New Students
SAKS are here to give you the best start possible to your studies! 'Kick-off' is the perfect opportunity to get to know your new peers, new friends from other programs, mentors and people from terms above your own - all that can give you valuable tips and advice for your further studies! During the initiation you can also find activities to get involved with, which can bring your study time up a few notches in terms of fun.
'Kick-off' is arranged by six different committees that each have responsibility for a program, and IntrU who are tasked with coordinating and supporting the initiation and all of the work behind it. Klick below to find which initiation committee is involved in your specific program.
As new in town, it can be difficult to find a place to live. In Gothenburg, there are two large organizations offering student housing, SGS and Chalmers studentbostäder. Three other large housing queues in Gothenburg that can be good to list yourself in are BoPlats, Wallenstams and HomeQ.
Aside from listing yourself in different queues, you can find housing through Blocket, Facebook or through local bulletin boards, but be careful and cautiously investigate your potential landlord. You can also advertise that you are renting your room or apartment on Housinganwywhere.com which is a student-to-student platform. When you are subletting, it’s important to investigate the organisation's terms. It can also be easier to find housing if you are co-applying with a friend.
If you have moved to study at university or college you are supposed to be registered where you study. You can report your move below:
Depending on what your living situation looks like, your age and if you have any income other than student’s aid, you may be eligible for housing aid. You apply for this at Försäkringskassan
SGS
The foundation Gothenburg's Student housing was founded in 1951 and is run by municipal politicians, Göteborgs Förenade Studentkårer and Göteborgs universitet. They have housing all over Gothenburg and you can join the queue from the year that you turn 17 if you are planning to study. To stay within the SGS housing you need to be a student at either Gothenburg University or Chalmers Technical School, or you can be a doctoral student that studies at least 50% and follows an individual study plan. You may stay as long as you study at least 15hp per term, but with a maximum of 6 years
As a SAKS member you receive 3 months extra queue time when you activate your membership, and after that 1 month extra per term for as long as you are a member.
Chalmers Studentbostäder
Chalmers student housing is a housing foundation that owns and manages student housing intended for persons studying at Chalmers technical school or Gothenburg University.
They have housing over all of Gothenburg and you can join the queue from the year that you turn 17 if you are planning to study. To stay within the SGS housing you need to be an active student at either Gothenburg University or Chalmers Technical School and be a member of a student union. To be considered an active student you have to have at least a passing result on 25% of full time studies per term.
As a SAKS member you have the possibility of staying at Chalmers student housing and for each day you are a member you receive an extra queue point.
Chalmers Student Accommodation
Gothenberg can appear a large city in the beginning and local transport can be a little confusing with the tram network but it doesn't take long to understand it. Google maps is a big help. There are also cycle lanes all over the city but they can also be confusing until one finds the quickest and easiest way to the university. The city center is not so large so one can get around quickly on foot. If not, one can bypass most of the traffic by using the busses and trams.
Västtrafik
Västtrafik is responsible for the public transport in Gothenburg and all of Västra Götaland. That means trains, buses, boats and trams. They have two apps you can download; Västtrafik ToGo where you can buy tickets and Reseplaneraren where you can plan out your trip. As a student you have a discounted price for period cards of 1, 3 or 12 months. To use this discount you buy a period card for an adolescent and it’s important that you have an updated mecenat card to show alongside your adolescent ticket. Unfortunately, there are no discounts for single tickets. Västtrafik regularly does controls on travellers to see that everyone has an active ticket.
Styr & ställ
When the sun is shining in Gothenburg, it can be nice to take a bike ride home instead of being on a crowded tram! Styr & Ställ is perfect for those occasions! For 300kr/year, 90kr/month or 20kr/half an hour you can bike anywhere you want in Gothenburg. The first 30 minutes are free, and after that you pay 10kr/ half an hour. Download the app and start pedalling!
Electric scooters
In Gothenburg you can see a number of different electrical scooters scattered around. They are an excellent means of transport as you literally can get door to door with them if you live in the city center. There’s Voi, TIER, Lime, Bolt and more. Bolt and Voi both offer monthly cards for a certain amount where you can travel for a decided number of minutes. If you miss your bus you can still make it on time!
The Mecenat card is the given choice to get access to student discounts everywhere! Your Mecenat card also acts as your student union ID. So, download the app and start investigating national and local benefits. You also use your Mecenat card as a student-ID for your Västtrafik discount.
As a health care student it’s unavoidable to know that exercise is good for the body as well as the studies. Exercising regularly has amazing effects on your learning abilities.
IdrU
SAKS have many exercise enthusiasts, among others those who belong to our committee IdrU. They gather every Saturday 9-12 and exercise together doing different sports and activities. They also arrange workouts and try-it-out sports during the weeks. All SAKS members are welcome to participate. Read more about IdrU and all they come up with here.
Fysiken
Fysiken has three exercise facilities at: Kaserntorget, Gibraltargatan and Lindholmen. Also, Fysiken has three climbing halls: by Chalmers, in Partille and in Sisjön. They have the towns widest exercise choices by offering different ball sports, Body and Mind exercise, dancing classes, cardio and strength, core and functionality, water aerobics as well as crossfit and climbing.
As a member of SAKS you receive, on top of the regularstudents discount, 250 kr off on a year's membership and 50% off all top rope courses in climbing. Go to their website for more information and to sign up.
Outdoor Activities
A big advantage of Gothenburg is its proximity to nature. There are many walking paths scattered across the outskirts of the city, but also some that are very central such as Slottsskogen and Änggårdsbergen. Here and there, you will also find outdoor gyms. Check out Gothenburg city's website to learn more.