Important Note: This document tries to explain some points and steps which may help new students in the first arrival days to Sweden. However, it is party dependent on personal views and perceptions of different authors which may not completely match with reality. Prices mentioned here are always subject to change and may not be updated.
Before your departure
- Check your general health specially your glasses (preferably bring spare one) and go to dentist for sure.
- Try to find accommodation (at least temporarily) by searching links below, or through your friends and relatives here. Contact hostels or hotels by email or phone and find cheaper one which is close to Chalmers. (See “finding accommodation” part)
Hostel:
There is a list of hostels in Chalamers webpage :
http://www.chalmers.se/en/sections/education/student-life-at-chalmers/accommodation
You can compare the prices of hostels, read people reviews, etc at:
http:/www.hostelworld.com
Hotel:
- If you need an Swedish English Translation service, use this link. You have to sign up but it is free.
http://www.systranet.com/systran/net
- Use this online dictionary to look up words:
http://www-lexikon.nada.kth.se/skolverket/swe-eng.shtml )
If you do not manage your accommodation upon your arrival you will have a hard time finding a proper accommodation.
- Fix your financial support and solve problems about that. Don’t rely on finding job here. But do not be so pessimist about that. Some times it is possible.
- Change your Rial to Krona, not Dollars and Euro.
- Try to make small groups to come with each other and helping during travel.
To bring
- Rice cooking pot (polo paz) if you are not a good chief.
- Your clothes and shoes for Summer, hard Winter (Snow & -15) and Rainy weather However you can find very nice clothes here, but usually more expensive than Iran. (Especially socks and under wears)
- Your old cell phone will work here. You do not need to buy new one.
- Usual first aids and medicines (daroo haie lazem va estefade toolani)
- Some light cooking stuff, dried vegetable, saffron and expensive spices.
- Some sheets, usually blanket is not needed but it depends. You can take a light one.
- Personal, official photos.
To not bring
- Many useless books. Ask from senior students in your program which book is beneficial to
bring. Those should be very few. Of course if you love them, you can take them as well.
- Raw food stuff.
Airport (When you arrive)
You can take bus for 75:- if your stuff is not so much and you know where you go. Rent a taxi (mini taxi: 250 :-) to your arranged accommodation. If you don’t have anywhere to stay, ask driver to take you to a hostel (vandrahem) as closest as possible to Chalmers.
Getting to Chalmers:
You may want to come to Chalmers directly from airport. So get off bus when it arrive korsvagen stop. Then buy a monthly tram card (385 :-) and take tram No. 6 or 8 to Chalmers (just next stop).
Map and Addresses
- You need map of Gothenburg to find addresses. It is easy to get free in Hotels ,Hostels, Chalmers (international office), SGS centers, etc. You can get one in the bus from airport to city too.
- You can use this website too: http://www.hitta.se
- For traveling by tram or bus in city you can use those maps as well as this website:
- To check when bus or tram comes to stations and how to get to destination: http://www.vasttrafik.se
- Trams map: http://www.vasttrafik.se/ImageVault/Images/id_533/ImageVaultHandler.aspx
- Bus map: http://www.vasttrafik.se/ImageVault/Images/id_532/ImageVaultHandler.aspx
- Other transportation maps: http://www.vasttrafik.se/sv/Startsida/linjenats--hallplatskartor/
After your arrival
1. Hostel
First month is a very busy one. You'd better buy a monthly card for 385:- Buy a Monthly Card from closest grocery or "PressByrån". By using this card you can use transportation system as much as you want for one month anywhere in Gothenburg. (Mölndal is not included)). If you are going to stay in a place far from the University you can buy a three month tram card for less than 1000:- .(Don’t forget to mention you are under 26 when you buy the card to get discount. If you are under 26!)
2. SIM Cards and Cell phone
Last year the CIRC gave all international student a free Comviq-Kontakt card. So check it out before buying one!
Use Comviq services, because most of your friends and students probably will do so, and calls between Comviq users always costs 1:- no matter how long they are. Preferably, Comviq-kompis (150:- or 75:-) or Comviq-kontakt (100 :-).
If you do not like your old cell phone you can buy new one in Nordstan shopping centre in any electronic shops like:
OnOff http://www.onoff.se
We suggest you to buy a cheap cell phone!
