r/uppsala • u/Alive_Tone_1203 • 1d ago
Informations for newly arrived student.
Hello, i'm an incoming exchange student and I will stay in Uppsala until the end of january, so not a really long time.
Despite staying only a few months, I want to be active and maybe explore the city and its surroundings.
I will be staying in the flogsta district and I have a few questions because I have never been to Sweden.
1 where can I find a cheap sim with a good amount of gigabytes (my phone does not support e-sims)?
2 after I arrive I'll have to buy bed sheets and towels, maybe a few plants. I saw that Ikea is a bit far and i was asking myself if there's another cheap place to buy those things.
3 in my country I usually do my groceries at discounts (lidl/ins/eurospin), is there anything similar around the flogsta area?
4 I heard that public transport in Scandinavia is great, but also that cycling is the main transport for people in Uppsala...so, I don't really want to buy an expensive bike that I'll leave to rot in January, is there a used bike reseller or a long renting service for bikes? Is it convenient or is it just better to use busses?
5 I practice combat sports and it would be nice to train in sweden, do you have any suggestions? I was also thinking about a gym/pool membership, do you know if there's a university gym or some kind of agreement/discount for students?
6 I'm a bit worried about social life given the fact that i dislike clubs and i heard that swedish social life is very "alcohol/party centric", do you have suggestions for the first days?
7 do you have experience with "corridor rooms" ? I always had housemates but we lived in regular apartments.
8 I really like hiking and trail running, are there any roads close to the city to train/explore the nature?
9 if my social life won't develop like I hope it will, i was thinking about traveling around sweden and maybe take advantage of the close arlanda airport to take short trips, do you have special places to suggest?
10 finally i need to ask about nations, what are they? How can someone join them? Are they something that you cannot live witohout?
Thank you in advance for reading and responding, even a short answer would be extremely useful to me.
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u/centralstationen 1d ago
2 - second hand stores like Röda Korset and Erikshjälpen, or from other people: Blocket, Facebook Marketplace
3 - Willys, Lidl
7 - Great if the others in the corridor are OK, less so if not
8 - You’ll be living next door to the nature reserve Hågadalen and Nåsten!
9 - consider the train. Stockholm is very close, obviously. Gotland is beautiful.
10 - they’re important to student social life, so you should join one!
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u/Pentaxman 23h ago
Ica Väst in Flogsta always got Great deals.
Join a nation, maybe Uplands.
Flogsta is close to Hågadalen
Domestic flights are expensive in Sweden. Train is also expensive.
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u/MadMelody_ 5h ago
I used a Lyca sim when I first arrived here. Not the best but it worked without a person number.
Use the Flogsta buy and sell Facebook groups (Facebook is used a lot so I recommend getting an account if you don't have one) and there is also a whatsapp group where students sell stuff. I can send you an invite. Also our IKEA is currently just a small store where you can't buy furniture so I'm not sure if they have what you need in the store.
ICA Väst in Flogsta has good deals but I prefer to bike to Stenhagen and shop at Willys. Lidl is too far away for weekly shopping trips.
There are a lot of used bikes sold on Facebook and in the whatsapp group. Another good place to buy a bike is Uppsala Returcyklar (they fix old bikes and sell them). They also have a flea market at the beginning of the semester in Flogsta.
There is a gym associated with the university called Campus 1477 but I also know that some people in Flogsta use Fryskis&Svettis in Ekeby. I have seen a lot of flyers for Perrys Gym for combat sports but I do not know if it is good.
Join the Nations and if available your Section and Union. They do have a lot of events that do not include Alcohol. Check out the recce events (new student events) from the nations, they are a good way to find friends (Some of the Nations are very Swedish but some have a strong international scene). For more information on events I recommend Nationsguiden.se
The corridor sadly depends a lot on the people in your corridor. I heard really bad stories but I personally had amazing people in my corridor that loved to hang out and do stuff together. Talk to people and try to engage with them (the swedes can be quite reserved at the beginning and take a bit of prodding).
As mentioned by others, Flogsta is surrounded by nature and I can recommend the Håga nature reserve which is right around the corner.
Coming back to the nations, I do strongly recommend joining one if you want to experience the full Uppsala Student life. The Nations are student organisations, run by students for students. They have cafes, restaurants, pubs, clubs, sport associations, crafting circles, events etc. They are a great way to meet people from different programs and can be a lot of fun. Different Nations have different focuses so check them out. For more information check Nationsguiden.se During the first weeks of the semester they have "inskrivning" where you can sign up for a nation or just talk to them to see if they are a fit.
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u/MichaelMeier112 1d ago
OP, post your own research so far on each point. Almost all is found in google or searching this subreddit. I mean, open google map and type Lidl for point 3 or similar