So You've Been Accepted Into a Swedish Study Abroad Program! What To Pack and Expect Upon Arrival in Sweden (Specifically If You're Studying At SLU)? (Sorry about the length of this blog!)

Dear readers,

First of all, I hope that all of you are doing well, as usual. Here all is well, I'm currently planning the next steps of my life after having finished my Master's at SLU.

This blog is intended for those readers that have been accepted into a Swedish study abroad program. Of course when I discuss travelling and arriving in Sweden, I'm referring to Uppsala and/or the greater Stockholm area. You may have other experiences if you got to northern Sweden e.g. Umeå or southern Sweden such as Gothenburg or Lund.

Right, now let's get on with the blog! :-)

First of all when you arrive, you will probably arrive by airplane and will land at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport. This is the major airport in Sweden and if you want to arrive in Stockholm, this is most likely where you will land. Now here comes the surprise. Arlanda Airport is NOT a city airport. Actually, it lies in the middle of nowhere. In other words, don't think your long journey to Sweden from wherever you're coming from is over as soon as you arrive at the airport. Many people miss this little detail and are overwhelmed by the fact that they must continue their journey by bus or train.

If you're headed to Stockholm or Uppsala city from Arlanda Airport you can either take the taxi, bus or train to your destination. Taking the taxi is an expensive option and will cost you around €50 for one way. An advantage about taking the taxi is that it's door-to-door service and upon arrival in Uppsala or Stockholm you won't have to take another bus or for that matter pay for another transport ticket. Taking the bus or train is the cheapest solution. A one-way ticket will cost you roughly €8-10.

If you're headed to Uppsala be prepared to walk and/or take the bus for around 15 minutes to arrive at your final destination.

Just a reminder: Stockholm-Arlanda Airport is NOT the classical city airport such as JFK in New York City or LAX in Los Angeles or London-Heathrow or Paris Charles de Gaulle and you WILL have to take public transport or make arrangements to be picked up, in order for you to arrive at your final destination.

Here comes part 2 of this blog: What to pack when you're leaving for Sweden?

In general during the late summer, during the end of August or beginning of September (remember Uppsala is around 60°N, so end of August-September is really pushing towards the late summer) the weather is relatively pleasant and pretty stable. My experience in Uppsala in terms of weather in August-September was actually quite pleasant. Daytime temperatures range between +15 to +25°C, while nighttime temps are anywhere between +5 to +15°C. Some days however, can be pretty nasty and the highs can be around +10 to +15°C.

So what to pack? During the end of August and September you'll need summer stuff and a good jacket for the cool nights. When the fall and winter arrives everything changes. Basically for the winter bring everything with you that will keep you warm. Don't skimp on the good winter jacket. I assure you, you WILL need your winter jacket to stay alive during the frigid and long Swedish winter. During the dead of winter daytime highs range anywhere between -15 and +1°C and the nighttime temps range between -5 and -35°C. So this is F%¤#@() cold! Pack a few summer clothes that you can wear during the last month of warm weather after you arrive in Sweden. More importantly, pack winter stuff! You WON'T regret doing that.

I know they're all the predictions about global warming and things. Despite this, when it comes to the Swedish winter, global warming somehow miracoulously freezes over into a 6 month ice age!

To recap what I've discussed in this blog:
1) The Stockholm-Arlanda Airport is NOT a city airport and you will have to take public transport or make arrangements to get to your final destination

2) For the short summer pack summer things (remember: cool days are possible even during August)

3) For the winter pack all the warm things you can in order to survive.

That's it! In addition, once you arrive you will be advised to register in Sweden at the Migration Office or "Migrationsverket" in Swedish. Small tip: if you're NOT an EU citizen, registering with the Swedish Migration Office will cost you 1,000 SEK or around €110. This IS a sort of "hidden" fee when you arrive in Sweden. If your school has worked around this, you're in the clear. Here is the website that explains everything about registering for a residence permit in Sweden:

http://www.migrationsverket.se/info/studera_en.html

On the left hand of the page you can click on your situation. Remember to check out the "fees" section!!!! This IS a hidden fee. Also, I advise you to have medical insurance. People that live in Sweden for a longer time are entitled to all the social services, but if you're an exchange student, don't expect to get free health care just because you've arrived in a social democratic country!

That's it! I wish you all the best upon your arrival in Sweden and a successful year!

Look for my next blog at the beginning of next week!

Peace and Love!

Julian

Great Perk About SLU Housing and Things To Do During Summer

Dear readers,


I hope that all of you are enjoying some nice sunny and warm summer days, wherever you are. Here the days have been quite pleasant, although the last few days have been somewhat grey and windy. There are two things that I would like to discuss here in this blog.

The first thing deals with on-campus housing at SLU. During the months of June and July SUSBO (the on-campus housing contractor) does not require that you pay rent. That means that you can stay in Uppsala for free during the summer break. Actually this is sort of pleasant. Yes, Ultuna (SLU campus and also the location of the on-campus housing) is somewhat dull and not much happens here. During the summer though and when the weather is nice here and you have one or two friends around, Ultuna can be quite a blast. Especially since all the dorms are practically empty no one will bother you if you play loud music at 2 am! :-)

The second thing I want to cover is ideas of what to do in the Uppsala area during the summer months. Besides going to the city and enjoying the warm summer days in one of the many parks in Uppsala, you can also go to one of Uppsala's many restaurants and bars.

Unfortunately most of the student nations are closed during the summer months due to a lack of students. It wouldn't make sense to keep the nations open during the summer without any customers (a.k.a. students) around.

Here's another idea! As you have maybe read in my previous blogs, in the Uppsala area there are a multitude of camping, hiking and sports opportunities. This past weekend my girlfriend and I went camping on Lake Mälaren, the lake just to the south of Uppsala and the SLU campus. Lake Mälaren is a huge lake with a very extensive and diverse shoreline. There are many nature reserves, small beaches and great large and small camping sites along the lake's shoreline. If you feel like camping at some large and official camping ground you can do that, or what I prefer is to find a tiny and hidden spot along the lake. Choose whatever you prefer.

Here in Sweden you are allowed to camp on private properties for one or two nights. In Sweden the term used to describe this is "allemansrätt" or in English this means "freedom to roam". This is a truly great thing about Sweden. Basically it states that everyone can use nature and forests as they want, provided that they follow some basic etiquette guidelines. Don't create trash and don't disturb other people. Here's the Wikipedia link on "freedom to roam":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_roam

This is sort of nice, because in the USA some farmer dude may threaten you with a gun if you're on his property. This intense situation will most probably NOT occur in Sweden, besides the fact that in my opinion most Swedes are anti-gun and pacifists. GO SWEDEN!!!!!

Anyways, there are many things to do in Sweden over the summer. I recommend to stay here in Ultuna for free over the summer and use the rent money that you save to enjoy some of Sweden, as this is not really as possible to do during the cold winters and during the school year when you're crammed with school work and projects.

ENJOY A PIECE OF SWEDEN DURING THE SUMMER!!!

Peace and love people!

Julian