Hej Allihopa – hello everyone!

Congratulations on being accepted to Linköping University!!!

This is an incredibly exciting (and slightly nerve-racking time) and I want to remind you that exciting times are ahead of you. Soon you will be moving to Sweden and will start getting used to a very different reality of a student.

This time is making me quite nostalgic about finding out my acceptance results 2 years ago. Back then I researched every avenue to prepare myself for the move: I read LiU blogs, listened to the podcast “Fika with Us”, looked through alumni stories from my program. And it did help, although there still were little details I wasn’t fully prepared for.

So, today, I want to share with you 4 things I wish I had known before I moved to Norrköping:

  1. It’s a Different Campus!

Just bear with me here. I did know that it was a different campus and a different town, BUT I didn’t know that it was a full campus, with its own administration, different buildings, staff. I was under impression that there would still be quite a bit of connection with campus Linköping. I was even considering to live there instead and commute to Norrköping.

In reality, I only ever go to Linköping campus if I need to, if I am recording a podcast with other ambassadors, or if there is an interesting event happening. Otherwise, Norrköping students don’t really have a need to be there. Campus here is incredibly self-sufficient, library is amazing, all the faculty staff are usually here, and if any book isn’t available, they will have it delivered for you!

  1. What to Pack?

Clothes

I am quite happy with how I packed and what I brought here, but I still wish I had brought good balance of summer and winter clothes. I was very focused on fitting enough sweaters, wool, and jackets, which was great as there definitely are a lot more colder months than warmer ones. At the same time, when the weather finally got sunny and springy, I realized I didn’t really have as many clothes to wear. I was able to bring back some of my summer clothes when I visited home, but by that time it was already august in Sweden and weather was starting to get sour again.

So, I would highly recommend that you find a good balance between seasons when packing and make sure you have couple of simple, practical outfits for warmer days.

Sentimental Trinkets

When you pack for a big move, it’s easy to only focus on practical items and absolute necessities, especially as the airline baggage limits are very restrictive. Back then, I wish I had an encouragement to bring with me more sentimental items too, such as favorite books, printed photos, gifts. Once I settled in Sweden, I realized that I really missed “my” things around and I kept wishing that I had some of it with me. Eventually, I managed to bring some back after I visited home and it felt really good to do so. I really recommend that you look through your things and make space for couple of personal, sentimental items that will help you fight the homesickness.

Food and Drinks

In Sweden, you can find many different cuisines and respective store, but of course not everything is available, especially in smaller towns like Norrköping. If you come from a smaller country or food culture, chances are that you will have trouble finding authentic ingredients. I wish I had kept this in mind before the move and had brought dry ingredients with me, such as spice. If you like to cook or if you associate home with food, I would suggest that you pack with you some ingredients. It will make a huge difference when the first wave of homesickness hits you.

  1. Local Celebrations

One big thing I didn’t know before moving here was all the small local celebrations or town-wide events that Norrköping has. We have culture nights, where the town explodes with live music and art exhibitions over an entire weekend, we have a light festival in the winter, local town library does a lot of activities year around, etc. I find it incredibly exciting and engaging, and it gives me a sense of community here. I wish I had information about this before I moved, so I could plan beforehand and check for other interesting happenings around the town.

  1. Accommodation

I have lived in a corridor for my entire time here and I love it! I absolutely would not change it. At the same time, when I was planning my living arrangement, I didn’t have information on different types of accommodations here, such as shared houses, kitchenette rooms in dorms, private rooms in apartments, etc. I probably wouldn’t have make a different choice anyways, but it is always better to have the full information. If you are in the middle of searching for your future accommodation in Norrköping, check out my blog about it.

Congratulations once again on your acceptance! Reach out to any ambassadors if you have questions and we hope to see you soon in Sweden.

Until next time – Gvantsa

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