Category: Okategoriserade (Page 17 of 19)

My room looks like a natural disaster has hit. Maybe a tornado, if tornados were made of winter clothes, English books, never-used rain boots, and postcards from half a dozen countries. And in the middle of it all sits my trusty blue suitcase, which seems to have mysteriously shrunk over the past semester.

I remember a similar scene five months ago, when I was packing to come to Uppsala. I googled “Swedish fashion” at least twice a day, trying to figure out which of my clothes were cool and European enough to bring (in my opinion: very few). I stuffed my suitcase full of running shoes, shampoo bottles, room decorations, and a bunch of other things I either didn’t need or could have easily bought in Uppsala. So, whether you are preparing for a semester abroad or starting your degree, here are a few dos and don’ts to help with your packing for Sweden.

Do:

• Pack some fancy clothes (and a floor length dress or suit jacket if possible!). The nations love to hold gasques and other formal events, and you’ll save a lot of money if you don’t need to buy a new outfit
• Bring a power bar if you’re from outside of Europe. You’ll need an adapter to plug in your electronics, but if you bring a power bar or cube, you can charge multiple things from one adapter (*I’m not sure this is the greatest idea from an electrician’s point of view, but it’s worked for me so far!)
• Visit second hand shops when you arrive. If you’ve forgotten something, or want to buy some decorations for your room, these are probably the cheapest option (like, even cheaper than Ikea) and they have lots of cool stuff. Myrorna and Erikshjälpen are both great stores
• Look around your room before you go shopping. The previous occupant might have left useful things behind that you won’t have to go and buy. My room came with blankets, a small heater, and coat hangers. Thank you to the former resident of room 511!

Don’t:

• Pack extra makeup or shampoo. Sweden has all the brands you’re used to back home, and these things will eat up your precious 23 kg weight allowance. Bring travel sized bottles if you want to have a shower as soon as you arrive, but that’s all
• Bring too many shoes. The eternal question: What kind of shoes do you pack when traveling? My answer, after packing way too many myself: Sturdy boots for fall/winter/spring, a pair of fancy shoes for formal occasions, running shoes, and one pair of everyday shoes. That’s all
• Worry about looking good when it’s cold outside! And whether you’re coming for one semester or a couple years, it will get cold. Forget about your fashionable-but-useless light sweaters and instead pack thick, warm layers to make it through the colder months
• Forget about warm weather, either! The tricky part about packing for Sweden is preparing for all four seasons at once. Bring your wool socks and sweaters (see above), but don’t forget your shorts and summer dresses, either. Try to pack a little bit of everything so you’re ready for the unpredictable weather

For a bit of international insight, I asked my friends about how they packed for Sweden:

Is there anything you wish you brought with you but didn’t?

“Vegemite! I wish I brought unique foods from Australia to share with people, because they always ask what certain things taste like… and it’s a fun way to entertain people I guess!” – Linda, Australia

“I wish I brought some cold medicine with me. At home you can buy it at a grocery store or whatever, but in Sweden you need to see a doctor and get a prescription for most medicine. You don’t need to pack a whole pharmacy but it never hurts to be prepared,” – Caleb, USA

Is there anything you packed that you’re glad you brought?

“Since I wasn’t sure if I could ever feel at home in my Flogsta room when I first entered it, I was really glad that I brought some decoration stuff from home like some colourful lanterns or a big, thick scarf which I put on my wall, and also so many pictures… And I brought a warm blanket which reminds me of home!” – Lea, Germany

“I’m happy I brought so many pictures of my friends and family with me. It made me feel more at home, and made my room look a lot cozier with something hanging on the wall,” – Michelle, Canada

It’s always hard to image squeezing all your favourite things into a suitcase, but don’t panic if you forget something – or bring so much stuff that you struggle to pull your suitcase through the airport (that was me). Happy packing!

/Erika

Living in Flogsta equals many things. In the mornings you join the biking crowd in the run to the University. Midday, you search for free washing machines as the possibility of finding one is the highest. In the evening you carefully step outside and listen where the nearest party is happening. However, at any time, your eyes scroll the surroundings looking for white-orange fluff. Ingefära, local celebrity, took over Uppsala’s Facebook groups quite a time ago and stayed there for good. Despite having his own page, selfies with the ginger cat still pop up in notifications, and well, we just couldn’t miss the opportunity to visit his home. This is how we met two computer science students in one of Flogsta low houses.

When you first walk toward Ingefära´s home in the Flogsta low houses you will notice a kitty ladder leading toward the apartment from the outside. Clever way for him to get safely back home after roaming the neighbourhood for days. That is also one of the reasons that he got so famous around here. Ingefära is probably the most social cat you will ever meet. According to his owners he just likes to follow people everywhere. You can often see him inside the high houses just chilling in someone’s kitchen or popping in to check out the loudest parties. No wonder that people often think he is lost and post pictures on Flogsta Facebook groups to help him get back to the his owners. Even after most people has been informed that this behaviour is just part of his amazing personality and he is very much not lost they still kept on posting pictures. It became a source of pride to be blessed by Ingefära´s presence and one must document such honor! At one point the groups were so spammed with pictures of Ingefära that his owners simply had to make his own page.

