Author: Guestblogger (Page 3 of 19)

Hello! To go along with my Instagram post I am going to tell you a bit about my experience with finding private housing in Uppsala using Uppsala Bostadsförmedling

note: this is just my experience using it and perhaps it is different than yours

What is Uppsala bostadsförmedling?
It is essentially a nation wide housing queue that attempts to make housing an easy and accessible process for everyone living in Uppsala municipality. 

Once you join the housing queue (which costs 305sek per year) you are able to put your name on waiting lists for different housing options. The longer you are in the queues, the more points you will acquire and therefore you will be in higher priority for housing. 

How to join?
It’s very easy. You just need to sign up on the website using your email address (you can also use your person number if you have one- or add it to your profile once you are here and have one)

You can pay using any type of bank account even if it’s international

NOTE: Make sure to sign up as a student! This gives you access to student only housing and also means that if you sign a contract your housing queue position is unaffected

What next?
You can search for different housing options within Uppsala, such as the amount of rooms, size in m2, price of rent. From then you can ‘express interest’ and join the specific waitlist for that housing option. 

Often there are many people joining the wait lists and some people maybe have been in the queue a lot longer than you but don’t give up hope! Just keep applying to everything you can and eventually you will get lucky. 

My tip would be to apply for as many places as you can, even if it isn’t your dream home. Once you have a place you can continue to apply to more places and move once you get here but it’s better to have somewhere to live than no where to live

Types of contracts:

1: Permanent Contracts 

2: Short term contracts

A permanent contract essentially means that the house is your house, and will be until you decide to move out. In most cases you will not be asked to leave by the rental agency at any point and you can do what you want with the house. If you want to cancel your contract/move out you need to give three months notice. 

A short term contract is a month to month contract where the rental agency is allowed to cancel the contract with only one months notice. This is normally due to planned renovations in the area. This contract also means that you, as the renter, only have to give one months notice if you want to move out. 

My personal experience:
I joined the housing queue in November, before I even knew whether I would be accepted into Uppsala just so I could accumulate as many queue points as possible. I also moved to Uppsala with my best friend and we both joined the queue at the same time. 

As soon as I got my acceptance from Uppsala we started seriously looking at the houses and thought about when we wanted to move (as I am from the UK I needed to get a visa, and the visa states the earliest I was allowed to move to Sweden was the 1st of August). 

It was around about the end of April that I started applying for houses with a move in date in july/august. 

It wasn’t until the first week of June that we secured the number one spot on a waitlist for an apartment. This apartment required an in person viewing but obviously as I was not yet in Sweden, I contacted StudentBoet to ask them if they could attend on my behalf. They agreed and went to the viewing and filmed the apartment for me free of charge. (Note; not all houses require in person viewings, only a few). 

We then confirmed that we wanted the house via Uppsala Bostadsförmedling and we were then put in touch with Rikshem (a rental agency) who we eventually signed our contract with. This apartment was a short term contract. 

We had to sign our contract in person but luckily we were visiting Sweden at the end of June and were able to take the short train ride to Uppsala to sign the contract. (Note: Many places will allow you to digitally sign your contract)

Our contract started on the 1st of July, so we did have to pay a month of rent before we officially moved to Uppsala on August 1st. We did this because  we didn’t want to wait too long and not have anywhere to live so decided it was for the best.

That is essentially my housing story but it differs for each person so do as much research as you can!

I hope this was somewhat helpful. If you have any questions you can ask me, but also Google was my best friend and I found out all the information I needed by googling or contacting the companies directly. There are a lot of resources online which are helpful. I recommend using youtube, reddit and even tiktok to find tips and tricks that perhaps official sources don’t make clear!

For a few years now, going to museums has been one of my favourite things to do. Whenever I’m travelling, I feel it’s the best way to get to know the city or country I’m visiting. This goes for both art and history museums. It’s a great thing to do whenever you are tired of walking outside, if the weather is not that good, or if you want to spend some time enjoying your own company or having interesting conversations with others. Whenever I’m back home, I like going to museums because they feel like a little vacation to me. It’s as if day-to-day life was halted for a few hours when I can treat myself to a little break. After living here for a semester, Uppsala already feels like home to me, which means it’s time to think about where to go for a little in-city vacation.

Sweden has many incredible museums, most of them in Stockholm. Over the last semester, I’ve visited the National Museum (Nationalmuseet) and the Vasa Museum (Vasamuseet), which is probably one of the most impressive historical museums I’ve ever visited. However, visiting museums in Stockholm involves two extra costs: transportation and TICKETS. Yes, all the museums I’ve visited in Stockholm had quite pricy entrance tickets, even for youth and students :’(

But if you are a museum enthusiast like me living in Uppsala or thinking about moving here, don’t get your hopes down just yet! Over the last months, I’ve discovered some fascinating museums in Uppsala. In this text, I want to talk a bit more about two of them, both of which are free: the Bror Hjorths Hus and the Uppsala Konstmuseum. They are both free, close to the city centre and have really interesting art from Sweden and other neighbouring countries.

1. BROR HJORTHS HUS

Where? Norbyvägen 26, Uppsala
When? Thursday-Sunday from 12h to 16h
How much? FREE ENTRANCE

Bror Hjorth was a famous Swedish artist known mostly for his sculptures but also for producing many paintings. Although he was born in the Northern part of the Upland region, Bror Hjorth settled in Uppsala, where he built his atelier and lived the last years of his life. His work can be found all around Sweden, in some of its most important museums, but also in public monuments, buildings, and churches, among other sites. After his death in 1968, his house and atelier were converted into a museum, opened in 1978, which was later expanded to include another area for temporary exhibits.