3. Fix an address
You need an address to receive your person number and other letters. If you already do not have a permanent address, ask your friends to use their address for a while.
4. Personal Identity number (personnummer)
The Swedish ID number is something all individuals who stays more than one year in Sweden needs to have. To get you personal ID number you may visit personally the tax office (skatteverket) in address shown below. The ID number then will be sent to you two weeks after application to the address given at application. You can use your friends address for temporary but you should change it whenever you change your address by going to the tax office. You can read more about ID number here.
http://www.skatteverket.se/download/18.b7f2d0103e5e9ecb08000127/717b03.pdf
Address: Hvitfeldtsplatsen 9
Map: http://hitta.se/SearchCombi.aspx?SearchType=4&wflWhite=1a1b&wflPink=4a&vad=&var=Hvitfeldtsplatsen+9
5. Library and internet access
It is not easy to find coffee net or something like that but you can use internet connection at public libraries. Some of them are free by waiting in queue but it is better to register in library with your passport and get your library card, then you can use internet there as long as you want in the library.
6. Exchange
Here in Sweden you can not have accounts in other currencies like Euro or USD. Forex is the easiest choice if you need exchange. You can find Forex in Gothenburg at Nordstan which is a shopping centre or central station. you can see the exchange rates here: http://www.forex.se
7. Bank account
Here in Sweden you need to have an ID number to open an account. Since you have not that in the beginning, you can open an account in a German Bank with your passport. There are some famous banks like Nordea, SEB, Handelsbanken or Swedbank.
Our suggestion is Swedbank which has some special offers for students. http://www.swedbank.se/
8. Finding an accomodation
They are some websites that you search for accommodation in them. The key point for finding a good accommodation is persistence in searching.
1. http://www.chalmersstudentbostader.se/en
Chalmers Student Bostader. You have the password in your admission letter package. (If you did not find a room yet, don’t be disappointed. They put rooms in the website once in while and you should check it frequently to catch one. It is unofficial but Monday’s afternoons it the time they usually announce the vacant rooms in the website!)
2. http://www.sgsstudentbostader.se/
SGS Student Bostader. You have to register first. If you are already in Sweden go to their office at:
”Kaserntorget 11”, Map link: http://hitta.se/ViewDetailsPlace.aspx?SearchType=4&wflWhite=1a1b&wflPink=4a&vad=&var=Kaserntorget+11&StreetNumberId=102281021
You need to bring your admission letter and your passport.
If you are not in Sweden but you already acquired your resident permit, and if you are in a rush to find an accommodation, you can register by e-mailing bf@sgsstudentbostader.se. State that you would like to become a client and you are a student. They will send you an application form. Fill it, and send it to them along with scan of your passport identity page, your resident permit, and your letter of admission.
When you get your kundnummer (client number) you can login to their website at and start applying for the apartments in Mina sidor\ Lediga bostader (free apartments) section.
The SGS logic is simple. Those who applied earlier are in priority. So the more you will stay in the housing queue the more likely you’ll find a good apartment. Each person can only apply for 3 apartments at the same time and he/she can only reject the offers up to 3 times. If your desirable apartment is one close to Chalmers, with a kitchen or/and extra rooms, you should be in the queue for at least one year to get it. But if your choice is an apartment which is either far from university, or a single room (enkelrum) without a separate kitchen, you will have chances to get it now. Single rooms are usually sharing a big kitchen in a corridor, and most of them have a ten month contract which means you have to pay only for ten months if you want to stay in them for one year.
You should keep in mind that SGS sends you the offers by post, not email, so if you are in Iran you won’t probably get them in time. Since you have one week to respond after they issue an offer, you should check you offers in SGS website in Erbjudanden (offers) section, and inform the SGS about you decision without seeing the offer.
Notice that there are last minute (sista minut) cases in their website with the ‘first come, first serve’ rule. Registering in SGS is overall recommended, because even if you can’t find a place this year you will have better position in the queue next year. You should apply for an apartment at least every six month to keep your account active.