You never know when Ingefära decides to check on your party!

When he does not explore everything that Flogsta has to offer he lives his calm life in Flogstavägen with Linn, Kristoffer and their roommates. His original owner Lukas is on adventure of his own in South America keeping an eye on Ingefäre over the ocean. Even Ingefära´s origin is tight to Flogsta. He was born one and a half years ago to a cat belonging to the previous owner of that flat he is currently occupying. Nobody expected him to be the most beloved and famous cat in Uppsala but now that he is Linn and Kristoffer are joking about making some merchandise with him. And to be honest, if someone was selling Ingefära t-shirts I would already own three.

Of course what is high houses residents little orange blessing can be a bit of a hustle for his owners. Ingefära´s adventures can take him to quite unexpected places once he took it trip in a bus once, somehow got all the way to the hospital, another time he got found Stenhagens pet store where he hang out in until someone could pick him up. Thanks to non-functional chip he also got himself into a shelter. Thankfully, the good people of Flogsta are always here to help and take good care for their favourite feline. Just few weeks ago Ingefära took the Valborg celebrations a bit too seriously and disappeared for almost two weeks. That was untypical even for him as he usually get back to eat every two our so days. He got his owners quite worried. However, shortly after them posting about this Flogsta residents were able to track him day by day for the whole lost period and get him safely home! What a way to get your faith in humanity restored.

Now you might be wondering: “What I am supposed to do when I meet this glorious cat? Are there any dos and don’ts?” Well yes and no. Ingefära´s owners are pretty chill about him meeting all of his fans. So letting him chill at your place, taking pictures or rubbing his belly is totally fine. However, even though it might be very tempting, you should not keep him for too long or feed him too much. The more people feed him around Flogsta the less likely he is to go and check what his bowl at home has in store. If you decide to give him a little snack, you might want to know that he does not really love vegetarian food!

Some stretching is an absolute must after spending a day in the high houses!

So next time when you cycle home in the middle of the night and you see a fast moving orange ball you can keep calm knowing that you are not hallucinating but you were merely very lucky to get a bit of precious Ingefära´s attention. Now you just need to hope that you have enough battery in your phone to take at least twenty selfies out of which at least one of them will have him not blurred in movement.

/Lucie & Adrianna

They say when in Rome do as the Romans do, so here are a dozen do’s and don’ts you need to learn as you come to Sweden.

1. Observe the 1-meter bus stop rule

Swedes in particular have space rules. While at the bus stop, it’s hard to find people next to each other unless they are couples or friends. So when you are at the bus stop or even sitting on a bench or inside the bus, make sure to keep the 1-meter rule and look for an empty seat.

2. Do not cut the queue line

Swedes do not line up in a queue but everyone knows the order. While at the bank, post office, bus station, train station and entertainment facilities make sure to look for a ticket number for the queue and it will be considered extremely rude if you cut or jump the line.

3. Do not call unless it’s an emergency

Most people in Sweden prefer texting over calling. It’s easier for one to say yes or no over text than over a phone call. This is one way of people avoiding confrontation unless it’s an extreme emergency, then you can call.

4. Do not pay or pick up the tab for someone

While in Sweden, it’s common for the men and women to pay for their tabs be it at any social place. Everyone considers themselves independent, especially the ladies, so it may seem polite to pay for her but don’t impose that on her.

5. Always say “tack “(thank you) after offered any help

“Tack” is the first Swedish word you need to be familiar with as this means thank you. Always say “tack” to show a sign of appreciation after offered any kind of help.

6. Handshakes or hugs on meeting someone

When it’s your first  time meeting someone, a handshake is mostly the accepted means of greetings. A hug is usually acceptable if it’s the second time you are meeting the person or if you both know each other.

7. Always be on time

Swedes hate it when someone is late. It is also considered rude if you are late and failed to inform them you would be late earlier. So it’s better to be 5 minutes early, before the agreed time.

8. Do not be the first or the last in starting tasks

It’s common in Sweden for people not to be the first to start something or the last to finish, be it tipping, eating or doing any other thing. It’s mostly considered a sign of bad luck. WEIRD, I KNOW.

9. Do not interrupt someone when they are speaking

It’s considered extremely rude to cut someone off when they are speaking and they haven’t finished speaking. So be cool and wait for your chance to speak.

10. Avoid eye contact when in public places

It’s considered extremely weird and creepy to stare and make eye contact with people in public place and to make the matters worse you don’t know them.

11. Do not speak loudly while on phone

While in public places and you have to pick up a phone call, it will be considered rude to speak in a loud tone. Make it a point to speak in a tone that does not alert everyone.

12. Keep quiet while at the cinema or theater

While at the theater or cinema, it will be considered rude to start talking or making phone calls while its silent and everyone is watching a movie. Excuse yourself and go out if you need to make a phone call or talk.

