You can refer to them when you need to sent a letter or a package. For
some packages you might be refered to a larger agency. It is important
to remeber that the post agency that you belong to - according to your
adress - does not have to be the one that looks closest to you on the
list below. You can find out which post office you belong to by calling
018-118 118, and giving them your adress. This only matters when things
are being sent to you.

When things are sent to you receive a letter from the post agency saying where you should pick it up.

Where appropriate the information will relate to specific student areas in Uppsala - for example under the "buying food" section you will be able to look up which grocery stores are near to the area "Flogsta". There is also information that is culturally specific, such as where one can buy special sorts of food - from Betty Crocker's muffins to Halal meat! 

 A similar structure is used in the "getting around" section where you will find information that relates to Sweden in general and to specific areas. Don't, in other words, go looking for air-links to Flogsta, or local busses to Denmark!

Many people wonder about getting a job to supplement their income while studying in Uppsala. Follow the menu to the left to find out more!

What is a nation?

I may be wrong, but I am guessing that your homeland doesn’t have nations... at least, not in the Uppsala sense of the word! Yeah, a nation is a bit like a pub, a bit like a café, a bit like a student club, a bit like a college, even something like a fraternity or sorority... but not really! By joining a nation you will be joining a tradition that stretches back almost 400 years, and you yourself will be contributing to this history!

A nation is a place where you can feel at home with hundreds of other students – you will work there, you will party there, you will definitely make friends there! It is much more like a family than a pub or a restaurant or anything like that, and as such you should treat your nation with respect.

Nations are exclusively for students, and you must be able to show your ID and your paid student union identification to get in. The good thing about this is it gives the nations not only a special atmosphere (you will notice that there are no seedy old guys hanging around at the edge of the dancefloor for instance). It also means that if you have friends visiting and you want to go out to the nations (which you will!) then you need to get a guest card for them. You can get these in the Student Union building. Check out the website of the Kuratorskonventet (United Nations of Uppsala) to find out more - click on the flag at the bottom of the page to see the English website.
» Kuratorskonventet 

If a nation is going to have a restaurant, a club, a pub, sport groups, choirs, theatre groups and so on, it needs people to organise all of this: it needs workers! And the best part of all this, is that many of the people working at the nations do it for free. Yeah, if you work a Friday night at Värmlands you will get a bit of cash to go home with, but the klubbverk (the people in charge) sure won’t. So when you are buying your beer that costs literally half as much as at any regular place, be sure to give the workers a tip. If they mess up your half-dry martini or your hamburger takes a few minutes longer than at McDonald's, don't stress! It is students just like yourself who are providing the service.

You may also notice the security guys standing outside, watching... looking scary. Seriously, Swedish security guys are huge. I am pretty sure they eat Australian bouncers for breakfast. Unlike their smaller Aussie counterparts however, these guys not only have official police powers (which is good reason not to mess with them, criminal records are bad okay!) but they also have a strong coupling to student life – some are ex-students, ex-curators, and they are a hell of a lot nicer than the ones you may meet at a nightclub in Melbourne. So, give them their dues and maybe even be a bit nice to them. And don’t even think about bringing in your own alcohol. Not only is it fairly illegal it also brings out the bad side of the bouncers. 

You should also note that being a member of a nation is not a one-way process. So that you get the most out of your time here it means that you have to get involved. The great part about this is that nations are quite flexible, and have a lot of members, which means that if you want to do something then it is quite probable that there are more people who would like to do that activity. Want to start a cricket competition? Talk to the person who is responsible for sport groups. Want to organise a Chinese food night? Talk with the Pub-master or Kitchen-master or the International Secretary. Have you only got three people at your nation who want to play cricket? Contact another nation and join forces! You are limited only by your creativity and energy.

Nations are a whole lot different in many ways to any place you’ve been before. Ask someone who has been around for a while when the last time anyone had a fight at a nation was. I am betting the answer will be “er... um... nah... I can’t think of any”. And that sums up the nations – everyone takes care of each other and they are a cool place to be.

Välkomstveckan VT08

Preliminärt Schema

Maila mig så uppdaterar jag schemat. int@us.uu.se

 Vi har mottagning på VG onsdag till söndag. Det är totalt 10 pass. Ju fler på ett pass desto bättre!

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All information here is intended as a guide. Given that visas are a serious matter you should always check with the Migration Board.

Migrations Board's website

Most guest researchers will need a working permit.

If you are here on a visa for university studies however, you will most likely not need a special working permit. As long as you have a valid study visa you will be able to work in Sewden. There are no restrictions placed on the type or amount of work you can do.

Again, make sure you check with the Migration Board!

