Communications
We assume that you will want to stay in touch with your family and friends back home and your new friends that you will make once you are here. Therefore, you will need to sort out your different means of communication as soon as possible.
Calling Home and Keeping in Touch
As it is difficult for a non-citizen to acquire a telephone subscription and there is a rather substantial security deposit, most international students do not have a telephone in their room. They settle for a Swedish prepaid SIM-card for their mobile phone. SIM-cards can be bought everywhere where mobile phones are sold and recharged in the grocery store or on-line. It would be a good idea to have the same operator as your new friends in Umeå because making calls within the net of the same operator is often cheaper than calling other numbers.
Another option for keeping in touch with family and friends at home is by Skype (IT-Telephone). As broadband internet is widely available in Umeå and wireless LAN connection is possible in most parts of the campus, this internet-based phone is a cheap and easy way to communicate.
Internet and E-mail Access
Computers are available for students in all of the buildings on campus. You will find information about where to find the computer labs at your department. You will need to go to ICT Service and System Development (ITS) in order to get an e-mail address and access to the university computer network. ICT is the computer center of the university. You will find ICT in the MIT building (at the rear of Universum, next to the natural sciences building). You will need to bring your Notification of Admission/Letter of Acceptance and a photo ID. Please note that you need to be registered on a course before you can get a student e-mail address. This is usually not the case until a week or so into the semester.
You can also get further information on how to connect your laptop to the wireless LAN at ICT. Wireless LAN is available in most of the buildings on campus.
All of Bostaden's student housing has broadband internet connection. To gain access to braodband internet you need to sign a separate contract with Kommunicera (remember that you need to be registered on the first course and accepted as a full-time student to get the student discount), or another operator of your choice. If you do not have a Swedish Personal ID number, it may be difficult to gain access to internet through other companies than Kommunicera. Note! If you are renting your room through the International Housing Office, the internet connection is included in your contract and should work from the day you move in, but you need to bring your own LAN-cable.
Sending and Receiving Parcels and Post
To receive any post at all you need to make sure to put your name on your mail box. The name needs to be neatly printed and clearly visible on the front of the mail box.
You can send and receive packages at kiosks, in grocery stores and at gas stations that display the yellow and blue post office sign. The sign is circular and has a yellow post horn on a blue background. In the regular student housing areas the postal service is handled by Mariehemskiosken (Mariehem Centrum) and the post office at Ålidhem Centrum. If you receive a parcel, a notification slip will be left in your mailbox informing you that you have a package to pick up and where to pick it up from. The slip is written in Swedish, but you should be able to recognise it by way of the post office logo (described above).