/Jackson

ICA is one of the grocery store chains in Sweden, and arguably the most popular amongst students. During your first few days in Uppsala as you begin to settle in, you’ll probably get hungry, and need to make your very first trip to your neighbourhood ICA.

My first few trips to ICA were a lot like a game of jeopardy, I wasn’t sure what I was going to come home with, and it took a few tries until I got it right. ICA Folkes Livs in Rackarberget was my first experience with grocery shopping Sweden. One of the first things you see when you walk in is a colourful wall of candy, or as Swedes call them godis. I thought ok well if Swedes love sweets so much living here won’t be hard at all. As you turn the corner, and approach the refrigerator section that is when things got a little more challenging. Since everyone in Sweden speaks exceptional English, this is when the language really hit me. I found myself taking 10 minutes just to pick out some butter, and milk just because there were about a million options. Google translate, and currency converters became my best friends during every grocery trip. Since the store is so narrow, and busy, people were trying to squeeze by me, I got a little overwhelmed and decided to try out a game of jeopardy. I just grabbed items that looked the most familiar based on the pictures, and few Swedish words I knew, and hoped for the best. For the most part it turned out pretty well but for others not so much; for instance I came home with rice pudding instead of yoghurt. Most yoghurt in Sweden comes in tetra packs much like the milk containers instead of the individual packs I’m used to back home so I figured how could that possibly be yoghurt, and opted for what turned out to be rice pudding. A friend of mine accidently ended up buy filmjölk or sour milk for her morning cereal. Just ask any international, and their guaranteed to have a great grocery story.

Another challenge I faced was the prices. One Canadian dollar is nowhere near one Swedish krona. Dividing by 7 was a challenging task, and I ended up just using a conversion app. It took a while to get used to what the Swedish krona system actually meant as when I read some of the prices, I wondered how on earth could milk ever cost $40?! Why is does my total come to $150 when I only purchased a few things?!… right this is the Swedish krona we’re talking about, and in my mind I thankfully just saved a lot of money.

Luckily in Sweden, grocery shopping is fantastic for people who are lactose intolerant or have other dietary restrictions. Two of my friends are lactose intolerant, and they have so many milk, yogurt, and ice cream options compared to back home in Canada. Another friend of mine is allergic to peanuts, and found the phrase “kan innehålla” meaning “may contain” a very helpful phrase.

One of my greatest tips when grocery shopping is don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s normal to want to feel that sense of belonging, and try to be as Swedish as possible when you first arrive but Uppsala has many international students who are all in the same position. The swedes are beyond helpful when you ask them which will make your experience a little easier.

/Michelle

Ahhh yes, Rackarbergsgatan. Also known as Rackarberget (if you’re referring to the area that it’s in, pronounced “racka-berry-it”), “Racka-something” (if you’re an exchange student who has just arrived and have no idea how to pronounce that beast of a word), “Rackies” (if you’re Australian), or just plain “Racka” (when you’ve given up).

Location:
Hands down, the best thing about Rackarberget is the location. Here’s about how long it takes me to get to the important places:

And one of the best things that I’ve just recently discovered about Rackarberget is its proximity to Ekonomikum park. It’s a nice open field with a lot of room to picnic with friends and soak up some sun, and it’s where a good portion of Valborg takes place. This ended up being super convenient during Valborg for me and my friends, because we could just use my room as a sort of home base for the weekend. My friends came over in the morning and brought all the things they would need for the day (food, drinks, extra layers of clothes) and we just brought what we needed to each event, since it’s much closer to the city center compared to Kantorsgatan and Flogsta, where they live.

Corridors:

Of course, the downside of Rackarberget is that you have to share the bathroom and shower. Some corridors in Rackarbergsgatan house five people, and others have seven, like mine. You’d think that sharing a bathroom and shower with six others would be a disaster, but it actually works out just fine. We’re all on our own schedules, so it hasn’t really been an issue.

As for cleaning, we just rotate chores each week, like cleaning the bathroom/shower, taking out the trash, tidying the kitchen etc.

The kitchen:

Big window, nice lighting during the day, and pretty well stocked with cooking necessities, like a coffee maker, toaster, pots and pans and such. We share our utensils and most of our dishes, and then have a cabinet to keep our personal food. Sometimes our schedules will clash when cooking, since there’s only four stovetops and one oven, and most people eat around the same times. But it hasn’t been that big of a deal.

One thing that I don’t really like about the corridors in Rackarbergsgatan though, is that the kitchen is a bit small if you want to have more than four people sitting and eating at the table. And on top of that, there’s really no communal living space where we can have a couch or something, like there is in Flogsta. Because of that, there’s not really any place where everyone in the corridor can just hang out. So, most of us just end up going to our separate rooms at the end of the day or after cooking dinner, which can be nice after a long day, but it would be nice to have the option of just hanging out somewhere besides your own room.

