At the end of the year, we conducted a METKA2026 survey to find out your views on METKA’s activities. The responses will be used to develop METKA’s activities in 2026. We received 35 responses in total, thank you to everyone who responded! Gift card draw winners have been notified personally. Three Christmas calendars were raffled off among METKA members who responded to the survey, and the winners have been notified personally.
General information
The respondents study fields divided as follows:
- Social and health 51,4 %
- Technology 34,3 %
- Culture 8,6 %
- Business 5,7 %
The respondents main campus:
- Myllypuro 60,0 %
- Myyrmäki 20,0 %
- Arabia 11,4 %
- Karamalmi 8,6 %
The respondents membership status:
- I have been a member throughout my studies 45,7%
- I am currently a member, but I have not been a member throughout my studies 5,7%
- I am not currently a member, but I have been a member in the past 11,4%
- I have never been a member of METKA 37,1%
What would make you join?
- More monetary benefits 0.00%
- More member-oriented benefits, such as member events 12.5%
- Cheaper membership 68.8%
- More improvement of the status of students at Metropolia or nationally 6.3%
- Something else 12.5%
Respondents were asked to choose between 1 and 3 of the 11 sectors they considered most important:
- Tutoring: 30,2 %
- Advocacy: 25,0 %
- Events: 18,8 %
- Interest group cooperation: 8,3 %
- Sports services: 5,2 %
- Clubs, METKA’s Speksi and other community activities: 5,2 %
- Member services (e.g. M-piste service point, stands, student card): 4,2 %
- Communications: 3,1 %
Most popular communication channels:
- Instagram 32,9 %
- Tuudo 21,1 %
- Screens on campuses: 14,5 %
- Members’ newsletter: 11,8 %
- Students’ Guide: 7,9 %
- METKA’s website: 5,3 %
- I don’t follow METKA on any channels: 2,6 %
- Jodel: 1,3 %
- TikTok: 1,3 %
- Facebook: 1,3 %
The most important areas of advocacy:
- Quality of teaching and teaching methods: 25.3%
- Working life and internships: 13.8%
- Student wellbeing services: 13.8%
- Student housing: 11.5%
- National advocacy: 8.0%
- Campus development: 6.9%
- Equality: 6.9%
- Health services (FSHS): 5.7%
- Personal advocacy, support, and counseling for students: 4.6%
- Public transport and city planning: 3.4%
Member benefits and services
88% have taken advantage of METKA’s member benefits. 35,3% have used METKA’s member services either online or in person.
Events
80% of respondents had participated in METKA events in 2025. We also asked what kind of events people would like to see more of:
- Community events where you can meet new people: 45.5%
- Member events that are worth the money: 18.2%
- I would like to see more non-alcoholic content at current events: 15.9%
- I don’t want more events, but rather benefits and discounts that can be used in everyday life: 11.4%
- Work-related events (excursions, after-work gatherings, and keynote speakers): 9.1%
Open feedback
What else did the METKA2026 survey reveal? In this section, we respond to some of the comments received through open feedback.
1. Online degree students should be better taken into account in operations
METKA recognizes this need. The number of online students is growing, and these needs must be better addressed in the future. Unfortunately, METKA’s resources are not sufficient for rapid changes, and therefore solutions will be somewhat delayed.
Tutoring is provided for online students, but METKA has not yet organized any actual online events. Unless it is a webinar or similar event, we feel that organizing a successful online event requires special expertise and resources that we do not yet have.
However, an event committee is being formed for METKA, which will free up our Board’s event coordinators’ time for this kind of development.
All students and courses are bound by the same rules. Therefore, it is not really possible to represent the interests of different types of degrees separately. Online degrees certainly have their own challenges, and we recommend that you always provide course feedback and, if necessary, contact METKA’s advocacy team. This is the only way to develop online pedagogy!
2. METKA introduces itself to new students, but many students in higher classes are unfamiliar with METKA’s activities
Info sessions are admittedly focused on orientation weeks for new students. However, all essential information can be found on our website at metkaweb.fi. We also communicate about our activities (events, tutor application period, advocacy tips, sports services, etc.) through many channels. Follow us on these channels to stay up to date with METKA’s activities:
- Instagram or Facebook
- Students’ Guide news
- News on our website (news is also updated on Tuudo)
If you are interested in our activities, feel free to contact METKA with any questions or inquiries!
3. More discounts, events, and club activities!
As in many other places, resources are also limited at METKA. METKA organizes a few events each year, but Metropolia’s 16 student associations also organize events. So if you are interested in events, there are some on offer every week! In principle, all events are aimed at every student, regardless of campus or degree.
However, members get access to Slice student card. Slice is a company that is constantly negotiating more benefits for students! Do you have an idea for a discount that Slice doesn’t offer yet? You should contact them directly!
Club activities are organized by the students themselves. Although METKA can support club activities, for example, by marketing them and, in certain cases, also financially, the initiative for club activities always comes from the students. So, gather together friends who are interested in the same topic (three people are enough to start a club) and contact METKA! Over the years, METKA has had a wine tasting club, a running club, an e-sports club, a chess club, a ball game club, a craft club, and many more! Club activities are often linked to the activity of a few students, and when they graduate from Metropolia, new club leaders are needed!
