Welcome to Alnarp and Alnarps Student Union!

The union is your support during your time here at Alnarp. We provide you with social activities and a helping hand if you run into any problems regarding your education. We have student representatives that speak up for you in most of the decision-making boards at the university.

Below follows a lot of information that you might want to know before and during your stay at Alnarp and in Sweden. On the main webpage a lot of the info is written in swedish, but we are constantly working on updates to make it available in more languages. If you scroll your way down to the bottom of the webbsite you can translate the entire site to english (or french, german or spanish). However, the translation tool we use is google so it isn’t perfect, but hopefully you’ll be able to understand the main content. For more information you specifically, as a new exchange student in Sweden, might want to know more about, onwards! (or downwards…)

ASK, Alnarps studentkår

There are two Student Unions at Campus Alnarp:
LMK, Lantmästarkåren, which is responsible for the about 180 Lantmästare, a three-year agriculture education, and then there is ASK, Alnarps Studentkår

The Student Union YOU will be a member of is ASK, Alnarps Studentkår, (Alnarps Student Union). It is an organization for all students on SLU Alnarp that study bachelor programmes in landscape architecture, horticulture, landscape engineering, garden engineering, all exchange students on these programmes and the master and PhD students. The common abbreviations for the four bachelor programmes are lark, hort, ling and tring respectively. You will probably come across these terms a lot.

Student Union Board (ASKs styrelse)

Click on the links below to read more about who’s currently in the union board, or click on the email adress to contact the board.

  • Chairperson, the head of the board, represents all students on meetings regarding studies, ordf_ask@stud.slu.se
  • Vice-chairperson, the student representative in all study-related questions, vice_ask@stud.slu.se
  • Treasurer, takes care of the union money, which means paying bills and accounting, kass_ask@stud.slu.se
  • Secretary, keeps protokolls from board and union meetings, sek_ask@stud.slu.se
  • SLUSS-representative, represents ASK in the board for SLU’s United Unions, SLUSS, sluss_ask@stud.slu.se
  • Responsible for registration, in charge of  registrations for the union and Mecenat (student discounts), reg_ask@stud.slu.se
  • Responsible for study social questions, works with questions regarding physical, psychological and social environment an well-being, stud_ask@stud.slu.se
  • Responsible for information, in charge of spreading information from the board on our info-channels, info_ask@stud.slu.se

Address:

Alnarps Studentkår
Box 3
SE-230 53 Alnarp
Sweden

Union Office, Expen

The Student Union office, also called Expen, is open during the semester. You can come here to buy membership or ask any questions
For opening hours and more information: http://www.alnarpsstudentkar.se/karhuset-och-expen/

Beside the office hours, feel free to contact any of the board members, by e-mail or in person.

Student Union Membership

As a member of Alnarps Student Union you have all the same rights as a Swedish student. You may consume all the services the Student Union offers, be part of all the fun that the unions committees arrange; maybe you want to go windsurfing, join our choir, play in the orchestra, learn about trees, arrange parties or bake? You can also participate in the quarterly union meetings, where you get the chance to elect your representatives.

When you sign up to become a member of the student union, you agree that you have read and understood the Basic Values of the union. You find the document here.

As a member, you are entitled to rent the student union house for free. If you want music equipment, a fee of 500 kr resides. To hire the union house please visit Expen/the union office.
You may also hire the union holiday house in Båstad, called Arons hus. For more information click here.

The outer sign for your membership is a membership-card that looks like a credit card and is called the Mecenat card. When the fee is paid you will receive your card in a few weeks. This entitles you to a large number of discounts (e.g. students prices for railway tickets within Sweden, 10-15% discounts on goods in many shops, detailed information on this will accompany the card) or visit: The Mecenat card.
The plastic card is NOT valid for Skånetrafiken transportations (busses and trains in Skåne), to use student discounts for transportations you need the Mecenat card app, you get the log-in information you need for the app with your plastic card.
If you have any questions about your membership, please contact the one who is in charge of registration, at reg_ask@stud.slu.se

 

Committees

The work of the Student Union is often delegated to committees (utskott), to which you are very welcome if some of them spark your interest!

Below follows an example of committees to join. You find all committees here.

