Student influence is a right!

First of all, I want to congratulate you and say welcome to KTH! Secondly I want to introduce myself. My name is Filip and I am Head of Educational Affairs at THS, the student union at KTH, and in this article I’ll be your guide for studying at the university level. Ahead, you have years filled with new friends, new impressions and of course intensive studies. But stay calm! You’ll do just fine!

Studying at the university level is of course quite different from studying in high school. You both have more freedom but also more responsibilities. It will take a while to adjust, and that is completely fine. You will be able to choose when and how you study – for instance most classes are completely voluntary – but you also need to keep track of deadlines and the course in general yourself. Planning is key!

At KTH, there are all kinds of programs, from Architecture to Engineering physics, and every program is different. What all of them have in common is that they consist of individual courses and end in a thesis project. You also don’t go from course to course automatically, instead you have to sign up for each course before you start. The same goes for exams, so pay attention! If you are not signed up, you won’t get to take the exam!

Some people think that it’s nice that you are very anonymous when studying at university. Others miss having close contact with their teachers. However, don’t be afraid to reach out if you have questions – or talk to the teacher in the breaks! Especially the teacher assistants that are in charge during the practice sessions (classes between the lectures where you practice solving problems) are usually great at answering questions about the material.

“The students have the right to be represented when decisions are made or prepared that affect the education or the situation of the students.”

- Higher Education Act Chapter 2 Paragraph 7

Among the coolest things about university education in Sweden is that we as students have the opportunity to influence the universities that we study at and the education we receive. It could be as simple as walking up to the teacher in the break and telling them what you think about the course. Here at KTH there is also a system of course and study boards that work directly with the teachers of each programme in order to improve the courses based on student feedback. The people in the study boards are students just like you that spend time helping their peers, and also get to grow as a person at the same time. So join them and get engaged!

During my studies here at KTH, I have been a student representative in several different positions.Honestly, it’s among the best things I have ever done. Sometimes it has been difficult and stressful but always interesting and rewarding. You get to meet the most enthusiastic teachers of KTH and learn so much about how organisations work. There is also no better feeling than helping your fellow students!

To become a student representative, contact the study board of your programme. It is a part of the chapter that your programme is assigned to. You will hear more about it during the reception in August. Hype hype!