4. METKA’s communication channels need more accessible and casual content
Our content, especially on Instagram, is deliberately informative, but on TikTok the content is more casual. Follow METKA on TikTok. We aim to increase our use of TikTok so that our viewers can see more casual and fun (at least in our opinion) content!
5. Events should be advertised earlier and more frequently
Events are usually published as soon as all the relevant information has been confirmed and the event’s graphic designs are ready. Upcoming events can always be found on the front page of METKA’s website.
6. More concrete examples of advocacy are wanted, showing what has been achieved in this sector
Advocacy tends to be quite invisible unless you need it yourself. However, behind the scenes, METKA’s advocacy team handles students’ contacts throughout the year. The handling of these cases is based on trust, which is why it is not usually possible to communicate about them outside.
In addition to these cases, however, we do a lot of other things that we can talk about much more openly! One area of advocacy is lobbying. We strive to influence e.g. legislative changes affecting students by writing statements on them. We are also involved in the revision of Metropolia’s most important documents, such as the Degree Regulations. You can read our statements and opinions on METKA’s website. We also share lots of tips on social media on how students can protect their own rights!
7. The transfer of business degrees to Myllypuro campus raises concerns
METKA is also concerned about the adequacy of the facilities. We are under the impression that the teaching facilities have been calculated to be sufficient, but we are particularly concerned about the functioning of the cafeteria. Even now, there are already extremely long queues at the cafeteria during the most popular lunch times. The gradation of lunch breaks helps a little, but the biggest peak is still between morning and afternoon classes.
The news of the transfer of business students to the Myllypuro campus in the autumn 2026 came as a surprise to METKA as well. However, we will strive now, and especially next autumn, to address any challenges that this change may cause.
8. Event prices have gone up
It is an unfortunate fact that prices are rising everywhere. The deterioration of students’ financial situation and the rising costs of organizing events are a constant balancing act. Events help us to some extent to improve our financial situation, but at the same time we strive to keep the prices of events attractive and affordable.
However, organizing quality events comes at a cost. Overall patches, checkpoint passes, wristbands, and other concrete purchases all cost money. In addition, we purchase supplies for the first aid kit, food for event volunteers, and various other items such as tape, trash bags, rope, and even a generator. Those famous portable toilets would cost hundreds of euros, and on the other hand, the cloakroom fee included in the ticket price to ensure smooth queuing at the bar always increases ticket prices.
Organizing events is therefore a balancing act and a matter of trying out different options to get the price-quality ratio right!
9. A summary of METKA’s activities is wanted for METKA’s communication channels
Ask and you shall receive! We will begin publishing METKA’s monthly recap, in which we will highlight a few concrete things that have been done during the month. These may include, for example, meetings with Metropolia staff, the number of advocacy cases, and events organized.
METKA’s finances and membership fee
In the past, about half of Metropolia’s students were members of METKA. As a result, the activity was broader in scope, more permanent in many ways, and more predictable. The student card and benefits were available only via buying the student unions membership.
In 2015, the Ministry of Education and Culture decided to create a data register that collects information related to all Finns’ studies and from which students can check their own student status. Since the student identifier could be presented through the Virta service, METKA’s Representative Council made a decision in 2018 to make the student identifier available to all students. This led to a decline in membership numbers and, at the same time, an increase in the membership fee.
Membership fees
The amount of the membership fee is not arbitrary; rather, it is based on calculations and forecasts of how much funding METKA requires to operate effectively. For example, the membership fee (44€) for the current academic year consists of:
- Maintaining operations: 31,2€
- National Union of Students in Finland (SAMOK): 6,1€
- Finnish Student Sports Federation (OLL): 0.60€
- World Student Capital (WSC): 0,10€
- Membership register: 6€
Income and expenses
Income 2025
- Financial ja cooperation agreements 55 %
- Events 20 %
- Membership fees 22 %
- Other 4 %
*) The numbers are rounded and may vary slightly over the course of the year, due to the income and expenses being counted before completion of the financial statements of 2025.
The most funding comes from the financing and cooperation agreement. This refers to the funding received from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. In addition, METKA receives funds from event revenues. Currently, METKA does not receive any project grants, as there are no ongoing projects at the moment.
Membership fees account for approximately 10-15% of METKA’s annual revenue, depending on the year. On the other hand, they play a key role in determining the scope of activities METKA can organise: do we only carry out statutory tasks, or do we do more?
Expenses
- Personnel costs 57 %
- Administration 14 %
- Activities 7 % (advocacy, tutoring, communications, interest groups)
- Events 13 %
- Board and Representative Council Chairpersons’ rewards 9 %
*) The numbers are rounded and may vary slightly over the course of the year, for instance due to changes in personnel.
The largest portion of the funds is spent on employee salaries. METKA currently has six (6) persons who receive monthly salary. Personnel are trained specialists in their respective fields and play a crucial role in ensuring the continuity of activities. The board changes annually, and getting acquainted with its responsibilities requires time. The personnel support the board members throughout the entire year.
The Board and the chairpersons of the Representative Council receive a reward for their trustee position, but the amount is not comparable to the salary. The trustees study more or less normally, and possibly also go to work.
In addition, money is spent on running all activities, such as banking services and telephones. METKA is also a member of SAMOK and the Finnish Student Sports Federation. These organizations are paid an annual fee based on the number of METKA members.
Thanks for reading this far! Feedback and ideas can be given all year round, for example by e-mail metka@metkaweb.fi or with Metku Mail form.
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