International Committee

The students involved in the International committé are your live-guides to the university, the union, your studentlife, swedish culture, Malmö and Lund. They can answer most of your questions about your time in Sweden, or send you to the right persons!
The international committé arrange activities to integrate exchange students on campus like dinners, trips and they also meet you on the station when you arrive to Sweden, Malmö.

Facebook group: SLU Alnarp – International Committee (QR code in the attachment)

WhatsApp group: SLU International (QR code in the attachment)

Instagram: International Committee – SLU Alnarp @alnarpintercom

Contact the International committe by mail: ordf_alnarpintercom@stud.slu.se

Alnarps festkommitté (Party committee)

This group is responsible for all the bigger parties here at Alnarp. Most Thursdays is the student pub (PABB) in the Student Union building open. Don’t forget to bring your student membership card as you need a membership to attend the pubs. Each semester there is also a couple of larger dinner parties (sittningar) organized either by ASK or LMK, to whom all students are welcome. Look out for invitations on your email or at posters around campus, or check out the schedule. They also have a facebook-page https://www.facebook.com/klubbmaster/

Alnarps Idrottsförening, IF (ASK:s and LMK:s sports club)

This group organizes sport events for everybody who is interested. Usually there is a weekly soccer game and floorball (a kind of ice hockey, but with running shoes and indoors). There will be equipment for you to use free of charge. No matter who you are, which sex you have or how skilled you feel yourself, just go there and enjoy shaking your bones. The most important is that everybody shall have fun, no matter how good or bad you are at a certain sport. Do not hesitate!
Join their facebook-group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/573060579484726/?ref=br_rs if you want more information about for current playing times,or
contact: idrott_ask@stud.slu.se if you want  to contact the students responsible for the committee.

PhD Student Council

The PhD student council represents all PhD students at SLU in Alnarp. The council consists of a couple of PhD students that in collaboration with ASK, make sure that the research education at Alnarp meets the interests of the PhD students. One of our ambitions is to improve the working and employment conditions of PhD students.
We also work on increasing the number of PhD courses given at Alnarp and make sure that quality standards are met. 

If you have any questions, opinions or want more information, please contact phdcouncil-ltv@slu.se
Please contact us if you have questions, thoughts or wish to join your PhD Student Council! Facebook-group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/252112574940266/

 

Bureaucracy, offices etc. how to get around…

Additional information from SLU here

Queue number:

Keep in mind that you need a queue number for almost everything in Sweden when shopping etc. for instance in shops (sic !) large post offices, banks, railway ticket offices, systembolaget, authorities such as the police and länsstyrelsen (The County Administrative Board) just to mention a few.

Social registration number (personnummer)

You will very often be asked for your “personnummer”. All Swedish citizens have a social registration number, which consist of six digits, which represent the persons date of birth (YYMMDD), and four extra digits (e.g. 780324-4637). Understand that the usual European level of data protection does not exist in Sweden.

You will receive a social registration number, once you have settled in Sweden, from Länsstyrelsen in Malmö. For students who stay less than a year and do not earn money will not receive a personal social registration number. Therefor when asked to enter your social registration number, enter your date of birth and then add four zeroes (e.g. 750925-0000).

Emergencies

For any serious emergency, dial: 112.
This will get you in touch with an operator that will ask you what the emergency is.

  • State the nature of the emergency: e.g. fire, medical problems, accident, violance etc.
  • How many injured
  • Your name
  • Address were the emergency is

Useful telephone numbers, non emergencies

The local police
Phone: 040-203220

Police information for exchange students

Phone: 040-201000

Health care

Hopefully you have checked that your personal health insurance is up to date before you left your home country. In case of an emergency, always call 112 for ambulance or go straight to the Lund hospital.
The student health centre is connected to swedish universities, to provide general health care for you as a student, or guide you where to go with more serious medical issues.

Always bring your insurance forms when you visit a doctor.

Housing

We’ve collected info about housing opportunities here

 

Transportation

Trains:

The Swedish Railway Company, SJ is not responsible for the local train net around Malmö and Lund. The trains that stops at Åkarp (at the nearest station) are the purple trains, so-called Pågatågen. These are run by the local traffic company Skånetrafiken. The easiest way to buy tickets is to download the app ”Skånetrafiken” and register your credit card for purchasing. A student discount is available in this app, but note that you need to have the Mecenat card app with a valid card (NOT the plastic card or the temporary union membership card!) to be allowed to use student discounts for travel. If you cannot show a valid Mecenat card in the app you might be charged a quite costly fee. If you don´t have a Mecenat card, you choose the adult ticket ”Vuxen”.

