As soon as you arrive in Sweden there are many things you have to do before classes even start. Meeting your future classmates and getting to know all of the nations first-hand is important, but getting all your paper work done is also essential.
After a long flight there is no time for resting! Photo By: hern42 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Here are some of the first things that need to get done when you arrive to Sweden:
Register at the tax office and get a personal number. You cannot do anything in Sweden without a personal number so it is really important to do first. If you are in Sweden for more than 1 year, you can apply at the tax office.
Sign up for a nation. To get the total Swedish university experience you have to join a nation. Once you have, you can apply to their housing, get a card into all of the nations, go to gasques, find some work etc… Your full student experience would not be complete without experiencing nation life.
Register to the student union and get a student card. As a student you can get discounts on everything in Sweden, but you need to have a student card to prove it. There are discounts on public transport, phone plans, books, restaurants and much more.
Get a tour of the libraries and get a library card. It is inevitable that, as a student, you will be spending time in a library. It is much easier to get a tour and a library card in the first few weeks so you don’t have to worry about figuring it all out right before your paper is due.
Get an official registration letter from your course coordinator. It is important to have some proof that you are actually registered and taking classes. A letter from your coordinator is usually good to have to prove you are currently studying.
Open up a bank account. Once you have a personal number and proof of registration from your course coordinator it is possible to open a Swedish bank account. It is always better to open an account in Sweden and save on expensive transaction and exchange fees from your bank at home.
Buy a cell phone/get a Swedish number. Having a phone is important to meeting up with all of your new classmates and having a Swedish number will save you long distance fees. Also, check to see if there are any good student plans for cheaper rates.
Getting these things done will prove to be a big relief and probably make the rest of your stay more enjoyable. And after all of the boring paperwork is done there is much more time for experiencing the nations and getting involved in all of the crazy orientation activities.
Välkommen till Sverige! (Welcome to Sweden) Photo by: rlstrickland (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