Out of the two museums I’m talking about in this post, this was for sure my favourite! Bror Hjorth has a very unique style, mixing techniques, materials, colours or the lack thereof. I specifically liked the human figure sculptures and the large colourful panels he made for various churches around Sweden. Although I’m not the biggest fan of religious art, I think his simple but distinctive representations of people, using very vibrant colours, made for a much-needed relief in the middle of the cold grey and white Swedish winter.

In addition to getting to see Bror Hjorth’s own work and visit his house and atelier, the museum also hosts temporary exhibitions. When I went there, it was the opening of a photography exhibit. It showed very Swedish themes set in very different parts of the country and under drastically different weather conditions. It was interesting to see the difference in aesthetics between a cold winter night up North in Kiruna and a hot summer day in the suburbs of Stockholm. The additional exhibition was also free and I’d say it’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for when they are opening a new exhibit. You might be lucky enough to get some cookies, candy, and drinks for free 😉

Uppsala Konstmuseum

Where? Drottning Christinas väg 1E, Uppsala (inside the Castle)
When? Tue-Wed 11-17h; Thu 11-20h; Fri-Sun 11-17h
How much? FREE ENTRANCE

The second museum I visited in Uppsala was the Uppsala Konstmuseum (Uppsala Art Museum). It is located in a very privileged position: inside Uppsala Slottet (the Castle), one of the landmarks of the city. Sitting atop the highest hill in the city, going to this museum also ensures you’ll get some amazing views of the city centre and the countryside surrounding it. Visiting the Castle itself and enjoying the views would already be enough to convince anyone to take the walk there, but the fact that it also hosts the Art Museum makes it an even better plan for in-city tourism.

The museum is located in one of the corners of the Castle and beside the exhibits, it also has a Bar and Café, as well as a museum shop. I got to see pieces of the museum’s permanent collection, including mostly Swedish and Finnish artists. All pieces were curious in their own way, whether beautiful, intriguing, or disturbing, all of them got you thinking about something, which is after all the purpose of art. Unfortunately, when I visited it in January, one of the floors was closed, so I didn’t get to visit all of the permanent exhibits. However, I also heard that the curators are constantly rotating the pieces shown, so each visit is likely to be a unique experience.

The museum seems to be mostly focused on modern and contemporary art, with the temporary exhibits being located on the top floor. When I was there, there was one exhibit by Swedish painter Ingvil Stille which was super interesting. She combines very organic shapes relating to sunlight and shadows with deeply moving portraits, mostly of her family members. According to the program, she is not a lesser-known artist and that is the reason why she was recognized by the Upland’s Art Association as the Artist of the Year in 2023, leading to her work being presented in the Konstmuseum. I think it was a very well-deserved award, as I was very touched by her work and I was glad to see it in such a beautiful museum.

Finally, the remainder of the last floor included other modern and contemporary art pieces. It mixed videos, interactive pieces, as well as paintings in a very captivating way. Furthermore, it was from this floor that you have the best view of the areas around the Castle (see the picture of the Cathedral earlier ^^). Some pieces on this floor were more on the… provocative side of contemporary art, so to speak. Some of them included nudity and other themes which may be sensitive or triggering to some people. Everything is indicated before you enter specific rooms, but I’d advise people who are commonly affected by these themes to be aware of that.

To conclude, I highly recommend visiting both museums! They are unique and special in their own ways and can be a great program for a weekend day, either on your own or with company. Moreover, it’s always good to recognize and support free museums. Visiting them and showing that the community is interested in and engaged with these spaces helps politicians see that free cultural activities are essential for its citizens. As a final message: Support your local museums, support your local artists!

Fika, a term deeply embedded in Swedish culture, goes beyond being just a coffee break; fika gives this rather reserved culture a chance to open up with each other and talk. Originating as a time for relaxation with coffee and snacks, Fika has evolved into a meaningful tradition fostering connections in both academic and professional settings.

The important part isn’t the coffee or even the sweet treat, it’s the valuable time spent connecting with others.

To Swedes, fika is something of a ritual. It does typically involve coffee and a sweet pastry, but just as important is the decision to take a deliberate break from your day with others. It’s a chance to relax and enjoy social connection with family, friends, or colleagues. Fika provides a reliable avenue for creating connections, whether it’s getting to know a new acquaintance, bonding with friends, or networking with colleagues. The Fika break becomes an ideal moment to initiate conversations and build relationships, creating a conducive environment for meaningful connections.

During lectures is very common my friends and I take a break and go for some fika. Both students and teachers embrace Fika breaks between lectures, offering a chance to stretch one’s legs, grab a cup of coffee, and engage in casual interactions. Initially perceived as a potential distraction, Fika breaks have been a good way for refreshing the mind, connecting with peers, and even seeking clarification on academic matters.

What constitutes Fika? Typically, it involves coffee and some type of pastry. However, Fika is an inclusive practice; whether you opt for tea, hot chocolate, or even a glass of water, the emphasis lies in coming together. Regardless of your choice—pastries, fruits, nuts, or nothing at all—the essence of Fika is about connecting in a way that suits you, breaking barriers and making connections while embracing diverse preferences.

Now, let me share some tips and classic fika pastries for you to try:

Princess cake (prinsesstårta):
This globe-shaped layer cake is a well-balanced affair, consisting of a light-as-air sponge cake base topped with vanilla pastry cream and lashings of fluffy whipped cream. This deliciousness is enrobed in green marzipan, often with a pink marzipan rose as the crowning glory.

