institutions in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Or perhaps you would like to ponder fundamental questions about what constitutes the good life; you can delve into these in Frank Martela’s course, the Art of Living.

If your study plans are in good form, you might check out some other tools designed for studying, such as interesting ways to develop your study skills and develop as a learner (see Support for Studying | Aalto University).

Your studies this spring will include sunny days of joy and success when everything seems to be going your way. But there will also be days along the way when multiple deadlines fall due and figuring out what to do next seems difficult. You don't have to mull it over all on your own; you can contact one of us instead. For example, your own degree programme staff may help, and also the Starting Point of Wellbeing is there for you – just step up and get in touch with them. 

Aalto is a diverse community and we value each and every member. Every one of us can demonstrate this in our daily lives: by showing interest and friendliness towards each other, we can build bridges for our common collaborative work.

As the president said in his Christmas season letter: ‘It is crucial that here at Aalto, everyone can work and study safely regardless of their background, religion or political views. Our community includes students from 120 countries and almost one half of our academic staff comes from an international background. There are always many sides to any given matter and our community represents a vast variety of views. Let us all try to find common ground and appreciate each other's viewpoints.’

Wishing you a happy spring term with your studies. See you on campus!

Petri