There´s also the opportunity to buy a single ticket in a ticket machine (available at all train stops). In most of them you can only buy tickets by credit card. These tickets are usually valid about an hour after purchasing. Since you can´t buy tickets on board, you should always make sure that you have a valid ticket for the ride prior to your travel. Train tickets between Malmö and Lund are controlled frequently.

The railroad tracks which are located at the western fringe of Alnarp are just for transit traffic, there is no train station in neither Alnarp nor in Lomma.

Skånetrafikens website Skanetrafiken

Busses:

Tickets for busses are also bought in the Skånetrafiken-app, or by credit card on the bus by the driver. The rules are the same as for train tickets, so don´t forget your your Mecenat card app if you buy a student ticket and always have a valid ticket at hand when you´re travelling! The only bus which stops at Alnarp is Region bus nr. 139, which goes directly to and from both Lund Central Station and Malmö Värnhem.  When traveling from Lund, you can go al the way from Lund Central Station and Malmö Värnhem, but note that not every trip goes to Malmö, and therefor not Alnarp either. 

For timetables visit Skånetrafiken or search in the app.

Long-distance busses might be an economic alternative to train rides. The bus company Flixbus offers low rates to the major cities in Sweden. You do not have to reserve a seat at the bus, the company promise to have as many busses as needed on their routes. For timetables visit Flixbus.

Travelling from Malmö to Copenhagen is best done by train. The trains depart three times an hour in both directions. Another way to get to Denmark is the ferry connection Helsingborg-Helsingör. A quite nice destination for day excursions is the island of Ven, to which you can go by ferry from the city of Landskrona.

Other ferry travel destinations available from southern Swedish ports are: Germany (Trelleborg-Sassnitz). Poland (Malmö-Swinouscie) or Lithuania (Malmö-Klaipeda, Ystad-Klaipeda). From Ystad you can also travel to the danish island of Bornholm quite regularly.

Air travel:

For most international flights is it better to depart from Copenhagen airport, Kastrup. An easy way to get there is to take the train from Malmö Central station. The train stops at Kastrup airport. From Malmö airport, Sturup, it is possible to reach some major European destinations and almost any place in Sweden. Beside the big airline company SAS there are also some smaller ones, for example Malmö Aviation, which have quite good prices. Note that if you are under 25 years and take the risk to fly stand-by you will get very good prices for all domestic destinations. There is a bus to Sturup airport, which leaves from Malmö central station and Lund central station.

Biking:

A bike is good to have. Always keep your bike locked, bicycle thefts are quite frequent in this area. Make sure that you have a working light in both front (white light) and back (red light) of the bike, because if the police catch you without light you may have to pay a hefty fine.

Taxi:

The taxi fee between Alnarp and Lund or Malmö varies from 170 SEK up to 300 SEK, but always ask for a fixed price, otherwise you risk to be charged for kilometers and then it can cost you as much as 400 SEK!

Own car:

In Sweden we drive on the right hand side of the road. You have to be 18 years to hold a driver’s licence to drive a car. You have to bring the licence with you whenever you drive. You can use a foreign driver´s licence for one year in Sweden. Before the end of this one-year period, you can apply for a Swedish licence.

Parking in Alnarp is free of charge as long as you keep to the marked parking lots. In Malmö and Lund you may pay quite high parking fees at least in the city centre.

Shopping and Offices

There are no grocery stores in Alnarp, therefore you quite often have to find your way into Arlöv, Lomma, Åkarp, Malmö or Lund.

The more important shops and offices are:

Supermarkets in Lomma:

ICA Supermarket (closest to Alnarp, rather cheap but also rather small assortment)

ICA Mårtensson

Hemköp Lomma, – Lomma city center
Coop Lomma – Lomma city center

Supermarkets in Arlöv:

Burlöv Center, Shopping Mall:
Many different shops including large grocery store; ICA, Coop, building equipment, books, clothes, shoes etc.

