Hej all, I am Aloka and I am from India, and I am currently studying global health in Uppsala. Of course, before coming here, I did some research about the new place and environment. But you never know unless you actually face reality. So here are some of my tips before your arrival in Sweden for your studies. Hope these tips will prepare you a little better for the new journey.
Little bit of cooking
Yes, you read that right. It’s good to learn some cooking before you arrive here. Restaurants and cafés are very expensive here in Sweden. It is good to cook yourself. If you know nothing about cooking you may end up wasting a lot of ingredients and time. You don’t need to be a pro chef, but a tip is to practice some cooking with for example your mom, dad, or siblings.
Bank blues
It can take a lot of time to open a bank account here. For me it took a full two months. So, make sure to bring backup bank cards from your home country. Cash is often not an option here. Sweden is mainly a cashless country.
Biking
Knowing how to bike is a must here, or else you will end up like me, waiting for buses everywhere. If you don’t know cycling it can be good to learn. Buses are discounted for students but a bike is a one-time investment. It will save you money and the most expensive thing in the world which is time.
Download apps
I would 100% recommend downloading some applications on your phone before landing in Uppsala. Like UL, SL (for public transport), Canvas (learning), Mecenat, Stuk (digital ID, student discounts), Maze Map (to find university classrooms), and Vinted (second hand shop). These are very essential for everyday life here.
Lite Svenska
You don’t need to learn a lot of Swedish but I would suggest practicing some Swedish on the Duolingo app. That will help you shop for groceries and will help with communication overall. Things are written in Swedish in grocery stores, at train stations and on buses.
Connect before arrival
Yes, you can connect with your future classmates before joining the university. Before arrival, the university will send you a link with an email to get access to the Go In app. With that app you will be able to make friends before you are physically in Uppsala. How exciting is that? You should definitely take the advantage.
Housing clues
Finding cheap student accommodation can be quite a difficult task, especially for non-fee-paying students. However, you can join a nation before coming here and apply for student housing via them. Nations are student organizations. You can search on Google and contact them beforehand
Moving to a new country is challenging, but each day brings new lessons and experiences. I feel privileged to be part of a university with an impressive 547-year history of academic excellence and student achievements