In this website you can find private ads for rooms and apartments. It is better to look for ads when you are here in Göteborg. Landlords prefer to talk to you face to face before giving any kind of promises or contract. You can find various kind of accommodation from shared room to a full apartment in this website. The point is, you'd better be flexible. If you find a suitable apartment then make a group and go for it.
This is a real-estate company which have many good choices for students. You have to register in their website to have access to their database. The problem is you will find many good cases which other people are already in queue for. So you have to register for as much as cases as you can to be lucky and get one.
5. Chalmers Accommodation Office
An "Accommodation Office" will be open at Chalmers (in the Student Centre Origo at Kemigården 1, week 33–37) during 5 weeks in August/September in order to try to assist the students in finding private rooms. You can find many ads of private rooms there. If the landlords speaks only Swedish you can ask Dzintra Tekenbergs (Accommodation office manager) to talk with them and help you to deal with them. Most of new students find their own place with the help of accommodation office. Look at http://www.chalmers.se/en/sections/new-student/accommodation for more information.
You can have an estimate of living expenses in Sweden as a student in Chalmers by information presented in the following table.
|
Title |
Subtitle |
Price |
|
Food |
Overall cost for home made food |
1200:-/month |
|
Big Mac & coke |
50:- | |
|
Pizza & coke |
55:- | |
|
Beef |
65:-/kg | |
|
Chicken |
20:-/kg | |
|
Rice |
15:-/kg | |
|
1&1 lime juice |
18:- | |
|
Bread |
20~30 :- /Kg | |
|
|
| |
|
Accommodation |
A furnished room with bath and toilette and a shared kitchen |
3100:-/month |
|
A furnished room with bath and toilette and kitchen |
4500:-/month | |
|
Electricity |
200:-/month | |
|
Phone call to Iran –Tehran with Card |
40:-/hour | |
|
Water |
0 | |
|
|
|
|
|
Entertainment |
Cinema ticket |
120:- |
|
Sports Club |
400:-/ 3 months | |
|
Swimming (ten times_ per year) |
30 (200_1000) :- | |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Computer - Swedish keyboard |
An Up to date PC - Not Branded, New |
5500:- |
|
An Up to date PC – Branded |
8000:- | |
|
Laptop, Dell, Compaq or Toshiba |
13000:- | |
|
Mouse |
300:- | |
|
Internet Connection, Bread band(for students) |
200:-month | |
|
10 CD |
90 :- | |
|
|
|
|
|
Transportation |
Bus and Tram monthly card |
380:-/month |
|
Bus and Tram for one and half an hour journey |
20:- | |
|
Round way airplane ticket to France with SAS for youth |
3000:- | |
|
Round way airplane ticket to Stockholm with SAS for youth |
600:- | |
|
Hire a car for 1 day |
300 :- | |
|
|
|
|
|
House ware |
Set of six glasses |
80:- |
|
|
pan |
200-300 |
|
|
|
|
|
Clothes |
jeans |
300~700 :- |
|
|
jacket |
1000:- |
|
|
shoes |
350:- |
|
|
T shirt |
100:- |
|
|
|
|
|
Cell phone |
With SIM card |
400~2000 :- |
|
Bicycle |
Second hand |
500~1000 :- |
|
|
|
|
Tram, Monthly
Be aware that the tram number 4 some last stations are outside the Göteborg region and your monthly Göteborg card might not work. Also the colored buses like “Grön”, “Blö” and some other busses go outside the Göteborg region and you need to pay more for them.
Electronics
Laptops, digital cameras, cell phones, etc are more expensive in Sweden than Iran. In the case of laptops finding a specific laptop without a Swedish Keyboard and Windows is not easy. However, you can have a better support as well as insurance for your purchases here.
Student Card
You should know that to be considered for student prices in your travels the Chalmers student card do not suffice and you should have a “student card” which you have two options for it. One is an international student card which is valid for the general student prices all over the world and you can request this card from a travel agency. The other option is to get a Swedish student card (studentkortet.se) which you can use in Sweden and have some extra discount options (SAS , SJ, SWEBUS). The price for the first one I think is 180 and for the second one is 50.