Supermarkets in Åkarp:

ICA Mathuset,
ICA Frestaren

Systembolaget:

In Sweden you are not allowed to sell alcohol beverages above 3,2 % in ordinary grocery stores. If you would want to buy stronger beverages you need to visit ’Systembolaget’, a government-owned store which is the only store allowed to sell alcohol. You are not allowed to shop if you’re under the age of 20 and you need to show a valid ID if asked, so remember to bring your ID-card.

Fast food:

There are pizzerias in both Lomma and Åkarp. Good pizzerias in Lomma are Pizzeria Viking on Strandvägen 102 and  La Mare on Hamngatan 1 in Lomma and Pizzeria Palermo, Alnarps vägen 33, in Åkarp.

Mc Donald’s: take the buss towards Lomma/Lund and get off at ’Prästbergavägen’ in Lomma, if you’d rather go by bike it’s not very far.

At campus:

The Alnarps restaurant at campus, is open from 9.00 – 15.30. Lunch is served between 11.00 – 14.30, the price is 50 – 80 SEK, water, bread and sallad is always included in the price.

Post offices:

Packages and parcels sent to you can be picked up at various places, usually gas-stations or at grocery stores . The location were you will pick up your parcel is stated on the invoice that you will receive in the mail.

Banks, ATM:s

SEB, Arlöv (ATM accepting all cards)

SEB, Lomma (ATM accepting all cards)

Swedbank, Lomma (ATM accepting all cards)

Sparbanken, Lomma (ATM accepting some cards)

Sparbanken, Arlöv

Sparbanken, Åkarp

Handelsbanken, Arlöv, Lomma

Banks:

The best solution is to have your own bank in your home country to recommend a Swedish bank that they have a good relationship with. If you do not have any preference from home, you would obviously like to use the most ”student friendly” one. SEB does not demand any fees or personal number when opening an account. Easiest is to check with fellow students.

Drawing equipment:

Malmö:

Drewex, large and cheap assortment of drawing equipment

Sydrit

Annies ramstuga, has contact with SLU mention that you are a student at SLU to get a lower price.

Kullander, 20% discount as student.

Lund:

Ljungbergs Artist (Bredgatan 10)

 

Model building equipment:

Malmö:

Bosses Hobby, Värnhemstorget (especially model building wood)

Panduro Hobby, S. Forstadsgatan

For other special shops have a look in the phonebook for the Malmö area. Look in the yellow pages or at www.eniro.se

Culture

Information concerning local events is best found in Sydsvenskan, the largest local newspaper.

Some important places:

Music Lund:

Mejeriet

Music Malmö:

KB
Babel

Theater:

Stadsteatern Malmö
A lot is happening in Copenhagen as well.

 

Swedish language course

If you want to learn the Swedish language you can take a course in either Lund or Malmö. For example ILPC-summer course (International Language Preparatory Course) and EILC (Erasmus Intensive Language Course), at Malmö University.
ERASMUS – students can get additional money from the Europan Union for this time. The unions International Committé also usually holds some lessons. Swedish students on Alnarp teach you swedish for fun, much adaptable to what you want to learn. Join the union and learn some swedish for free, while getting to know lots of other students on Alnarp.

Public Holidays

  • Jan 1st, New Year’s Day (nyårsdagen)
  • Jan 6th, Epiphany (trettondagen)
  • Good Friday (långfredagen)
  • Easter Monday (annandag påsk)
  • May 1st, First of May (första maj)
  • Ascension Day (the 39th day after Easter Sunday) (Kristi himmelsfärdsdag)
  • June 6th, Sweden’s National Day, in comemoration of King Gustav Vasa’s accession to the throne in 1523 and the signing of the Government Act in 1809.
  • Midsummer’s Day (celebrated on the Saturday between the dates 20-26th June) (midsommardagen).
  • All Saints’ Day (celebrated on the Saturday between Oct 31th and Nov 6th) (allhelgonadagen)
  • Dec 25th, Christmas Day (juldagen)
  • Dec 26th, Boxing Day (annandag jul)

Most State employees are also free on weekends, on Midsummer’s Eve, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
All Sundays and holidays are marked red in a Swedish calendar.

Electricity

The electric current from wall outlets is 220V DC, 50 cycles (Hz). The wall outlets or plugs might also be different. So, in order for you to use an electric razor, hair dryers, computers, radio etc, you may have to use a specific adaptor and/or converter. Electricity is usually not included if you rent an apartment, check this out closely when renting to know what your rent includes.