Rooms:
The rooms are pretty decent though, especially given that it’s on the less expensive end relative to the other residence buildings. I do have my own sink, which is convenient, ample closet space, and a desk and chair, shelves, armchair, bed, and my favorite part– the big window. It’s not the most spectacular view or anything, but I love the fact that it lets a lot of light in, and fresh air too if I want to open it. But the view’s not bad either. Here’s a picture I snapped during sunset, while the days were still long:

As for decorating the room: at first, I really didn’t feel all that motivated to put anything on the walls, since I knew I would be leaving in five months and didn’t want to spend money on things that I would have to get rid of at the end of my stay. But then the plain walls got boring. So I decided to put up some of the free maps that I had gotten from my travels, and just other small, barely sentimental things that I had accumulated and would probably get rid of anyway, like ticket stubs, receipts for train tickets, etc. It added some nice color to my room, and since I put everything up chronologically, it turned out to be a nice way to document my time abroad.

Overall:
Overall, I’m really happy I ended up in Rackarbergsgatan. I don’t even remember if it was my first choice when I listed my preferences in the housing application, since it was all a blur and all the names were so long, but I am really satisfied. The location is great, it’s not boring, but it’s not too rowdy either. It’s definitely not Flogsta, but that’s also nice too because, well, it’s not Flogsta 😉
/Su Fang

Accommodation is right up there with residence permit (if required) as a high priority subject in the checklist of an international student. The accommodation situation in Uppsala is pretty grim with long queues and waiting lists. I was lucky enough to be offered accommodation by the Uppsala University Housing Office that made my work a lot easier. The place I have been calling home for the past 9 months is the Klostergatan-16 Student accommodation. This student residential area was a hotel until 2015 after which it got converted into a modern housing area. Klostergatan 16 is quite an anomaly in the student housing scenes of Uppsala which are dominated by corridor style residential areas. The biggest attraction though of this place is its location which is the best one can get in Uppsala.

1. Location:
Klostergatan 16 is located in central Uppsala near the Fyris River. Being in centrum, it is very well connected to the other parts of the city. Almost all busses stop at the various bus stations located nearby ( Stadshuset , Dragarbrunn or Stora Torget). Moreover it is only about ≈ 700 m. from the Uppsala central train station. Centrum is the hub of Uppsala with shopping centres, restaurants, movie theatres and banks and this makes Klostergatan’s location a flawless .There are 2 stores of ICA, the popular supermarket chain, located in close proximity. Willys, a usually cheaper alternative to ICA is present a kilometre and a half away. All leading banks have their branches nearby. The most exciting thing about Klostergatan’s location is that it lies within a kilometre of all the 13 Student nations.

#[Pro Tip 1] : Living in centrum is enviable  and a masterstroke

2. Rooms:
Most rooms including mine are about 23 square meters in area. Each room has a private bathroom and a fully equipped kitchenette with a mini-fridge, microwave and basic kitchen equipments (plates, cups, glasses, cooking vessels, cutlery, microwave safe bowl etc.). The kitchenette is meant only for heating and light (normal) cooking .Heavy cooking or deep frying will trigger the nearby fire alarm. This fire alarm is directly connected to the fire brigade, which means that if there is an alarm due to heavy cooking, the tenant will have to pay the cost. There is a common kitchen on the ground floor which is fully equipped and can be used for heavy cooking when necessary .Initially I was a bit paranoid about triggering the alarm. But slowly I found out that if one is a bit careful with not overcooking/burning the food (that generates a lot of smoke), it is absolutely fine. The rooms are furnished with a bed and a mattress (including pillow and quilt), chairs, one table, wardrobe, curtains and ceiling lamps. Basic cleaning equipment is provided by the landlord. There are also common vacuum cleaners which can be used by the tenants.

# [Pro Tip 2]: Things one should bring: 1) Bed linen 2) Ethernet cable 3) router 4) microwave safe containers

#Note: Heating, Internet and Electricity are included in the rent

This is what my room looks like

3. Other Amenities:

3.1 Laundry: The laundry room with fully functional washing machines and dryers are located on the ground floor. All the washing machines have an automatic detergent dispenser (So no need to buy your own). The laundry washing stations can be booked in advance via an electronic booking system.

The laundy room in all its glory

3.2 Common kitchen: The common kitchen like the laundry can be booked using an electronic booking system. It is located on the ground floor and can be used for extensive cooking. It is even equipped with an automatic dishwasher.

The common kitchen has 9 individual cooking stations

3.3 Common areas: The building houses a cafe of its own. Yes you read that right..! It is managed by the Uppsala University housing office which has its office next to it. The cafe is connected to a common room where one can chill, relax, eat, study or have a party. This is equipped with free Wi-Fi. Besides this, the 2^nd floor of the building also has a garden.

Common room

2nd floor garden

Green Cup cafe

3.4 Bicycle store area: The bike storage area is located in the basement. It is basically a cage like structure which needs a common code for entry.

Bike Parking/store area

3.5 Gymnasium: The building also houses a moderately equipped free gym for the residents.

#[Pro Tip 3]: Though the gym is small , it is never crowded/congested

Gymnasium for the tenants

3.6 Garbage room: Household waste after segregation (organic, nonorganic combustible, Glass etc) is dumped in individual drums (of each category) at the garbage room located on the ground floor.

