Hi,
I realised that had never described the difference between Student Union and Student Nations in Uppsala, which is something I was really lost in during my first days of the campus (let´s be honest, during first weeks or months :D). I did not know what students unions or nations are from my previous studies, so that I had to learn more and maybe this article could help you not to be confused by these two terms.
Student Union
- There is only one
- You have to pay to become a member
- Union is located on the campus
- Only SLU´s students can join
- Union is mainly in charge of monitoring the quality of education therefore they work with the university and try to address some shortcomings
- They organize activities for new students in the beginning of semester but also during the year there are events organised by Union
- Membership fee is 250 sek/semester (if I remember correctly)
Student Nation(s)
- There are 13 nations in Uppsala
- You have to pay to become a member
- They are spread out in the city
- History of Student Nations goes back to 17th century
- All students at the university in Uppsala can join
- Student Nations are named according to Swedish regions
- Stockholms nation, Uplands nation, Södermanlands-Nerikes nation, Västmanlands-Dala nation, Smålands nation, Göteborgs nation, Kalmar nation, Värmlands nation, Norrlands nation, Gotlands nation, Gästrike-Hälsinge nation, Östgöta nation and Västgöta nation
- There are several activities every week – ranging from pubs, clubs, theme events – so that students have endless opportunities to meet and socialise
- To become a member you can choose whichever Nation you like (some serve more vegan food, some have good parties,…)
- Membership fee varies from nation to nation, but expect to pay around 260-280 sek/semester
So, now you know the differences and maybe you are asking: Why should I become a member?
- Of course, you can become a member of both
- During your first days, Student Union will help you to get a Mecenat card (student card to get student discounts) and you can buy discounted tickets for events organized by Union (some dinners, Lucia concert and a lot more). Since I do not live in Uppsala, I have not participated at those events and for second semester I am not a member anymore
- Having a Student Nation card seems to be a must have for students since most probably you will go out with your fellow students and you cannot enter Nation without a Nation card, which proves that you are a member. In case of some nations, you are allowed to eat lunch there even without the card, however, you cannot go to pubs or clubs without one. So that, I think you will not avoid becoming a member of Student Nation
Hopefully, this helped you somehow. I would have really welcomed these differences at the beginning of my studies because this is not information that you will find on Nations´ websites.
Denisa