Here you will find some FAQ’s related to our Reception and other good to know information for new Chalmers students.
Before you send us any mail, we suggest you go through these FAQ’s. If you still have queries, please contact us.
Q : What is a Phadder?
Ans : Please look through the page Phadder.
Q : I have registered but haven’t heard anything from my Phadder.
Ans : Don’t worry! If you have applied for a Phadder you will get one.
Q : I’d like to participate in your activities, but I don’t see where I have to sign in or whom to contact at CIRC for this?
Ans : We invite everyone to our WhatsApp community via email. You will be notified by WhatsApp about all events in our community. WhatsApp is our main communication channel where we send out regular updates & also serves as a platform to connect with the other students. We also post about events on our Facebook & Instagram
Q : Ticket Selling? What is this?
Ans : Some of our events have limited spots and you need to buy tickets to attend these. During the reception period, we will have ticket selling for such events. Information about how & when the tickets are sold will be communicated via our social media platforms a few days before.
Q : What is Canvas?
Ans : Canvas is Chalmers learning management system where you find all your course material & where you submit class assignments.
Q : Committees & societies?
Ans : If you are interested to learn more about committees & societies at Chalmers look no further –
List of committees & societies
Note –
- Not all committees are open for non-Swedish speakers.
- There are committees & societies related to the different student divisions in addition to this.
Q : Where can I find the study schedules & other important school related information?
Ans : All information regarding your studies and Chalmers services for students can be found in Student Portal. You can also use “TimeEdit” to get your timetable
Most lectures at Chalmers are not mandatory, make sure to double check for your specific courses. Labs may be mandatory & you might have exercises in your courses where you can work with the material with the guidance of your teachers & TA’s.
Q : Getting you CID & registering for courses on Ladok?
Ans : 3 weeks before the start of the school year, you can activate your CID.
Follow these steps to get your CID –
Activate your CID as a limited account to use it in Ladok:
Activate your CID in the MyAccount portal (see link below).
Log in to MyAccount with, for example, universityadmissions.se, BankID or eduID.
Select “Activate CID” and set a password.
Your CID is activated as a restricted account.
After 1–2 hours you can use your CID to log in to Ladok.
Activate your CID as a student account:
Complete step 3. “Register in Ladok to enroll in your programme/freestanding course”
Once you have registered on a course your CID will be activated as a student account.
After 8 hours all parts of your student account should be fully functional.
MyAccount – Administration of your Chalmers account (CID) | Chalmers
Remember that it takes time for your CID to be fully operational. At the beginning of the school year, there is high load on the servers which can cause longer waiting times.
Q : What is Ladok & registering for courses on Ladok?
Ans : Ladok is the website where you register for your courses & exams as well as the result portal for the exams. In order to be able to register on Ladok, you need to have your CID activated & remember that it can take few hours for it to be activated.
It is mandatory to register on Ladok to keep your place at Chalmers. Course registration opens 3 weeks & closes on second Tuesday of the study period.
Registrations for exams is mandatory otherwise you wont be able to take the exam.
Q : Confirming your presence on the campus.
Ans : As a new student, without a Swedish ID you must show your ID card in person at the reception in Student Union building(Kårhuset) within the timeframe given without which you will loose your place for Chalmers.
Q : What is a SU card?
Ans : Your SU card is important for your to access all campus buildings & facilities. It has a loadable wallet which can be used to make payments at discounted rates all over Chalmers. You also need to pay the membership fee to write the exams.
Disclaimer – the membership fee is included in the tuition fee for fee paying students.
For more information about Student Union Card and to load it with money please click here.
Q : How to get your SU card?
Ans : SU card is handed out to students during the “Campus Tour”.
Q : How to get from the airport to my accommodation?
Ans : There are buses which go from the airport to the city. You can buy your bus ticket in advance online. Please notice that you cannot pay with cash in the bus. They only accept cards. To buy tickets online go to this page: www.Flygbussarna.se
This Flygbussarna bus goes only to specific stops. Find out which of those is optimal for you and also the stop nearest to your accommodation. Then go to Västtrafik.se to search for the buses/trams between those two stops to reach your accommodation. Vasttrafik is the local transport company.
You can also get their app from this page which is very useful for local travelling. Information about prices and fairs for traveling with Västtrafik can be found in the same website.
Q : What to do if I arrive Gothenburg after office hours of the CSB and SGS Kundcenter and can’t get my accommodation key on that day?