4. Pros & Cons Analysis

/Arindam

My plate sat empty and neglected on the lunch table in front of me. I leant over it fully engrossed in the conversation bouncing around the members of the small company I have been an intern with for just over a month now. The CEO was interviewing his guest about the practicalities of installing a wind turbine on the man’s property. The subject matter was all familiar to me because I had recently spent several months learning the process of wind power development and the theory behind the technology at Uppsala University Campus Gotland, but the details were rife with novelty. I had learned the typical ranges for the cost of producing energy and the prices providers were charging, but these men were discussing precisely what our guest expected to invest and what the utility would pay for the extra energy. I had learned the various methods of estimating how much wind an area would receive, but the conversation spent several minutes on the details of the measurement instrumentation needed and the options for making estimates based on the already available data. Though I typically make the effort to interview experts when I have the chance to learn about my new industry, I needed to do nothing more than be a fly on the wall, sampling each valuable bit of information that flew across the table in front of me and storing it in a file marked “you’re going to use this”.

This was only one of the many practical conversations we’ve had over our daily lunch at the office of WindSim AS in Tønsberg, Norway. The eight of us in the small office gather frequently, and I’ve felt like a member of a small family almost since day one. The company develops a software (also called WindSim) that supports wind resource and energy production estimates for developers around the world, but their main office here in Norway still feels like small family operation. When I think about this rationally, it seems preposterous that in a global company, a lowly, unpaid intern has an almost daily opportunity to interact with the head software developer, both co-founders, and the CEO during what is essentially a two-month-long job interview.

However, the approach to my arrival seemed normal and uneventful. This was primarily due to the fact that I had gotten myself into an excellent position to have such doors open before me. As a student in the Wind Power Project Management masters programme at Uppsala University Campus Gotland, I have connections throughout the renewable energy industry via our faculty and the alumni network. WindSim has been helping students of the programme learn their software for years now, and I currently sit across from a PhD student, who completed the WPPM programme three years ago. They were happy to consider yet another intern from our department for a short stay.

Over the past month, I have been working on a project that forms the basis of my thesis to investigate potential improvements to their model of wind flow through forests. As wind power continues to expand, more developers are looking to northern Scandinavia where the wind is strong but the terrain unforgiving. A significant challenge will be predicting the winds over these forested and mountainous regions. WindSim’s computational fluid dynamics model is well suited for such a task, but it’s far from perfect. By implementing lessons learned from my studies directly into the software, we are working to see how we can reduce uncertainties in wind turbulence predictions.

The knowledge I have gained and the resources I have had available to me have been invaluable, but life in Norway certainly does come with a price tag. That’s where Erasmus+ stepped in. As most graduate students understand, financial pressures sadly direct many of our choices, but the grant that Erasmus+ has provided in order to support this traineeship has made a life here possible. It is far from certain whether or not I will join the WindSim team after I defend my thesis next month, but I will return to Tønsberg before long to present the research we have been conducting at their biannual user meeting, where WindSim clients from around the world will converge to exchange ideas, insights, and most importantly for me, business cards.

Until then, I still have a few more weeks to finish up my thesis in our cozy office, which means a dozen more opportunities to talk business with the CEO over a morning coffee, pester the programmers about the details of the software, and tune in to the chatter of real industry players around the lunch table.

So I’d like to take this opportunity to send a huge THANK YOU to the Erasmus team on this Europe Day and wish them a happy birthday in celebrating 30 years of supporting education in Europe!

Tønsberg waterfront:

From the balcony of our office

From the hill on Nøtterøy, where I live

New and old students planning to come to study in Sweden Universities; to make your stay as comfortable as possible below are the 10 essential survival kits by me the Time traveler and Sunset chaser you need to have before and after coming to Sweden (Not arranged in any order of importance)

1. Documents to have
– Passport
This serves as an identification card for you to transact some of the required transactions such as paying rent or sending money via western union.

– Academic papers
Have all you papers with you and kept safely you may need to produce them in case of verification or job requirement

– Residence permit card
This you will get before coming to Sweden from the migration office in your country and this together with your passport will help you to board an airplane.

– Fee statement
If you are a scholarship student then you don’t need to bother yourself with this, but for the fee paying students you need to make sure you have paid atleast your first semester fees to be allowed entry into Sweden as part of migration rules and campus admission.

2. Clothing and shoes
Sweden can get quite cold, dressing for the weather is very important. All the necessary clothing can of course be bought in Sweden, but if you already own some good winter clothes, it can be wise to bring them.

Winter clothes:
– woolen socks and coats
– gloves
– good winter shoes
– skin tights

3. Tech stuff (check point 8 where to buy all this stuff and more)
– Mobile phone and a mobile number
You need to have a good smart phone with WiFi enabled and a mobile number that will work in Europe. Lycamobile offers very cheap UK and international calls to Asia, Africa, Europe and America. Make sure you have Google maps as this will make your movement easier from point a to b.