To work legally you will have to get a tax file number. I use the term "tax file number" for clarity's sake: in Swedish this is referred to as a personnummer, which is often translated as a "civil registration number" or "coordination number". However, if your stay is less than one year you are not eligable for a civil registration number. You will however need to register at the Tax Office (Skatteverket), and you will receive a number - your "tax file number".

Follow this link for a map of where the Tax Office is (Skatteverket)

Make sure you take your passport and maybe even your letter of admission with you. You will have to fill out a form and then they will send your tax file number to you in the post. You can then take this number to your employer and you can get paid! If you want to work at a nation this means that you should go and see the Second Curator at the nation - also known as the 2Q.

You should note, if you have brought your spouse with you then they must apply for a working visa themselves. Their application is totally separate from yours.  

Understanding the Swedes
From social customs to a trip to the supermarket, this little document should help you out.

Student Working Conditions
In Sweden you have very strong rights as a student. You can find your rights as a student in the above document, Student Working Conditions.

The University (and the Student Union) also works very hard with questions of equality. Below you can find links to a number of important policies. Contact the Student Union's own Equity Officer if you have any questions. You can send an email to jamlikhet (a) us.uu.se

Gender Equality Policy

Sexual Equality Policy

Parental Policy

You should also note that there is a wide range of support available to students who have a disability. To find out more you should send an email to samordnare@uadm.uu.se or you can ring on 018 471 18 77

You can also see the "Studying" link in the menu to the left to find out about the Language workshop which can help with your essay writing.

Understanding the Swedes…

What is characteristic of Swedes? Blond hair with blue eyes you say. You have probably already found out that this is not always the case. What you may not have figured out yet is why we behave the way we do… Below you will find some hints that can make your stay in Sweden a little bit easier.

Be on time
Both at work and in our social life, we are usually very punctual. If you want to be like a Swede you should rather arrive five minutes early than five minutes late. One exception from this rule is the so-called “academic quarter”, which only exists at the university. Lectures are usually posted to start at 10 o’clock, but in fact they start at 10:15, but not all lecturers apply this Uppsala phenomenon so please ask to be on the safe side!

Taking your shoes off
When you visit somebody´s home, you will usually take off your outdoor shoes right at the entrance. It is quite normal to walk around in your socks only, even if you did not think so!

No smoking
Smoking is not allowed in public buildings. If there is a special smoker´s area, you are not allowed to smoke anywhere else. To be sure, take it as a good rule always to ask before smoking (especially in people´s homes).

Social life in Sweden…
There is a saying that we are reserved and that we are difficult to get to know. We have to admit that this may be true (especially during the dark months). Student activities will hopefully give you the opportunity to make friends. Do not be afraid to seek contact with people and to take the initiative, it will be greatly appreciated. Most of us are not asocial, just a bit shy.

Paying the bill
After grabbing a beer with your friends or after having a wonderful dinner, with the man/woman of your dreams you will realise that picking up the tab is an unknown phenomenon in Sweden. The bill is usually split according to how much you eat and drink. Tip is included in the price, but you are welcome to give some extra if you feel like it.

Answering the telephone
What do you say when you pick up the receiver? Just “Hello”? In Sweden this is considered as impolite. Commonly we answer directly with our name or phone number so do not be surprised.

Systembolaget
You will not find beer stronger than 3.5% at the supermarket and no wine or spirits. To obtain some involves a trip to the Systembolaget, which is open Mon-Sat. You will also need to be over 20 and you will need your ID to be able to purchase anything there.

Queues/lines
Besides punctuality we are known to be law abiding and very fond of forming queues. Whenever you are waiting for something: at the cinema, to pay in the shop etc you are supposed to wait in a proper queue. Almost no excuse is good enough to push your way forward in the queue. A modern version is a system with queue tickets (a little paper with a number, indicating when it is your turn). This gives you the liberty to move around freely while you are waiting (and it can be quite some time at the Systembolaget on a Friday afternoon). Do not forget to take a ticket and look for the number display!

We have tried to give you some hints of how to behave in Sweden. During your stay you will realise that some of the above mentioned is not true and other things is exactly the way we describe it.
Welcome to Sweden and enjoy your stay!

A trip to the supermarket

Useful to know before you embark on a fun filled adventure to a Swedish supermarket.

You may notice that items can cost e.g. 4.65 kronor. However the lowest coin is 50 öre, so after the cashier has added up the cost of all the items, it is rounded up or down to the nearest 50 öre. If you bought the item above by itself it would cost 4.50 kronor.

Plastic and paper bags are placed before the register. They usually cost 1- SEK for plastic and 2- SEK for a paper bag. Small thin plastic bags at the other side of check out are free.

