Successful Fresher’s Week welcomed over 1,000 new students

Fresher’s Week gives the new students the chance to get to know each other and get acquainted with campus and Halmstad in a light-hearted way before their studies start.

This year’s Fresher’s Week was inaugurated on 22 August, according to tradition, at the amphitheatre in Linehedsparken, including a speech by Simon Lindgren, Municipal Commissioner in Halmstad municipality. After the inauguration, a little over a week of games, competitions and social activities followed.

Fun activities and new friendships

Two of the more than 1,000 new students who participated in the Fresher’s Week were Karl Peetz and Sandra Gyllström, who have just started the programme Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering, Sustainable Design and Innovation.

“I think Fresher’s Week is fun. It’s a great way to build group dynamics. It’s the first step into student life and a chance to make new friends. The most fun thing was when we had the dance off in the amphitheatre”, says Karl Peetz, and his classmate Sandra Gyllström agrees:

“It’s a lot about being able to get to know each other without the stress that you might have when you’ve started studying.”

“Great way to meet new people”

Maya Landsmann, who will study the Digital Design and Innovation programme, and Elliot Johansson, a new student at IT Forensics and Information Security, also participated in this year’s introduction. They both agree that the Fresher’s Week makes it easier to start the studies.

“It’s a great way to meet new people and I like that it’s not alcohol-oriented, but the idea is that you get the chance to get to know your new classmates. You also get the chance to do a lot of silly but fun things”, says Maya Landsmann.

"Yes, you don’t have to be ashamed either, when everyone is doing the same thing”, says Elliot Johansson and laughs.

Traditional finish with regatta in Nissan

The ten days came to an end on Saturday with the traditional regatta in the centre of Halmstad, where the students compete in their self-built rafts. The winners of the battle were the students from the Technical Foundation Year.

“It’s great that they won, it’s the first time in ages that the Programme in Innovation Engineering haven’t won. It’s also great that everyone had made such an effort with the rafts”, says Daniel Bergman, Chair of the Student Union’s Överstab, which organises the Fresher’s Week, and says that he is more than satisfied with this year’s introduction days. He also praises the efforts of committed upperclassmen, which are called ovvar:

“It’s very impressive to see how all the volunteers together with the ovvar have put everything together. We couldn’t have imagined that everything would go this well. We are happy and proud”, says Daniel Bergman.

Halmstad Student Union’s President Isabelle Widén also looks back on this year’s introduction with joy after the regatta ended on Saturday.

“It’s gone incredibly well, and everyone has really gone all the way to make it good. The Överstab has planned this very well”, Isabelle Widén states.