– Laptop or tablet
A good working laptop or tablet is good as this will make your work easier as internet connectivity is essential. If you cannot afford one don’t worry as the universities have well equipped computer labs and so you will have access to them.

– L.A.N cable or internet cable and a Router
Your will also need to buy a router and the router to be functional you will need a L.A.N cable to connect to it, if you are lucky some rooms have the L.A.N cable.

– Two pin plug for the European plug
make sure to have a plug that will fit well with the European sockets present in Sweden. This plugs can be bought as well here but if you have one come with it.

4. Personal/coordination number and Bank account
A personal or coordination number is a tax number which you will get from the skatteverket (check point 8) or Tax office. To get this you need to carry your passport, residence permit card and university letter of acceptance.
Opening a bank account is important or if you have one its okay as this bank account number will be important if you are planning to work part time to get paid through. To open a bank account, you need your passport, Swedish ID and university letter of acceptance. You need a bank account and a tax number if you are planning to work in Student nation.

5. A registered nation and nation card
Currently we have 13 student nations in Uppsala and among them my Nation is V-dala Nation. (http://www.v-dala.se/en/) The reasons may vary with people but to me it is the best since it is student friendly, holds awesome parties, dinners and has a lot of part time jobs for students. All you need is to visit the nation and get registered as a nations member and a wait for your nations ID card.
This card will allow you access to any nation, so you need to have a student’s nation card from any of the 13 nations to be able to visit any of the nations. The cost of registering for the nations card vary from one nation to the other as from 200 to 300 kroners.

6. Bicycle or bus card
A bicycle is the common means of transport in Uppsala as opposed to the bus. A bus card costs around 500 kroners per month while a second hand bicycle will cost less than 1000 kroners and it will serve you for up to 3 years or more with minimal service required. Go to point 8 for sights to follow to get second hand bicycles or a bus card. Always check by test driving your bike before buying. If you decide to buy a bike remember to have a good lock, back and front lights. Finally remember to read the rules regarding road usage by bikers as hefty fines can be charged upon you if caught using a faulty bike on the roads of up to 500 to 1000 kroners by police.

7. Housing facilities
Housing in Sweden for students is the hardest part if you don’t plan for it in advance. However Uppsala University offers housing to fee-paying Master’s, Bachelor’s students and most exchange students.
So you need to make proper arrangement for housing and if you plan to have your own arrangement on housing you can check housing links on Facebook (point 8).
The rent for housing from one estate location to the other with the lowest ranging as from (3000-5500 kroners). You can also look at the Facebook links in point 8 where people usually let out apartments which are fairly cheap.
Every housing facility has its own terms of contract, take time to read though as they contain details from the time required to pay your rent and issuing of vacation notice.

8. Website and Facebook links
Bus card:
uppsalastudentkar.se/buses

Flea markets for Second hand clothes and stuff:
redcross.se/uppsala
destinationuppsala.se/flea-markets

Electronic stuff:
mediamarkt.se
blocket.se

Buying a bike and other stuffs:
Facebook: Buy & Sell in Uppsala
Facebook: sell/buy/give away
Facebook: Buy and Sell items

Private Housing:
Uppsala University: Accomodation
Facebook: Uppsala Housing
Facebook: Uppsala Housing (2)

Details on Student nations:
Uppsala University: The student nations

Tax agency:
The Swedish tax agency

Part time jobs at Student Nations:
Gotlands Nation
Gästrike-Hälsinge nation
Göteborgs nation
Kalmar nation
Norrlands nation
Smålands nation
Stockholms nation
Södermanlands-Nerikes nation
Uplands nation
Värmlands nation
Västgöta nation
Västmanlands-Dala nation
Östgöta nation

9. Places to shop
There are a lot of places to shop in Sweden but if you are looking for second hand stuff that are really nice from clothes, shoes and electronics you can go to the open market in centrum and some of the red cross centers (check point 8). Remember to have with you some essentials like stationery and other bathroom essentials if you have room to carry them.

10. University login account
A university login account is the most important as this will ensure that you register for courses, see you schedule for studies and results regarding courses will be posted here. This is a must to ensure your smooth flow in University life. Get in touch with the administration of your campus to get your account login details or check the university website for more details.

“change is difficult but often essential to survival”

/Jackson

Uppsala hosts many events during the year but Valborg is extra special for all students. In this magnificent event, there are numerous activities to do and watch, being Forsränningen (River Rafting) one of the most expected ones either for does active in the raft run or for the spectator. Firstly, it is not really easy to get a raft once the selection is made by a lottery, but 120 lucky teams get to experience it each year. The building starts on Saturday, one week before Valborg (The River Festival), and it goes on until the following Friday, when you should have everything ready.

Building the raft
My friends and I (Frida (team captain), Feli, Fine and myself) amazingly got a raft and for all of us this is the first time doing it. We chose a Harry Potter theme and decided to make the Hogwarts Express (we named our raft “The Raft That Must Not Be Named” (I know, sounds great!)).

