8 Steps to Prepare for Your Studies in Sweden
The wait is finally over! Now that you’ve got your official offer of a place at a Swedish university in hand, it’s time to get excited: you’ll be coming to Sweden in just a few months. Here are the top eight things you should be doing to prepare for your studies.
1. Accept your offer
The very first thing you need to do is accept your offer. The deadline to accept is 2 April for bachelor’s students and 13 April for master’s students.
If you receive an offer during the second round, you don’t need to reply to your offer. See Universityadmissions.se for more details.
2. Pay your first tuition fee instalment
In order to apply for your residence permit, you’ll need to have paid your first tuition fee instalment (this only applies to students who are required to pay fees – see Am I required to pay? at Universityadmissions.se for details). Your university will provide you with information on how to pay.
3. Apply for a visa and residence permit
If you’re from a country outside of the European Union, it’s high time to get started applying for your residence permit for studies. See Residence permits and visas for the basics, and head to the Swedish Migration Board’s website to apply.
4. Find housing
Depending on where in Sweden you’ll be living, various housing options will be available to you – see Accommodation for an overview of Swedish student housing. After reading through the basics, your first point of contact should be the housing office at your university. They’ll give you the details on the housing situation in your city and how you can go about finding a home there.
In some places, particularly larger cities like Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö and university towns like Uppsala and Lund, finding housing can be a challenge, so it’s a good idea to start your search as early as you can.
5. Arrange for practicalities
Health insurance is important to arrange before leaving home – see Health insurance and medical care for an outline of what applies for students from different countries. It’s also a good idea to look over your finances and consider if you want to look for a part-time job during your studies. And don’t forget to read through our practical advice so you’re prepared for day-to-day life in Sweden.
6. Connect with your future classmates
Making contact with other students on your programme is a great way to make friends before you arrive on campus and discuss common questions. A good start is to check for postings on your university’s Facebook page or to search for a Facebook group for your programme. You can also check social media or message boards popular in your country for groups of students heading to Sweden. If you don’t find a pre-existing group, why not start one yourself?
7. Read up on Swedish culture and your new city
There’s lots to learn about Swedish culture and what you’ll have to look forward to in your free time. Get started by reading about your future home city and starting to follow the news from Sweden via sites like The Local. Get to know ten current students in Sweden and ask them all your questions over at the digital ambassadors’ blog. You can learn all about Swedish traditions, culture and society at Sweden.se. Another great way to get into a Swedish state of mind is to start practicing your svenska (Swedish) via an online course. And why not see if your local Swedish embassy or consulate has any events on over the summer?
Don’t forget to follow your university on social media to get in the loop on what’s happening on campus! Most Swedish universities have Facebook, Twitter and Youtube pages, and many are also active on Instagram, Weibo, Renren and others.
8. Come to Sweden!
In late August, it’s time to pack your bags and get on the plane, train or boat to Sweden. Your university will provide you with details on orientation for new international students. Make sure to arrive in time to get settled (and maybe visit a certain Swedish blue and yellow furniture store for basic home furnishings and a plate of meatballs) before orientation starts.
Source: This article was originally posted on studyinsweden.se