Kladdkaka (Sticky chocolate cake):
Kladdkaka, which translates to “sticky cake”, is a delicious chocolate cake with a rich flavor balanced perfectly with whipped cream and/or fresh berries.

Semla:
My favorite of the season! A small, wheat flour bun, flavored with cardamom and filled with almond paste and whipped cream, an icon in Sweden.

Kanelbulle (cinnamon bun):
Last but not least, the cinnamon bun (‘kanelbulle’) has a definite place in the fika hall of fame. You won’t have to look hard for it in Sweden, this classic is served up in most cafés and bakeries.

As you embark on your Swedish academic journey, embrace Fika as more than just a break; consider it a gateway to meaningful connections. From networking opportunities to fostering friendships, Fika acts as a bridge bringing people together. So, whether you’re sipping coffee, tea, or enjoying a snack of your choice, remember that Fika is your invitation to connect, share, and create lasting memories.

The next time someone says, “Let’s go for a Fika,” you’ll know exactly what to do…

The way you feel when you’re packing your bags the week before leaving for a whole new country is so overwhelming. You’re excited yet so nervous, jumping between telling your mother not to cry when she misses you to being on the verge of tears yourself because you’re going away for such a long time.

In my case, I was leaving for two whole years. It sounds like a lot, doesn’t it?

But here I am now, and I’ve only just managed to blink twice and somehow most of my time in Uppsala is over. I have barely five months left before I graduate (if my thesis gets done on time, and I’m hopeful that it will be), and judging by how the past year and a half have gone by, five months is nothing.

I think about it really often nowadays – the fact that I am leaving. I think about it as I wake up in my room in Flogsta, as I cook in the kitchen I’ve shared with so many other students over the past semesters, as I travel in buses and look out the window at a landscape I have now come to think of as a normal part of my life, as I marvel at the way the snow sparkles under street lights at night. I think about leaving often because while it is so sad, I want to make the most of every living, breathing moment I get here because coming to Uppsala and being a student here was by far one of the most novel, transformative, and beautiful experiences of my whole life, so far.

You expect so much when you know you’re going to a new country to study, but the final experience is always so much more than what you could have imagined, and it is also so much more than the sum of its parts. For me, Uppsala was the first place where I felt truly independent. It was the closest I got to “running my own house” what with doing all my own chores, keeping a budget, buying all my own groceries, decorating my space the way I wanted to, and pretty much managing every aspect of my life. Coming from India, where our lives are way more family-centric, all of this was so new to me, and even though it didn’t take long to get used to it, I can feel it in my bones that it is going to be difficult to go back and undo this independence as I move back home after I graduate.

But, despite knowing that it will be difficult, I am so glad and grateful that Uppsala taught me to be independent because my entire perspective on new experiences has changed. I no longer feel even half the fear and anxiety I would feel because if I could radically change what my life looked like in a country with no support at the start, and be responsible for every move I made, I can do a lot more than I think, and I am way more capable that I believe.

I remember having a heartfelt conversation with a friend I made in my first year here, as she neared the end of her one-year exchange. She was from Japan, and Sweden gave her just as much of a culture shock as it gave me. We sat in the warmth of the late-setting sun, at the wobbly kitchen table of our Flogsta corridor. Her knees tucked under her chin, she spoke about how difficult it would be to go back and re-adjust to a place where she didn’t feel as much freedom. While I empathized with her, I didn’t feel the extent of her words, perhaps because I still had a year left to contend with the same idea. But now, the depth of her words is certainly felt in my body.

But just as I am grateful, so was she. Uppsala gave us freedom, responsibility, accessibility, courage, safety, and nothing can undermine the growth and learning we have encountered and embodied here. 

Even the way I approach relationships has changed. Being able to meet and get close to people from so many different countries has been such a rewarding experience. I think an experience like this does something to you; not only are you more open to people with vastly different histories, you are also left more capable of using this openness to create something really lovely. A lot of people I made friends with did not have English as their first language, and the way we built our ways of understanding each other and making space for each other is nothing short of beautiful. Our languages evolved together in our little circles, as inside jokes and shared memories transcended culture to create our own. Things like being patient, loving, sharing, and caring take precedence over first-level understanding of someone else’s tongue.

As a student of Philosophy (Aesthetics), I’ve seen how my personal research interests have evolved so much here, with my assignments and ideas for future research circling around love and empathy in politically helpful ways. I can clearly see how the relationships I’ve garnered in my time in Uppsala have inspired a lot of that, with my personal life and my academic life running parallel to one another in a way that feels so fulfilling.

All of this to say that I owe the person I am today to the time I was gifted in Uppsala. While I feel relieved that I still have one last semester here, I know it will go by so fast, and I intend the make the absolute most of it. But I am sure that if the past year and a half could change me so hugely, my last five months have a lot in store too and despite knowing I will miss this experience terribly; I can’t wait to see what I learn!

Hello! This is Yasmin from Indonesia. I am a Master of Entrepreneurship (1 year program) student at Uppsala University. This time I would like to share some interesting valuable insights about Uppsala’s open innovation ecosystem that supports future entrepreneurs or may inspire your future career after graduation or while your study! This information is gathered through my course experience and some personal research.

During my studies I learn so much about entrepreneurship from theory down to practical things. Things that you may expected from an Entrepreneurship program such as Identifying opportunities, create business plan, pitching ideas, etc. But the reality is, there’s so much more than what is teached in the class and it’s only possible by doing and put things into practice. Meaning, actually try to run a real business.