For those who are building rafts for the first time I guess it can be a surprise what you will find at the building area on the first day (you don’t have to go on the first day if you don’t want to as you can start any time during the week as long as you finish by Friday). Of course, everyone knows that the building happens outside at one of Uppsala University’s building grounds, which means that if it is raining, snowing, hailing, sun and blue sky or any other weather condition possible, you must find a way to do this (Wednesday 26/04 had all the conditions mentioned = nightmarish). Then, you arrive there on your first day and check out the equipment you have to work with: three different sizes and formats of Styrofoam, three 3,60 meters’ pieces of wood and a bottle of glue (that is not really effective when you want to glue Styrofoam on Styrofoam, seriously). Additionally, you may get saws, nails, hammers and other useful stuff that you can work with.

Now come the tricky part, how can you use your pieces to fit the design you want? Well, starting with drawing your ideas on the Styrofoam might be a promising idea, because them you can see what pieces will be best everything that you want to do and what material you will have left (at least that is what we did and it worked). After that, you can start cutting the Styrofoam and shaping the way you want. For us it started okay on Saturday, we managed to create a good frame for our base Styrofoam and the weather was nice even though it was cold. The next days were not that nice, it was raining and cold, seriously, how can you work with glue and paint when it is so wet? Not easy, sometimes you don’t, but we managed to cut and glue everything by Wednesday (the nightmarish day), but not with that glue I mentioned before because that doesn’t work well for that, so most teams buy foam glue that is really sticky and will get your pieces and details together (and it will leave you with really sticky hands, almost impossible to get off!!).

After getting your raft approved, you can start painting and that’s when you noticed that you have managed to put some nice stuff together. We did our painting on Thursday, which was the nicest day in the week as it was sunny and even though there was some hail, it wasn’t that much. Oh, and don’t forget to make some paddles (why sawing is so difficult?). WE DID IT!!

So, after a week of building on both bad and pleasant weather, we did manage to build our raft (I know, it looks amazing). Moreover, it is super cool to see all other teams working on their rafts creating amazing designs, and the friendly atmosphere with loads of people, tasty food, cotton candy, kanelbulle, music and more.

Today (Saturday) we will load the rafts to trucks for transportation to the starting line. Clearly, the anxiety for tomorrow just grows, the river water is around 4°C (super fun) and the chances to falling in are high. Can’t wait to get started.

/Mayra

If you have started looking into student life in Uppsala you have probably heard of two things, the student nations, and Valborg. Held on 30 April every year, Valborg or “sista april” (last of April) is without a doubt the biggest annual event in Uppsala. On this day, tens of thousands of people from around Sweden arrive in Uppsala to take part in the festivities, and as a student you will be at the very centre of these celebrations. Ideally, the sun will be shining, and it will be warm enough to wear a t-shirt and shorts. But being Sweden, there could be sunshine, rain or snow, and the Swedes come out in force regardless. When we talk with international students about their time in Sweden they always bring up this day as one of their most memorable experiences. It is a big day for Swedish students too, but it is hard to grasp just how significant the day is in Uppsala until you see it for yourself, which is why it makes such an impression on international students. Whether you are considering studying at Uppsala University or are a current international student getting ready to celebrate, Valborg in Uppsala is a day not to be missed, and one that you are unlikely to forget.

Singing traditional spring songs

So, what is it exactly?

Walpurgis Night is the English name for Valborg, and is called so because it is the eve of the feast day of Saint Walpurga. Traditionally thought of as the “witches’ night”, Walpurgis is recognised in many countries throughout Europe as an old pagan practice. On this date large bonfires are traditionally held to ward of witches and other evil spirits. It can also be thought of as a day to celebrate the end of the cold, the beginning of spring and the welcoming of warmer months.

Valborg in Uppsala is extra special and dominated by a number of student traditions that date back many years. If you want to experience Valborg to the fullest extent, we recommend taking part in the following activities:

Champagne breakfast, or “champagne frukost”

Usually, Valborg begins bright and early with a champagne and strawberry breakfast. This is an early indication that champagne plays a big role in the last of April festivities. You may wish to organise a quiet champagne breakfast at home with your friends, or you could have a picnic breakfast down by the River Fyris in order to reserve a coveted position by the water. If you wish to join a bigger, organised breakfast event you can also attend the Uppsala International Committee’s champagne breakfast which is usually held at a student nation.

Running the falls of the River Fyris, or “forsränningen”

It has been over 40 years since the iconic river raft race was first started by two former engineering students at Uppsala University. Apparently, they wanted to see if it was possible to make it down the river through the centre of town on a man-made raft while the water was at its highest. Needless to say, they succeeded, and the tradition continues on to this day. In the week leading up to Valborg teams of students who wish to get their toes wet convene on the grassy area at Campus Ångström to build their rafts out of Styrofoam. Each raft usually has a theme, and each year the rafts and costumes get more creative. At 10 am the race starts, and each team makes its way into the water. As they travel down the river through the centre of town they encounter several rapids, and many of the boats fall apart. It is always entertaining to see which teams make it to the end, and the friendly rivalry between the rafts. During the race the river is lined with literally thousands of people all trying to watch. As space is so limited, we recommend getting there early to secure a spot!

