Unfiltered Story #241783

(I’m an international student studying at a Finnish University for my master’s degree. In Finland, everyone has a personal ID number on an identity card. This includes foreigners that stay past 90 days, need or have visa, or generally need to operate for an extended period of time in Finland. About 2 days before orientation, I receive this email from the University.)

Admissions Officer: Hello, every foreign student must obtain a personal Finnish Identity Code. The Local Register Office is responsible for issuing the ID codes. You can either get it by visiting the office or apply for it during an on-campus pop up session. Even those with an ID code and residency permit still need to be registered as a foreigner. The folks from the office will be in the Student Center at [date 1] and [date 2]. If you can’t come to either of the dates or are in a hurry to get the ID Code, please visit the Local Register Office.
(Note: Both dates are over a week after the email, and after the orientation period. Less than 24 hours later, I receive a follow-up email)

Admissions Officer: Hello, Local Register Office contacted us and told that so many students have been visiting them that they are not able to handle all ID Code requests. The queue in the office is huge. For this reason they hope that students would wait for [dates] and come to the Student Center to obtain the ID code.
(Apparently, neither the University or the Registration office considered the sheer number of students that would require services. During orientation, degree areas and exchange areas are often crowded, with several students needing to stand for mandatory lectures. This doesn’t include crowding in public areas, such as admissions, student union, or the bathrooms. Hopefully this won’t be a problem after everyone is arranged into their classes.)