However, I personally not someone who aspire to become an entrepreneur (yet). But I always wanted to help more startups or any kind of corporation to succeed in the future by keep being innovative and have access to open innovation. The truth is, a business cannot run properly only by business/economy major related people. At some point, it needs diversification from other various disciplines to make it possible. Unfortunately, not everyone has an access to learn how to build a business to get confident in starting something. 

Which is why I feel like the least I can do is to share this knowledge about Uppsala entrepreneurial scene in order to bring more awareness to more variety of people who may get inspired to build or contribute to something in the future.

As we all know Sweden has a long history of innovation which is also supported by the government and the academic scene. One of them is via start-up investment and support programs in many ways. You may have heard about start-up companies and some inspiring stories of them from ground zero to success, having great vision and solving problems to make the world a better place with their innovation and solutions. You may think that it’s only for ‘business/ entrepreneur major oriented people’. Well, the truth is, everyone needs everyone from various backgrounds to chip in and contribute to make things work. It’s only right to at least be aware of how open innovation works (in this case in Uppsala), see where you may be able to contribute or support, and share with more people who may get inspired to step further in building their start-up.

A start-up does not always have to come up with a revolutionary innovation. Anything that solves a problem or creates a possible demand in the future is acceptable. Moreover, Uppsala’s start-up support ecosystem is well-integrated. They exist to help more businesses to grow and succeed. Some of them even specialize in sustainability matters. Here are some institutions in Uppsala that will accompany a start-up from ideation down to growth, funding stages, and so on. Some of them are fully run by universities or the government, some are also partially run and funded by the private sector and venture capital as illustrated in this picture:

Source: Presentation from ALMI

• UU Innovation https://www.uuinnovation.uu.se/

The closest institution you can access anytime as Uppsala student for free is UU Innovation. They are fully provided by the University to support any student in exploring possibilities of building their own business or innovation. They provide business coaching and networks for future early funding and free grants to test out ideas. If your idea of a product requires some specific machinery, tools, or further research to build your prototype, it’s the best place to ask for further access and recommendations. It could also help you to reach out some of Uppsala researchers who may be interested in your business ideas. They have gathering events like networking parties and business idea workshops to inspire more students in their entrepreneurial journey!

• Drivhuset https://uppsala.drivhuset.se/

Same purpose as UU Innovation focusing on early-stage startup from Ideation phase down to early pre seed-funding. You can book a business coaching or consultation for free as a student. They also have their own affordable open-office space near the central station. Drivhuset operates in a wider region of Uppsala meaning that you may encounter a broader network of people and resources outside Uppsala University and not just students. It’s a great way to understand how Uppsala and Sweden’s open innovation works for a beginner and get inspired to start your own business.

What makes them unique is, that they have a program called “Team-Up” for start-ups to showcase their business to the people and do some kind of talent matchmaking. It’s like a job fair but for start-ups! If you already have a business and looking for a talent, you can also reach them. Moreover, they have a regular monthly event called “Breakfast Club” where everyone can mingle, network, and listen to one inspiring entrepreneur sharing their stories.

• ALMI https://www.almi.se/

Once you are looking to scale your business further, ALMI is one place to go. It is 100 percent owned by the Swedish state. They provide business development consultation, financing, and access to bigger funding of venture capital and a broader network across Sweden and the Nordics. This applies to businesses in the start-up phase as well as established companies with high growth potential and a scalable business concept that seeks improvement.

My Experience on Team Up Event by Drivhuset, November 2023

I attended Drivhuset Team-Up 2023 event last November and there were a lot of start-ups from digital services, medical tech, blockchain, and even non-digital startups that work on sustainable products and services. It’s a good way to understand more about the company and look for any job opportunities in an early start-up if that interests you.

Some insights that I got from the event: Some start-ups do not openly post their opening in popular job posting (such as Linked In, Glassdoor, The Hub, etc). The reason being is that many of them are looking for talent based in Uppsala and close to the network itself as most of them are founded in Uppsala and prefer hybrid/ offline work arrangements. Since many of them are early-stage startups that recently got funded and are ready to scale their business further, they are still around less than 10 employees on average. I could ask questions and chat directly with the start-up founders, exchange ideas and contact in this event which is a super valuable experience. 

The most popular job openings are software engineers as many of the start-ups are still in the product enhancement phase on their platform or mobile application. Another popular opening is digital marketing and business development whether it’s for internship, part-time, or even full-time. But don’t be bummed if you don’t find a suitable role, sometimes you can also propose a new role suitable for your preferred job role for internship perhaps as everything is usually in an open discussion manner. Some interesting start-ups are also looking for Master thesis student to help their business research in exchange for master’s thesis topics and credit. These types of openings are usually for high-innovation tech startups that looking for more researchers in various fields of expertise like medicine, mechanical engineering, machine learning, and more! What is more astonishing is that some start-ups even looking for a potential C-level manager and co-founder in exchange for future shares and stock options for those who are interested.

Summary:

The opportunities are endless needless to say. I was just as surprised that Uppsala has this kind of supportive ecosystem which we can benefit as students by being involved and getting to know more about it in a very accessible way. You don’t necessarily have the ambition to be a start-up founder yourself to get involved. But I think it’s the best way to understand how open innovation works in Uppsala and Sweden in general and see if you can contribute and learn more from them outside your class while you study in Uppsala.

Here are things to be remembered:

I hope this blog inspires you to explore more about the entrepreneurial scene in Uppsala and Sweden in general! Cheers

//Yasmin

Before arriving in Sweden, I was aware of the differences in the educational and grading systems. During the introductory seminars, current international students shared their journeys of adapting to the Swedish system. I was surprised by the number of international students who faced challenges and even failed in their initial periods. Frankly, I was nervous that I might encounter a similar situation.