Bus
The cheapest bus services to the cities Stockholm, Malmö, Berlin, Oslo and Copenhagen is Säfflebussen. You can find their office in Nils Erricsson Terminalen
Master thesis
Try to start looking for your master thesis rather early (around end of 3rd or during 4th quarter) and don’t expect that if you start early you will find early! It should be your constant effort. It is rather difficult to find a good master thesis and it will be one of your most important academic outputs. You may hear that there is an industry day in February in Chalmers and you can contact companies on that day for master thesis. But don’t count that much on that, since even in those days the companies usually refer you to their websites for master thesis which is even available to you now. So browse the companies’ websites and their people as soon as possible and approach them with different techniques you may find. Propose them a thesis work! Go for an industry visit and discuss about thesis! Ask simply for a thesis and many different other ways. You should know that writing and sending just emails is not enough and you should also try to make them phone calls and send follow-ups. Don’t forget to go also to the HandelsHögskolan (Gothenburg School of Economics and Commercial Law) industry day, which is one or two month earlier than Chalmers Charm day. It is named “gadden”. Also there is a Swedish website where all master thesis are advertised there (http://exjobb.sunet.se/). It is only in Swedish and you should check it every day and contact very new ads since the works are taken very fast. Be creative and try to learn new sources of information for this issue. I can give you a start: try the sintef.no website. It is a Norwegian research institute which has a lot of projects. I myself contacted them and was offered a master thesis but I could not take it since I was not finished yet with my courses.
For those who want to do their master thesis more academically rather than with a company they should never forget about the possibilities of doing master thesis in other Swedish universities and universities abroad. One interesting thing that I found is that if you do your thesis in an American or Canadian university you do not need to give any tuition fee.
Swedish Course
If you want to attend any Swedish course try to apply very soon since it will take 3 to 4 month for them to give you a place. You should have a personnummer (ID number) to be able to register. You should go to the VuxenUtbilding (Adult education) office. Their contact information is below:
|
Vuxenutbildningsförvaltningen, Göteborgs Stad |
|
|
Box 5412, 402 29 GÖTEBORG Växel |
031-61 10 00 |
|
Besöksadress: Skåneg. 20 |
|
|
Studieinformation |
031-61 39 00 |
|
Kansli |
031-61 35 84 |
|
Fax |
031-61 35 83 |
|
E-post |
If you live in Hisingen you may contact the Hisingen Vuxenutbildning office which you can get their contact information from the above address.
About the Swedish class, most of my friends who have applied for this course attended their course in Folkuniversitet and their courses were only for 2 or 3 month. But I and some others attended our Swedish course in a center in Lindholmen named “Kunskapkretsen” which as far as I understood you can attend their courses unlimited!! Their phone number is 511440. If you want to have longer Swedish course discuss about this institute with your counselor in Vuxenutbildning.
Mobile
Always remember that if you answer a call while you are outside Sweden you will be charged extra (instead the one who have called you). So be careful with answering or rejecting phone calls outside Sweden!
Exchange
Forex is the easiest way for exchange. But I have found that forex exchange rates are generally lower than the banks like Foreningsparbanken. Remember that if you have a card like maestro, master card or visa you can always pull money from your account in the ATMs in the western Europe and you will be only charged like 35 kr for the exchange fee.
Job- Sommarjob
The official Swedish employment agency which has a free data bank of available jobs is Arbetförmedlingen (ww.ams.se) which is very updated and popular between the employers and job seekers. Have a look into this website regularly and browse through the jobs. Do not expect to take the jobs there very easily since almost all of them require proficiency in Swedish. However it is a good source to know employers through this site. You can find employers information and their contact information through this website and then contact them your self by phone or visit and try to arrange something else unofficially.
Print Quota
In the I-section you will have 500 page quota for print each semester which you should be careful to use efficiently since you will have a lot of thick project reports to print. In the other sections I think they don’t require this much and even I have heard that in some sections they have unlimited print quota. So you must ask these questions from your computer administrator.
Yellow Pages
The yellow-pages of Sweden is administered by Eniro.se. Their website is in Swedish but you can easily find out how it works. You can also find the addresses and places in this website on a well functioning dynamic map.
Sports
You have come to right place. There are several good options for doing daily training. For example:
Fysiken is a large training center close to Chalmers which offers student discount. There are several options for entrance cards to this facility such as:
· “Dag kort” which is a half price but only limited to use before 14:00.