If you would like to read more about how the running of the falls started, you can read the following article.

To read about the raft building at Campus Ångström, and the activities that are held during the week, view the following link.

One of the rafts in the running of the falls

One of the rafts in the running of the falls

One of the rafts in the running of the falls

Traditional herring lunch, or “klassisk sillunch”

After the running of the falls people flock to parks or private parties to enjoy a traditional Swedish celebratory lunch consisting of pickled herring, boiled potatoes, hard bread, chives, and sour cream. The herring can be purchased inexpensively from any grocery store and comes in a wide range of flavours, such as mustard, tomato and onion, or classic pickle, or you could try making it yourself. The largest gathering takes place at Ekonomikum Park. Here, thousands of people sit on the grass enjoying lunch with friends, classmates and family. There are usually so many people in the park at the one time that making phone calls can be difficult, so if you are going to be meeting friends in the park we suggest deciding on a clear meeting spot in advance. If you are enjoying a formal lunch, the food will usually be accompanied by snaps and lots of singing. If sitting in a park is not for you, you could attend an organised traditional herring lunch, such as the one at Uppsala Concert House.

A plate containing classic Valborg food, including pickled herring

Different flavours of pickled herring in jars. Image taken by Joel Wåreus, http://imagebank.sweden.se/

The crowds at Ekonomikum Park

The crowds at Ekonomikum Park

Enjoying lunch at Ekonomikum Park

The donning of the caps, or “mösspåtagning”

One of the most well-known activities taking place in Uppsala each Valborg is the donning of the caps. After lunch, large crowds gather outside of Uppsala University’s famous library Carolina Redoviva to watch. At precisely 3pm, the Vice-Chancellor of the university along with other dignitaries walks out on to the veranda of the library and looks down over the sea of people. They raise their white caps, waving at the people below, and the people respond by waving and cheering back. On the library stairs, underneath the balcony, are members of the student unions and student nations, and a choir or band. After the donning of the caps they start playing traditional spring music and entertaining the crowds. The white caps were first introduced in Sweden during the 1800’s and were used by students to show that they belonged to a student union. Later, it was worn by students when they completed their high school studies. Today, when a student in Sweden finishes high school they still wear a white cap during their graduation celebrations. It is popular for Swedes to bring their caps out to wear again each year on Valborg, including those who graduated high school many, many years ago. In Uppsala, the white caps have yellow and blue lining and a yellow and blue cockade. For a 360-degree view of the donning of the caps, have a look at the following link.

The donning of the caps. Photo taken by David Naylor

The donning of the caps. Photo taken by Lars Wallin.

Champagne race, or “champagnegalopp”

If you feel like amping the party up a notch you can take part in a champagnegalopp at one of the student nations. The champagnegalopps begin at 3pm on Valborg, and are so popular that partygoers often line up for hours to ensure they get in.  Part of the fun of a champagnegalopp is being able to buy a bottle of champagne and then spray it all over your friends and other party goers. So if you attend a champagnegalopp be prepared to get very wet! Make sure you wear clothes that you don’t mind getting soaked in champagne. As there will be plenty of dancing and jumping around, comfortable shoes are a must. And to be extra careful we recommend keeping your mobile phone and wallet in a plastic bag.

Bonfires, or “majbrasor”

As I mentioned earlier, Valborg is an old pagan custom to welcome the arrival of spring, and protect against unwanted spirits, and the tradition of gathering around large bonfires lives on today. Apparently the bonfires started as a way of scaring off predators before farm animals were released into the fields to graze. As the days are brighter and longer, the bonfires are usually lit at around 9pm as night approaches. In Uppsala and other cities around Sweden, hundreds of people stand shoulder to shoulder around the dancing flames, and often sing old spring songs which welcome the warm spring sun. If you are in Uppsala and wish to see one of the biggest and most popular bonfires, we recommend heading out to Gamla Uppsala in the evening. There is usually a lot of activity in this historical location, including the bonfire, speeches, choirs, and fireworks.

We hope that one day you will all have the opportunity to celebrate this day for yourself in Uppsala. For those of you who are gearing up to experience your first Valborg, we wish you a happy and hopefully warm and sunny day! We encourage you to get out there and do it all, but please stay safe and act sensibly. Since 2009 Uppsala University, together with Kuratorskonventet and Uppsala Municipality, has promoted with the campaign Every other water, or “Varannan vatten” on Valborg. To encourage responsible drinking and less focus on alcohol in general, over 70 000 bottles of water will be handed out to individuals.

A big bonfire on Valborg night. Photo taken by Aline Lessner, http://imagebank.sweden.se/

Experience Valborg on Instagram!

If you would like to see how our student bloggers in Uppsala will be celebrating Valborg this coming Monday, make sure you keep an eye on our Instagram account TaggedforUppsala, where several of our students will be doing a take-over.

Jorja Zambars, International Office