Grading scale at Uppsala University

In Mexico, many of us grow up with this fear of failure, leading young students to mainly focus on memorization rather than truly understanding concepts. Progressing from one grade to another often involves memorizing concepts that tend to fade over time. Let me be clear—I am grateful for the education I received. Mexico has great universities and amazing teachers who inspired me with their passion and love for science. However, my experiences in Sweden have unveiled a contrasting approach: here, the emphasis is on genuine learning, placing the focus on individuals to take responsibility for their learning journey rather than solely on the grade received in an exam. Each faculty at Uppsala University decides on their own grading scale. My programme in Uppsala has the grading system is G 3 (passed), 4, 5, or U (fail). Most of the time, achieving a 3 requires getting 50% or more of the points correct in the exam. For a 4, it’s between 70-85, and for a 5, it’s 86-100. Receiving a ‘U’ allows a chance for a retake without the need to retake the entire course or pay extra fees. The concept of retakes might be negatively viewed in Mexico, often accompanied by additional fees and limitations on achieving a grade higher than 70, which is the passing grade in Mexico.

My first exams

My first exams were last October, and I have now received all the grades from them. But before I share how it went, let me describe how the exams were. I took three courses during my initial period as a new Uppsala master student. They were demanding, and I soon realized the necessity of investing considerable time in studying for them. I started studying a month in advance. While exams in Mexico are usually one or two hours long, realizing that exams here spanned five hours left me in a panic. The exam halls are approximately 30 minutes away from the city center by bus, so I had to wake up very early and catch the bus to get there. The exam halls are spacious rooms filled with computers, creating an intimidating atmosphere, and you often take the exam alongside students from different programs. There’s a bathroom available, and you can access it as many times as needed. Additionally, you’re allowed to bring your own food, water, coffee, or any other necessary items. Your phone and belongings remain outside in lockers. Initially, I doubted my ability to remain focused and seated for the full five hours, but the state of stress and adrenaline made time fly by.

Is passing enough?

I passed all my exams, but upon receiving my grades, I experienced mixed feelings. Back home, achieving a good grade is the result of one’s effort, but here, despite pushing myself hard, I barely passed or managed to get a 4 (75-85). It felt like settling for just passing. When I shared my feelings with my Swedish classmates, they all tried to explain that in Sweden, passing is more than sufficient. It took the reassurance of the tenth person to finally calm me down. I needed that reminder of how challenging it is to be an international student—learning in a different language, in a different system, far from home, and in my case, studying completely new topics from what I pursued during my bachelor’s degree. I needed to remind myself to be kind to myself and to prioritize genuine understanding and finding my path for future work.

Enjoy learning!

Consequently, I’ve decided to stop comparing myself with others, to adjust my goals, and focus on a different type of learning—a journey where I embrace the process and enjoy learning, rather than pressuring myself for an elusive perfect score (a ‘5’). I’m now concentrating on relishing the experience of pursuing my master’s at a remarkable university in the beautiful city of Uppsala.

My advice for you is to remember that you’re doing fine. Focus on your goals, take deep breaths, and appreciate the process while prioritizing your mental health. A grade doesn’t define your worth or capability.

Around the end of November, winter weather truly starts to kick in around Uppsala. The nights are long, the days are short, it gets colder, more icy, and more snowy. Sounds like a perfect recipe for the “winter blues” to hit you, right? Not on Sweden’s watch!

As you probably know, the Swedes really enjoy exercising. The gyms are always full, and there are always people running, cycling or Nordic walking, which is something I was introduced to when I moved here. The Swedes are also known for their love of being outdoors: hiking, camping, cross-country skiing, they do it all with a little help from Allemansrätten. But most of these activities require some sort of specific equipment which can be very pricey sometimes. So what do you do if you just moved here, if you didn’t bring your gear or actually never owned it, and if you don’t feel like spending the money to try something out just once? That’s where my favourite Swedish institution so far comes in: Fritidsbanken. Literally “Free Time/Leisure Bank”

Fritidsbanken is a project that started in 2013 in Värmland (the region in Western Sweden, not the Student Nation). Its purpose is to serve as a library for sports and outdoor equipment. You just go there, find whatever gear you are looking for, give them your name and a (Swedish) phone number, and you get to take anything home on a 14-day loan. The best part? It is all completely free! Fritidsbanken is financed and supported by the Swedish Sports Confederation and other Swedish institutions. They also rely on equipment donations, which help them make sure that access to all their goods is free for all.

My friends and I went there searching for ice skates, but I was legitimately impressed with the amount of things they had when I walked in there. From skis to hiking backpacks, badminton rackets to footballs, ski boots, helmets, goggles, they have a variety of sizes and styles. I wear size 44 shoes, which I think is the most common shoe size for men here in Sweden, and they still had at least 6 pairs of skates I could choose from.

After trying out the skates and finding a pair that fit me, I just had to check out. But before that, I had an internal debate about whether I should take anything else. Maybe a helmet, since I had only skated 4 times before in my life and never really learned how to. Maybe some Ice Hockey or Bandy equipment in case I felt like trying out some typically Swedish winter sports. I ended up settling on taking only the skates, but all other options were available and I might try them out in the future.

One important thing to be aware of, though, is their opening hours. There are two units of Fritidsbanken in or close to Uppsala. One of them (the one I went to) is the Industristaden unit, located in the industrial zone south of the city centre, and the other one is a bit further away in Gottsunda. Both of them have the same opening hours: from Monday to Thursday between 2 and 7 pm. So if, like me, you plan on grabbing your gear for a little weekend adventure, you better plan ahead!

