10 things I wish I knew when arriving in Lund

August is upon us and this means that Lund will soon be flooded with new students! I remember my arrival day, actually my first week, being confusing and looking back there are certain things I wish I knew before getting to Lund or in my first month in Lund.


1) Orientation is important!

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Due to delays with my visa I arrived late :( I missed all the cool orientation seminars and activities which left me in the dark. Had I made it to the orientation I am pretty sure that my transition into life in Lund would have been a lot easier.

This of course was out of my hands but if you have a choice in the matter make sure you are there for orientation you will meet loads of people and get tons of information. If, like me, missing it is unavoidable then I hope this post will be of some use.

2) Think carefully about your accommodation choices

Generally speaking you have two main options when living in Lund, one is to stay in an apartment by yourself, the other is to live in a corridor room. When I went through the process online with the International Housing Office I didn't pay attention and kind of skimmed through everything overlooking important aspects like the distance between my lecture halls and home and the cost of rent (stupid I know but I'm going to point out the obvious because if I made this mistake I am sure there are others who have too). I kept saying to myself if I don't like where I am staying I'll fix it when I get there. I'm sure it's easy enough. It's not! Finding new accommodation in Lund is gruelling so go through the IHO documents carefully and consider how much is in your budget and what kind of living situation you would like.

I had an apartment by myself about 4kms from town. Initially I was bummed about being so far away but soon appreciated the excuse to do a bit of exercise and see the beautiful nature surrounding Lund. I also liked having my privacy which meant I wasn't distracted and could really get some work done. But I must be honest sometimes I wished I was in a corridor room with a more social situation.

The cost was the main concern. I loved my apartment but realised I was spending far beyond my means and when I wanted to move only then did I sign up on AF Bostäder.

3) Join AF Bostäder ASAP

I waited a few months before joining the site, largely because I didn't fully understand the process. The website has a queuing system and the queue is weighted based on various factors. if you are a newbie you are bummed to the front of the queue but after some time you are in line like everyone else and the line can take a loooooooooooooooooooong time!

I joined at the end of September foolishly thinking that I would get accommodation in a month or two. I was sorely wrong and when my year long contract(the maximum anyone is allowed) with the IHO had expired I still wasn't far enough up the queue to get a place. It's a stressful situation so join AFB ASAP.

4) Wait before buying your bicycle

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I love my bicycle and I spent a pretty penny on it. That's how it works, the better the bicycle the higher the price. However, if you wait a little, let's say till the end of September you are likely to find bicycles a lot cheaper than in your first weeks at Lund. Also, shop around a little. Have a look on billboards in shops. Ask if a basket and lock in included in the price. And, lastly, lock your bicycle. Lund is safe but bicycle theft is a problem!






5) Shop with your head

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When I first arrived I went to my local ICA. It was close by and had most of what I needed. What I didn't realise is that the smaller, local shops (especially ICA) are a bit more expensive. Shop at bigger stores, pack your own fresh fruit and vegetables (as opposed to the pre-packed), look at what's on special, buy local, and check out the frozen food section.

Also, keep your cans as well as your plastic and glass bottles, you can recycle these at almost any store and get money back to spend on your groceries later. Every penny counts and your helping the environment!

Alcohol is not cheap in Lund so if you are heading out for a night of drinking and partying consider having a small get together at home first with alcohol bought from Systembolaget, it's much cheaper!

6) Do you have all your documents?

If you are staying for a while (longer than six months if I am not mistaken) you are going to need a personal number. This number is your everything!

Make sure that you have your insurance card from the university. All students are covered to an extent!

Open a bank account. I opened mine with SEB because you were able to open both a current and savings account as well as get a card without your personal number. Once you have your ever precious number you can also get Internet banking (they give you printed out English instructions) which makes keeping your finances in order a lot easier!

7) Amazon

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You will be able to find most, if not all, of your textbooks on Amazon. the prices are a lot better than many of the book stores. If you are sharp you will look at the reading list of your course before starting it and order your books so that they arrive before you need them!







8) Go to the language cafe

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I had head about but thought my Swedish wasn't good enough. The language cafe is a great way to meet people and all levels are welcome! Plus it's free!













9) Eat at a Nation

Don't be shy we are all students and nation lunches are filling, tasty, and cheap! So, eat at a nation!















10) Takes some time to explore the region.

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Skåne is really beautiful so you should make sure that while you are in Sweden you set aside sometime to do a bit of travelling. I simply had no time during the semester. A Masters is gruelling! So, I made sure that I had a big chunk of my summer reserved only for Skåne and travelling Sweden. The Jojo Summer Card made it that much easier.










If this has been helpful to just one person then I'll be happy! If you have been a Lundanite for sometime and have other suggestions feel free to leave a comment!

For the newbies Ihope you have an amazing time in Lund. It really is fantastic despite the beer being over priced!

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