University of Skövde – Some useful tips

First of all, this is the map of your new university!

Bigger image: http://his.se/Pictures/Campus/Campus_ENG_2014.pdf

Some things related to it… The exams are done in the A building and also there you find the shop and repro service of the university, the cantina is very expensive, the computer rooms are located in the D building, the student helpdesk and the IT-helpdesk are located in the E building and the labs in the G-building. Well, this is a general explanation. Let’s go deeper!


Studentportalen and Scio

These are the platforms in which you’ll have all the information a student will need.

Studentportalen (https://studentportalen.his.se/uPortal/render.userLayoutRootNode.uP). Here you’ll have access to your schedule, you’ll be able to register in the courses of your program (however, to different courses or if you want to drop off of some you’ll have to go to the student service in the E building or your teachers will provide you of registration forms), your grades, webmail (mail.his.se) and Scio.

Scio (https://scio.his.se/portal). Here you’ll find all the information, slides, course materials of the different subjects you are registered in. Also, you’ll be able to submit assignments, do tests and other activities through it.

Cards!

Get your access card as soon as you can, so you’ll be able to get to the university even on weekends and at late hours. The request for such a card is done on a special form via Studentportalen. The form is found under “My profile”.

Get you PayEx account and card for printing in the university. You can also do this in repro, but if you have this account you’ll be able to print and photocopy out of the opening hours of the repro service. (https://wallit.payex.com/konto/registrera)

Get your library card. You just need to fulfill one formulary in the information desk. You’ll be able to borrow books, book study rooms and more things. More information here: http://his.se/en/Library/Borrow-and-request/Library-Card-and-Lending-Rules/

Exams & Assignments

For attending the exams you’ll need to subscribe to them through studentportalen. There are fixed dates in which you can do it. It’s important that you know that in most cases another teacher that is hasn’t give you any lecture will be in charge of preparing the exam.

Also, all the exams last for 3-4 hours or even more. You can go to the restroom after the 1^st and before the last half an hour of the exam. If you want to leave the exam in blank you’ll need to wait till 45 min has passed. The same if you arrive to the exam late, but you’ll only have this second chance once. You can also bring food to the examination.

Exams are corrected in a maximum of 18 working days after the test was done. You’ll be able to collect them or make a copy of them in the A building and if you want to discuss an answer with the examinator, you’ll need to fulfill a formulary.  You’ll get a notification about your marks by e-mail by your teachers or directly through studentportalen. 

In the case you fail the exam, you’ll have a second chance a month after the first one has taken place.

About the assignments, you’ll upload them in Scio and may be in Urkund, a platform that detects cheating. Plagiarism is considered as the worst thing in this university, you’ll get information about it even in the first arrival talk. Also, you’ll have the chance of resubmision if you haven’t passed the assignment and sometimes,  in order to improve your grade. 

After a re-take or a resubmision, only the second grade will appear in your course certificate, and not even the information that you’ve taken an exam twice.

The IC –International Committee

It’s an organization made up by students that organize different events that involve the participation of the international students and also of the local ones. In the first weeks of each semester some activities are planned and during the year there are more. I’m proud to say I’m part of this group and that is a very nice experience to help the students to meet each other and to make the university their new home. I’ll write another post about being a member of the IC group, may be by the end of semester.

Ah! You’ll see is very useful as a new international student to “like”  o “join” the following facebook pages or groups:

-Skovde International students (+ year of application)

-IC  fb page: https://www.facebook.com/SkovdeIC

Of course there are more things that can be explained about the university, but I think these are some of the most important ones that you don’t usually think about till you reach the university and that are good to know. If you have any other doubts or any comments, please write them in the comments’ section.

Vi ses! PS: The next post will be about the Master in Molecular Biotechnology or... What I'm studying in Skövde ^--^