After you’ve chosen all you want to take, you just have to check out. It’s a very simple procedure: you just go to the “cashier”, show them what you’re taking, they ask for your name and phone number (has to be Swedish), enter it into their system and you get a text with a link to all the information relating to your loan. I even heard from a friend that if you need the skates you’re taking to be sharpened, for example, they can do it for you there for free as well. You get to keep the equipment for up to 14 days and just have to bring everything back in the same conditions you got it.

On Saturday, I met my friends to go put our skates and skills to the test. It was a really cold and windy afternoon, there was some snow laying on the ground and the sun had shined all morning but was starting to hide behind the clouds. It was a perfect early winter day to go enjoy another facility Uppsala has to offer: a free ice skating rink!

At Studenternas, right next to the football stadium, is the ice rink where Bandy matches are held. Next to it, there is a free skating area that is open to whoever wants to use it to play sports, practice their figure skating, or, as was my case, try to learn how not to fall every other minute. It is a very nice environment, full of families, friend groups, couples, and people enjoying their own company. Everybody respects each other’s space to the best of their abilities and it is a really fun activity to get you out of the house and into the cold winter air for a few hours. Don’t forget to dress warm and do a good layering job, though, because staying outdoors for long when it is cold might be dangerous. Wear a good scarf, a beanie, thick socks, and good gloves as well.

To me, Fritidsbanken is something that sums up a lot of the good things I like in Sweden. It’s a community-based institution whose main goal is to get people to go out, exercise and enjoy themselves and the company of friends. This sense of togetherness and the idea of staying active during the dark and cold winter months are crucial for students that just moved here. Having the chance to do all of this, and especially for free, is another example of why student life in Uppsala is among the best I have ever seen. Not even some snow, ice, and darkness can avoid it. In fact, they only add to the whole experience 😉

One of the most important parts of academic culture in Sweden is the amount of trust and responsibility put on the student to study by themselves. On one hand, that comes with a lot of advantages since, as a student, you’re able to figure out a schedule that works for you, and study in the way that best suits your strengths, habits, and patterns. You’re viewed as an independent, responsible individual (something that I think also contributes to the lack of hierarchy in Sweden’s academic institutions). On the other hand, if you come from a vastly different academic culture (like I do!), it can be difficult to hold yourself accountable and do the work that is actually expected of you without the pressure of a professor telling you to do it!

Now that I am in the second year of my Master’s and am faced with a lot of “free” months where I have no classes because I’m entrusted with steadily working on my thesis, I’m in the process of figuring out how to work productively and smartly. Here are some tips from me (and also my thesis supervisor) that worked for me, and may work for you too!

Build a schedule that feels familiar

The most difficult part of navigating free time is not having a schedule to hold yourself to. I’ve had countless conversations with so many friends and corridor mates about how having long free periods makes it tough to keep track of time since nobody expects you to be anywhere or do anything. Combating this means making a fixed schedule for yourself. Draw up a chart and stick it to your wall, schedule study time and put it in your calendar the way you would do for classes. What’s important is that you make it look and feel similar to what your classes for your courses would look like. For instance, if you have three classes a week, schedule three study sessions, and then three additional pre-class prep sessions.

Prep sessions could involve skimming through literature, looking for readings, narrowing down to questions you want your research to acknowledge and answer. The main study sessions on the other hand would involve properly diving into the literature, getting to the meat of how to answer the questions you set aside, actually doing the work you prepared to do.

Set realistic goals

When dealing with mountains of readings and literature review, it’s easy to both feel overwhelmed, and also overestimate how much work you’re actually capable of doing, and doing well. There’s a limit to how much information we can retain and properly make use of, and so it is of the utmost importance to recognise our human-ness and set realistic goals.

I was one of those people who would promise myself to read one or two papers a day, but then when I would actually sit down to do the work, I would realise very soon that I had bitten off more than I could chew. This was not only because the papers were hard to read (because sometimes they would be manageable), but because it is incredibly time-consuming to properly understand, analyse, and take notes from a paper.

My entire studying game changed when I went from setting myself one or two papers a day to half a paper. It takes a lot of stress off your shoulders when you know that you need to only do half a paper. Less stress means that you aren’t rushing yourself, and your brain is less cloudy to actually read the paper. You can certainly do more than half a paper if you get into the flow of it, but even reaching the half-paper mark will make you feel accomplished, and you’ll have the energy to come back and finish it the next day, knowing that there’s not much left!

Writing less, consistently is better than writing more, sporadically

This point is kind of like an extension to the last point, talking about writing instead of reading, but it is important nonetheless.

When I had trouble finding motivation to write and did not know where or how to start, I voiced my concerns to my supervisor who gave me this advice! He said that it is much better to aim to write a hundred imperfect words a day than setting a bigger goal of a thousand perfect words a week. Setting a small daily goal keeps you consistent, and pushes away the possibility of procrastinating until the last couple days of the week. Returning to your work on a daily basis also ensures that you’re actively thinking about it and about ways to improve it, and by the end of the week you can actually end up with a thousand decent words that are ready for editing!

Realise that normal is the norm!

Some more words of wisdom from my supervisor – strive to be normal!

We all tell ourselves that bad days aren’t the norm, but we also need to realise that good days aren’t the norm either. So, just as we wouldn’t get used to the idea of not studying at all, we shouldn’t get used to the idea of studying extremely productively and successfully every day just because we had a couple of good days in a row.

Aim to have a really normal day, and rely more on discipline than on sporadic feelings of motivation. That way, you won’t feel upset when you don’t have the best study session ever, and you will also know that having a bad study session doesn’t mean that you are stuck in that state. You will just bumble along steadily and calmly, and will end up doing much more work consistently.