Ans : We suggest to plan your travel such a way you can avoid this situation. But if you really can’t avoid this situation, then we have 2 suggestions for you. Search these following sites to find some hotels, stay there as long as you can’t get your accommodation keys.
SGS provides a Proxy form. You can give this authorization letter (proxy) to a person whom you can trust and can collect the keys for you, if you arrive after office hours. The authorization must be witnessed by two outsiders (people who know you). In case of the option 2, You must trust the person enough to give him/her the authorization letter. It is completely personal between you and that person. CIRC can not be held responsible if the keys get lost or anything wrong happens with the keys.
Q : What do I need to open a bank account in a Swedish bank?
Ans : Depending on the bank, they might want you to have a Swedish personal number and/or a Swedish ID-card. You can check SEB and Nordea. Having a Swedish bank account might pay off if you stay longer in Sweden.
Q : How do I get a SIM card?
Ans : You can buy SIM card from Chalmers Kiosk or any nearby Pressbyrån, 7-Eleven and most supermarkets and convenience stores.
Q : How do I buy a tram or bus ticket?
Ans : The bus/tram company of Gothenburg is called Västtrafik. Go on their website to learn more about the tickets and fares.
Q : Where can I buy groceries?
Ans : Willy’s, Ica, Coop, Hemköp, Netto, Lidl or Tempo.
Q : Where can I buy things for my apartment?
Ans : IKEA has almost everything. It’s situated in Bäckebol and Kållered. In the city centre you can turn to Åhlens, Hemtex, or Chilli for blankets, pillows and such. At Clas Ohlsson, Åhlens and Chilli you will find cutlery, pans and pots.
Q : I want to see a doctor. Where should I go?
Ans : Please click here for all important contact details.
Vårdcentralen is your primary care facility & you are assigned one based on where accommodation is located. Call 112 in an emergency, 1177 for guidance.
Q : Which medical insurance do I have in Sweden?
Ans : EU/EEA, Nordic and Switzerland citizens should ask for the European Health insurance card (or form E128 or E111 depending on your country) to have access to healthcare like any other Swede. If you live in Sweden for more than a year and have received a Swedish personal number, you are insured the same way as Swedes. However, you should still register with Försäkringskassan in order to be eligible for all benefits such as child support.
Non EU/EEA citizens staying more than a year should apply for a personal number to have access to healthcare like any other Swede.
All you need to know about medical insurance depending on your country and the length of your stay can be found on this website: Medical insurance in Sweden
Q : How can I buy alcohol?
Ans : Regular stores are not allowed to sell drinks with more than 3.5% of alcohol. Special stores called Systembolaget sell the stronger alcohol. You have to be more than 20 years old to be able to shop there.
Q : Can I survive in Sweden if I don’t know Swedish?
Ans : Of course you can! In Sweden you won’t find any difficulties with communicating in English in order to make yourself understood. However, it doesn’t hurt to learn a few phrases and sentences and if you are planning to stay here longer than just for your studies it is recommended and even somewhat necessary to learn the language since it makes work life and socializing with Swedes much easier.
Q : How or where can I get Swedish language lessons?
Ans : Chalmers does not offer any Swedish lessons. If you are a Tuition fee paying/Scholarship student, you will be offered with free Swedish lessons from Folkuniversitetet.
If you are a Non Tuition Fee paying student and want to have Swedish lessons from Folkuniversitetet, being a member of Chalmers Student Union you will get 20% discount.
Also the city of Gothenburg offers free Swedish Courses for Immigrants (SFI). There is a high demand, so it has a long waiting list (up to 3 months). However their courses are free.
Q : What is a personal number?
Ans : In Sweden every citizen has a personal identity number, a “personnummer”. This number is used in nearly all official transactions, at the bank, hospitals etc. A personal number consists of ten digits: year, month and date of birth, plus four extra digits.
It is important to note that after receiving the personal identity number, it is your responsibility to update it on all databases – Chalmers University, Student Union, CSB, SGS etc. If you need any assistance, you can always ask for help at the information desk.
If you intend to stay one year or more in Sweden, you should apply in person for a personal identity number at the local tax office Skatteverket Here are the Offices of Local Tax Agencies. We highly recommend to apply for Personal Number as soon as possible after arriving in Gothenburg. More information can be found at Skatteverkets homepage: Non-EU students, EU students.
Q : I don’t have a fixed address yet. Can I still apply for a personal number?
Ans : To apply for person number you need to have an address. If your address is not fixed yet, you can ask about it at the local tax office.