FOOD DICTIONARY

Dairy products
Minimjölk (yellow) = milk with 0.05% fat - you might as well buy water!
Lättmjölk (blue) =  skim milk with 0.5% fat
Mellanmjölk (green) = semi-skim milk with 1.5% fat
Mjölk (red) = milk with 3% fat
Ekologisk mjölk = organic milk
Låglaktosmjölk =low lactose milk

Filmjölk = something in between buttermilk and natural yoghurt. Go and try some "A-fil" with fruit and muesli for a refreshing and tasty breakfast

Matlagningsgrädde = cream for cooking with, 15% fat
Vispgrädde = whipping cream, 40% fat

Smör = butter
Margarin = margarine
Sprättägg = free range egg
Ost = cheese
Keso = cottage cheese
Messmör = soft goat cheese

Meat, fish and shellfish
Nötkött = beef
Fläsk = pork
Gris = pig
Kyckling =chicken
Kalkon =turkey
Lamm = lamb
Ren = reindeer
Älg = elk

Köttfärs = minced meat
Leverpastej = French paté
Falukorv = the most popular Swedish sausage
Kassler = smoked pork chops
Blodpudding = blood pudding
Note: “Hamburgerkött” which can be found in the cold meat section is horse meat.

Lax = salmon
Sill (in jars) = herring
Torsk = cod
Hummer = lobster
Räkor = shrimps
Kräftor = crayfish

Fruit and vegetables
Apelsin = orange
Äpple = apple
Päron = pear
Hallon = raspberries
Jordgubbar = strawberries
Persika = peach
Plommon = plum
Citron = lemon

Lök = onion
Vitlök = garlic
Gurka = cucumber
Sallad = lettuce
Kål = cabbage
(gul/röd/grön) paprika = (yellow/red/green) pepper
Ärtor = peas
Spenat = spinach
Morot = carrot
Champinjoner = mushrooms
Potatis = potatoes

Bread
Långfranska = French loaf
Tekakor = teacakes
Råglimpa = rye loaf
Vörtlimpa = wort flavoured rye bread (available usually at Christmas and Easter)
Knäckebröd = crispbread
Skorpor = rusks
Kex = crackers

Spices
Basilika = basil
Koriander= corriander
Kanel = cinnamon
Ingefära = ginger
Saffran = saffron
Svartpeppar hel/malen= blackpepper whole/ground
Dragon = tarragon
Kummin = caraway
Spiskummin = cumin (don't mix this up with kummin!)
Muskotnöt = nut meg
Timjan = thyme
Glöggkryddor = Christmas punchbowl spices
Körvel = chervil

Miscellaneous
Socker = sugar
Strösocker = sugar granules
Farinsocker = brown sugar
Snab(b-)bitsocker = quick dissolving sugar cubes
Florsocker = icing sugar
Sirap = syrup
Vetemjöl = plain flour
Grahamsmjöl = brown flour
Havregryn = oats
Kronjäst = fresh yeast (at the milk counter)
Bakpulver = baking powder

Grötris = round-grained rice for rice pudding
Långkornigt ris = long-grained rice for rice dishes
Buljong (-tärning) = stock (cube)
Senap = mustard
Sylt = jam
Flingor = cerial
Glass = ice cream
Jordnöt = peanut
Hasselnöt = hazelnut
Mandel = almond
Valnöt = walnut

Tvättmedel = washing powder
Sköljmedel = rinsing and softening agent
Diskmedel = washing up liquid
Tandkräm = tooth paste

Drinks
Vatten = water
Kolsyrat = carbonated
Saft = lemonade
Cider = cider, but often with no alcohol
Öl = beer

Other words and phrases of relevance
Stark = strong
Lätt = light
Späda = dilute
st. = it is short for stycken which means pieces,
Extrapris = bargain price
Jämförpris = comparison price, this is the price per kg or litre.
Pant = money back in exchange for empty bottles, cans. You add the cost of the deposit if the price is given + pant.

It is not always easy to understand these social situations. Using the menu to the left you can read about "typical" behaviour in a number of different social situations.

Train communication in Sweden is often used for traveling in the country as an easy and relatively cheap way to travel. The prices of train tickets vary greatly depending on when and where you travel. 

The nation wide train company is called SJ and through them you can book tickets for everywhere in the country. As a full time student you should have a little 'SJ' mark on your nation card, and through that you can get a student discount when you buy your tickets. You will need to show your card when you are traveling with a discounted ticket. 

Keep in mind that cheap tickets can be found in two ways: one is to book your ticket long in advance. The other is to keep an eye out for last minute tickets. 

You can find SJ homepage here. On their homepage you can find information about tickets, book tickets, information about special offers etc.