Separate your spaces

Having separate spaces for different parts of your life is incredibly important to align your mindset with the task you have set yourself to do. If you study in the same space that you also use for relaxation, it can be difficult to shift mindsets and be prepared to focus when it is time to work. Inversely, it can also take much longer to relax even when you put your books and devices away because your mind now associates that space with working and not resting.

Study in cafes, dining rooms, or one of the many wonderful libraries Uppsala University has to offer (I love the library at Engelska Parken, and also Carolina Rediviva).

If you don’t want to go outside because it’s too cold for your liking or you want to save money and time, you can also demarcate spaces within your room! My laptop recently broke which means that I cannot move it from my desk, so I cannot go to the libraries with it anymore. To work around this little setback, I’ve made my desk my designated work/study space, and even when I want to take a short break, I get up and shift to my bed, or the couch, or head to the balcony for some fresh air!

Take breaks!

While this means that you take breaks in between study sessions, this also means longer breaks! If you’ve been given a month without classes, you have to strike a nice balance between working and studying, and actually doing things that bring you joy, help you relax, and recharge you. Take the weekend off and spend time with your friends, grab a bus ticket and visit one of the many small towns and cities around Uppsala, sign up for events at the nations, or you could even work at the nations to meet more people and surround yourself in a different atmosphere! If you can, take a flight or a train to other cities in Sweden, or to the countries around Sweden!

There’s a whole lot of things to do in and around Uppsala, and Sweden as a whole, and since you’re a student here now, you should do as much as you can to make the most of this experience of being in a new city and new country!

I hope these little tips and tricks help you stay on top of your academic work in ways that are more efficient and productive, and leave you with less stress and worry. While stress and anxiety can be common parts of being a student (especially a student in a foreign country), it’s best to do what we can to improve our experience so that we’re left with more space and energy to enjoy the nicer parts of student life!

What are some things you like to do to stay motivated, disciplined, and productive?

Socializing when you’ve moved to a new country can be really daunting. From my experience, I have found joining the student union, Rindi, to be very helpful for socializing, interacting, and getting to know the great people and students through fun activities here at Campus Gotland. Due to Campus Gotland being a tight-knit community, whether you are studying, participating in guilds, or want to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with friends, it is very easy to find yourself spending a lot of time in the Rindi Castle. The café guild holds pop-up cafes which are popular due to the affordable and delicious goodies that are offered.

I am a member of the Sound Guild in which I have been very active. I had my first DJ set a few weeks ago which went well. So, it has been very interesting learning to mix different genres of music and set up sound systems.

Rindi can help build a sense of community and belonging on campus. You are able to meet so many other students who share similar interests or hobbies and you are able to learn about different cultures and understand others perspectives outside of academia. The guilds or clubs that I’ve mentioned before and below are some of the communities that one can be a part of at Rindi. They also have study sections that are categorized by what you study such as LeGo(Leadership and Engineering), Envis(Environmental and Earth Sciences), and VisEkon(Economics) which provide opportunities for students to develop leadership skills and take on leadership roles. You can gain valuable experience in organizing events, managing budgets, and working with others. Or just by participating in events organized is a way to be active within the community.

So apart from the study sections, Rindi has its own board. As a student union, Rindi appoints board members who often advocate for student rights and express students’ concerns, both on campus and in the wider community.

In summary, joining a student union can provide a range of benefits that can enhance your university experience. From community building to leadership opportunities to advocacy, there are many reasons to consider joining a student union at Uppsala University, Campus Gotland.

Some of the clubs (guilds) that you can take part in at Campus Gotland

Café Guild: Where you can bake and host student cafés. Which are held weekly on Sundays and Wednesdays at Rindi.

Kitchen Guild: Where you can cook alongside others with similar passions with students. They plan on providing lunches quite soon!

The Sound Guild: Is where you have the opportunity to learn how to DJ and set up sound systems.

Rindi CineClub: Provides the opportunity to help organize film screenings for students here at Campus Gotland which as a Rindi member you have access to discounted prices.

Rindi Sports Club: Is a community where you can play tennis, paddleboarding, football, basketball, and badminton on a weekly basis.

Castle Guild: They help with repairs and requests from other sections and clubs. If you need anything made you can ask them and they will do their best to craft it for you.

Bar Guild: They run the student bar every Friday. They have the chance to practice their bartending skills while serving drinks to students.

Fire Guild: Do you like playing with fire? At the Fire Guild, you learn to use Fire poi’s and staff and from to time, you perform what you’ve practiced for students at school events.

Apart from all the different activities that go on, I would recommend going out of your comfort zone to socialize and initiate the conversation because I can assure you that everyone is more or less too shy to start the conversation. 

While living in Uppsala you will obviously encounter nations as a crucial part of your life here. You already know or have heard that each nation has a pub where you can hang out, clubs to celebrate being young for reasonable, student friendly prices and other fun activities. However, a great way to find your home, here so far away from all your friends and family is to get active in a nation. But what does that mean exactly? Let me give you a short introduction in what it means to be active, how to get active and what do you get for doing that!

What can you do?

Sustaining an organization like a student nation is actually much harder than you might expect. There are many parts in the organization that need to work together and collaborate to provide all the wonderful activities that nation does. There are a lot of positions that you can take to be a part of this wonderful mechanism. The most common ones are the ones in clubwork. Clubwork is a part of the nations that works with the pub, clubs, events and gasques. Therefore there is a need for a lot of people in different positions to make this work. Do keep in mind that in different nations you might have different names or amounts of certain positions, I will share the structure of the nation I am active in – Kalmar nation, but it could vary a bit!