· “Basic Kort”
There is a very good swimming pool as well close to Korsvägen. Check out here:
http://www.gotevent.se/valhallabadet/2005_avgifter.asp (prices)
http://www.gotevent.se/arenafakta/hitta.asp (address and map)
Just let us know what you’re looking for.
Clothes
There are two main sales during the year: one in Christmas and the other in the end of July and beginning of August. At the end of the sales, prices even reach “halva Rea priset” (half of the sale price!).
Whenever you buy something you can return it in a week after the purchase (It depends on the shop) on condition that it is still in the original condition and you also have the receipt.
Second hand bicycle
You can found announces for second hand bicycles or other staffs in below resources:
- www.annonsdirekt.se
- www.blocket.se
- Saturday “Göteborg Posten” or GP newspaper
- On the boards at Chalmers!
Photo machine
When you apply for a Swedish ID Card you should have a photo in which your face is turned a bit to the side and one of your ears is visible. The cheapest way to take such photo is using the Photo Machine which cost about 50:- /4 print. If you go to a photo shop it will cost you about 120:-
There is a Photo Machine in the “Central Station”.
ID card
After you get your ID Number you can apply for a Swedish ID Card. To do so you should go to a bank or post office (post office is cheaper?) and have a photo described before, and someone who already has an ID Card should follow you with his/her “personbevis”.
Food
- Micro Pizza
- Kyckling File
- Arabic Shops, ex: Simmo
- Sunday, Kviberg Bazar (cheaper fruit)
- Basmati rice is like “dom-siyah”
- 20:- baguettes including coke
- Mossen Pizza by the Fysiken (50:-/a big pizza maybe for two!)
Dictionary
NORSTEDTS ENGELSKA ORDBOK (student edition) is a good one!
And of course there are a lot of online dictionaries, just search in Google!
Student Union Fee examination
If you do not pay your student union fee you can not take part in the examinations, in addition your student card will not be valid and you can not use student discounts.
Student union fee is about 270:-/semester.
Denmark
You can travel to Denmark by ship! “Stenaline” www.stenaline.se
Pharmacy (Apoteket)
If you have a minor sickness like a cold you can go to an “apoteket” and get some advice and “receptfri” medicines.
Libraries
There is a very good database at Chalmers library. http://www.lib.chalmers.se/
You can also become a member in city libraries for free. You just go to one of them and get a card and you can use that in all of them! You can also find Movies and Persian books.
Telephone Card
King of the Kings, Star
Travel
- ”Sista minuten” Packages to EU
- Ryan Air: very cheap airplane tickets at www.ryanair.com
- “Sista minuten” train tickets
- Airplane and Train ticket discount for student and youth (under 26)
Copy card
You can get a Copy Card from your department or at Chalmers library entrance, It costs you 0.5:-/page, Card itself costs 10:-. You can charge your card.
Student Portal
Visit http://student.chalmers.se/
Sharif University alumni in Göteborg
http://www.suta.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=chapters&file=index&chapter=2
Answer to some frequent questions:
- There is no institution in Sweden that you can apply for scholarship or any other assistantship, except Swedish Institute.
- Swedish institute will notify you if you are granted a scholarship before you receive your admission. There is no possibility for a student to apply for scholarship and it can only be done by your coordinator in your program.
- It’s hard to finding a legal job here in Sweden without knowing the language.
- For illegal jobs (when you don’t pay taxes) on the best you are paid a total amount of 2000-3000:- per month for a 4 hours a day work. It is rather hard to find such a job without having contacts that usually you don’t have.
- Not recommended coming to Sweden without support from Iran.
- It’s suggested that you come to Gothenburg 10 days before registration. If you come late you will have difficulties to find a proper accommodation.
Written and collected by:
Tohid Ardeshiri, Sogol Kharrazi, Kazem Yaghoutkar 2004
Alireza Afshar, Hesam Soltanpour, Babak Bahremand 2005
Modification history:
Behnam Kamrani, minor changes, partly updated 2005
Behnam Kamrani, minor changes, partly updated/edited 2006
Mehdi Vahab, minor changes, parts added 2007
Habib Talavatifard, parts added 2007