As Christmas and the end of the year approach, one cannot help but once again marvel at the passage of time.
For many generations we have grown accustomed to thinking that time is something measured by a clock, and that it does not pass quickly or slowly, no matter how it may feel.
And yet, perhaps everyone has at some point experienced how time seems to pass either slowly or quickly. When you’re having fun, time flies, and when you’re eagerly waiting for something, time seems to slow down.
Did you know that Einstein’s theory, which among other things proposed that time passes more slowly near a large mass and at high speed, was later proven correct thanks to improved measurement techniques? So, time is not just the straightforward ticking of a second hand or a digital display. This also means that it doesn’t make sense to ask, for example, what is happening “right now” on some distant planet, because time is not universally the “same.”
For everyday life, the traditional concept of time works just fine, but as Christmas approaches, we are no longer dealing with the everyday. What could be the great mass or the tremendous speed that, during Christmas, might make time feel as if it stops or at least slows down?
Time has indeed felt like it has flown by for me this year as well. Has it been fun then, since time has passed so quickly again? Well, not always, but often enough, although various clouds have gathered in the student housing world, especially as the state has dramatically cut support for the construction and renovation of student housing, particularly for the year 2027, as far ahead as we can see. TYS is a non-profit foundation operating on a cost-price principle; it has not sought profit, nor has it accumulated a large capital reserve for much-needed future projects.
Despite this, we have been preparing new construction and renovation projects, primarily the Kylänkulma project to be built on the eastern side of the Student Village, as well as the start of renovation on the western side of the Village, beginning with block 1. There are other needs for new construction as well, as the number of students and applicants has increased, and at the same time TYS’s properties unfortunately age by one year every year, leading to a large demand for renovations. According to Einstein’s theory, we should build the houses closer to an even greater mass than the Earth and send them off at ultrahigh speed so they wouldn’t age…
There has indeed been plenty of activity and bustle. This year too, TYS’s staff has successfully served our customers and tenants excellently. In repeated customer surveys we continue to receive an overall customer service rating of over 4 (on a scale of 0–5), and the average feedback score from apartment visits is over 8 (on a scale of 0–10).
As I write this in early December, TYS customer service has received over 28,000 contacts and more than 4,600 phone calls since the beginning of the year; nearly 7,000 customers have visited the office; over 12,000 applications for apartments have been submitted; nearly 4,000 housing offers have been made; and more than 2,600 new rental agreements have been signed.
We do not keep statistics on the customer, partner and other interactions handled by TYS’s property and financial service teams, so with those included, the overall numbers for TYS are significantly higher.
Warm thanks to everyone working at or with TYS, our partners and our tenants, for the past year!
This Christmas again, we support our partner, the Finnish Red Cross, in helping Ukraine.
Merry Christmas—let’s allow time to slow down just a bit!
Risto Siilos, CEO of TYS
