The last few weeks have been hectic. From packing up our lives into a 23 cubic meter truck to unpacking it all in a new apartment and a brand new city. I must admit that I underestimated how difficult this transition would be. 

During all that chaos, I was trying to stay up to date with all college activities and news. Honestly I believed that I just needed to be there on August 28th because that’s the start of college in Sweden. Buuut… that’s not really true and I wish I knew about that earlier. So this post is about that – college pre activities and events in Sweden. Specifically for Luleå University of Technology, which I am attending. 

     1. Nolleperioden: fun for fun’s sake

One term I encountered while browsing the university’s website was “Nolleperioden”, and I had no idea what this actually means. Essentially Nolleperioden, or the zero period, is when all new students gather at their campus to basically have a lot of fun. Some of the fun stuff are: dressing in some pretty unique outfits (which I have never seen before), role-playing games, attending parties, campus tours and more. This started on August 16th, so roughly 2 weeks before the official start of the academic year. Being introverted and arriving a bit late, I hesitated to participate. But I spotted few of these interestingly dressed people roaming around the campus.

     2. Meetings: not so fun but may be useful

Two meetings were part of pre-arrival period. The first was the “Welcome meeting” which took place both at Luleå’s main campus and online. The other one was the “Academic workshop” which was just online (zoom).

To be honest the “Welcome meeting” was a waste of time. If you are at Luleå campus maybe worth going, but online version was just passive observation with no possibility to ask questions and with very few actual useful information. It lasted about 2.5 hours and it was on August 21st this year (just so you have a clue when approximately it happens).

“Academic workshop” was good to follow. Basically this meeting was all about useful information you might need to know such as how to register for classes and exams, how to get LTU card, how to find your schedule etc. They also provided pre-recorded session but I suggest to follow it live because you can ask questions in the chat. Just be careful not to be late, because host did’t allow anyone to join after the first 5 minutes. This meeting lasted about an hour and it was on August 25th. 

3. A free trip: Storforsen

So the best reason to arrive earlier on campus is the opportunity for a free trip!

I don’t know if they change destinations but this year it was Storforsen in Sweden. One day trip completely free of charge. You just needed to register, show up, get on the bus and enjoy beautiful nature in Sweden. Again I was a bit hesitant to go, but I gathered my shit and went anyways because it’s a damn free trip! To my surprise, there were just few students from Skelleftea campus. Bus was meant for 50+ people and only around 20 showed up.

The ride was quiet, with a few students snoring at the back of the bus (we had to be there at 8am) and others just gazing through the windows mesmerized by Sweden’s natural beauty. We stopped at Pitea campus to pick up few more students from there and after around 2.5 hours since we started, we reached the hidden gem of Storforsen.

We met with students from Luleå campus – about 150 of them! And from there we had 3 hours just to explore the place. I was with a girl from France whom I met on the way and we hiked all over the place, enjoyed a meal by the river, took countless photos and by the end we returned where the majority of students were – jumping from the cliff into the river! Yes, apparently you can also do that. Just bring a swimsuit. I was so exhausted by the end that I dozed off in the bus on the way back. 

After all, I am immensely glad that I went on this trip. It was not the best trip of my life, but it was a fantastic opportunity to explore a new place and remind myself that I should not be so afraid to step into the unknown. Fact is that we were all new students and no one knew anyone. And while it’s a low chance of finding your future best friend there or having a unique adventure, enjoying a nice day outside in a remarkable nature is almost guranteed. So don’t miss it! 😀

Just for reference trip was on August 23rd.

In conclusion, my cluelessness of college pre-activities in Sweden has evolved into an appreciation for the meticulous organization and opportunities they offer. Having the experience of studying in my home country of Serbia where such opportunities were virtually nonexistent, I am in awe by the activities Swedish universities offer to their students.

If you are about to embark on a similar journey in Sweden, be sure to not miss out on these. Plan to arrive at least by the middle of August. Embrace the unknown, step out of your comfort zone, and just seize every opportunity that comes to you.