The spine of the clubwork is the clubworkers of course! There are usually around 10 positions for clubworkers and they are the ones making sure you can go and hang out in the nation pubs! Clubworkers are in charge of either the bar or kitchen during a pub night and also the staff that works in the pub! It is the most common first position to take in a nation because you can really get into the ground level of the operation and understand exactly how a nation works! You can apply to be a clubworker and take the position for one semester, where you then would be in charge of the pub, usually one night a week! Other positions in the clubwork are clubmasters – the people organizing clubs, fika-masters, who are in charge of fika, headwaiter, kitchen master etc. The latter ones are a usual second step after the semester as a clubworker and it works very well too since you already have experience in how the nation works and can continue working in it!

But that is absolutely not all, the nations have other positions that deal with other parts which are just as important. There are the marketing team that makes sure the nation is presented in the best possible way on the social media and posters, the recceförman and international secretaries, who make sure that new students are welcome, feel at home and get all the information you need. There are marshals and flag bearers who participate in the more traditional activities and are very important in representing a nation and making sure the events run smoothly. Each nation has a newspaper, so you can become an redactor of the newspaper and a librarian who keeps sure that the nations libraries are in check. There are also archivists working with keeping the legacy of the nation safe, song masters, who lead the songs in gasques, different positions for the different activity groups like theatre, choir and other! And of course the qurators who are in charge of part of the nation, 1Q is in charge of the nations administrative side and representation, 2Q in charge of finances and economy and 3Q is in charge of the restaurant business – pub, clubs etc. Some nations also have a 4Q who is in charge of gasques and rent outs. These positions (except the qurators) are a usual second or third step after being in the clubwork and that is when you have been in the nation for a while and are ready to more administrative work in the nation!

As you can see there are so so many things you can do at a student nation and each of them are very important to keep the nation working. Furthermore, it means that everyone can find a place where they belong and do what they do best!

Where to start?

The nation might sound like a complicated organization and quite hard to understand, getting active is so so easy! The only thing you need to do is take a shift at the pub! Just look up the staff facebook group of a nation, if you can`t find it, just go to your nation and ask around! It is very simple to take shift and start working, you can even earn a teeny tiny bit of money for doing so, but the friendships gained this way are precious. You can start working at the pub, clubs, gasques or fika and that is the perfect way to get to know people who are active and put your foot in the door of the nation! Usually people start working in the pub for a semester and then decide to take a position, commonly a clubworker since you are now accustomed with how the pub works. The nations usually have an informational evening to tell more about what it is like to be a clubworker and then you just apply at the qurators office and hopefully get elected and start your journey!

What are the perks?

The thing about taking a position at a nation is that you usually do not get paid for it. It is voluntary since it is just students working to provide fun times for other students. That is actually my favourite part of nations – students working together for students! However, when you are active in a nation you get to spend a lot of time together with other positionholders and you make the most wonderful friendships and memories there! It is a perfect way to find your home away from home just like they intended when they founded the nations in 17^th century. When you are a clubworker you also get fun perks like the KK card which lets you in any nations club for free and with the option of skipping the queue, which is obviously wonderful. And you can take another person in with you! You also get to go to KMK dinners, where you get a fancy dinner together with all clubworkers in all the nations and you can celebrate the life of a student in Uppsala. Some nations have other perks, like a discount in their pub, free entrance and skipping the queue in the nations clubs etc (these are the examples of being a position holders in Kalmar nation! But once again – everyone loves being active in the nations because of the friendships and family feel of the organization!

My journey at Kalmar nation (so far)

When I was looking up universities in Sweden, Uppsala caught my eye exactly because of the vibrant student life within the nations. I knew that I will want to be active in a nation straight away so I started literally the first week I was here. When I registered to Kalmar nation I asked – what do I do to become active, and got the tip to take a shift at the pub. Next day I was in Kalmar kitchen flipping burgers, without even knowing that the people I met there that night will become the best of my friends! After a few weeks working the pub, clubs and gasques I got offered to take a clubworker position since not all of them were filled and I accepted straight away! I became a clubworker without really knowing what it means, but I was sure that I was up for the adventure of a lifetime! I started working in the pub every week and making strong bonds with my fellow clubworkers and other people in the nation. Soon enough I was at a point where at any time I could go down to the nation and meet up people and hang out without even making plans, cause the family vibe in the nation is incredible. Once the autumn semester of 2022 was coming to the end I decided to take a position of a clubmaster – therefore taking up the responsibility of organising clubs next semester.

And so I did, it was my favourite position so far and very valuable experience since at times I was in charge of 20-25 people at a single night! It was fun coming up with the themes of clubs, learning how to set up DJ technique, working with our wonderful staff and making friendships that will last a lifetime! I got to experience Valborg with my wonderful friend both partying and organising events. When the spring arrived everyone in the nation was such a nice family, we were hanging out every day, having picnics, beach days and going to trips together. At the end of spring I decided to take up the position of a recceförman therefore being in charge of organizing events for new students and welcoming them into this wonderful Kalmar family! And that is what I have been doing this semester and I have absolutely loved it! Seeing new fun people join the nation and start their journey of being active in Kalmar has been absolutely wonderful!

In the end I just want to say that if you are in Uppsala for 2 years, 1 year or even just a semester, getting active in a nation is a perfect way to find your little family and make friends for life! It is a wonderful concept and really makes a difference in your life here in Uppsala! I would advise everyone to start this journey in a nation they like, cause the perks are just priceless. I am so happy that I made this choice and I really enjoy it every single day!