More than 3,500 new students - film and slideshow from the Kick Off

More than 3,500 new students have registered to study at Jönköping University (JU). Watch our film and slideshow from the Kick Off, which features a variety of student activities on and off campus.

“It's such a great atmosphere on the entire campus,” says Yrsa Björkbom from Stockholm, who will study at the pre-school teacher programme at the School of Education and Communication (HLK) at JU.

JU campus is buzzing with life during the Kick Off and the students spread a lot of energy and joy in all of Jönköping. Yrsa Björkbom has relatives in Jönköping and knows HLK from before.

“I have had a good impression of the school and the preschool teacher programme and I enjoy the city, so I am looking forward to starting my studies here,” she says.

She thinks that everything with the Kick Off is good and that they have absolutely fantastic “fadders” (older students who support the new students).

“We do many fun activities, such as sliding around in mud in Hälsoparken, and everyone has such fighting spirit! The fadders are very involved and bring the whole group together, so everyone is friends with everyone. You also get to know students from other programmes and schools at JU during the Kick Off. It’'s great that JU has such a good student life, and I can really recommend JU to others.”

Found what she was looking for at JIBS

Natálie Hamriková from the Czech Republic did not find any education she was interested in in her home country, but Marketing Management at Jönköping International Business School (JIBS) was exactly what she was looking for.

“I have high hopes for this programme. I want to work as a marketing manager at companies around the world and one day start my own fashion company. Then you need to know how to market your company, which I will learn at JIBS,” says Natálie Hamriková.

She loves the community at JIBS and that the school has many international students.

“It makes us more openminded and we gain knowledge about how to solve tasks in different ways in different countries. JIBS focuses on the future and involves every individual in the programme.

Natálie Hamriková thinks the Kick Off has been a fantastic experience and completely different from the introduction in the Czech Republic.

“There is nothing like this back home. Here we have a lot of fun together and the fathers are good at getting everyone to come together as a group. We are tired, but we keep going because it is so much fun.

"The Kick Off can do a lot for the students"

Alice Gustavsson, who organizes the Kick Off at the School of Health and Welfare at JU, knows how nervous it students can be to start studying in a new city and emphasizes that it can mean a lot for them to be part of the Kick Off.

“Our task is to make sure that the students feel good and enjoy themselves during the Kick Off. It can be about to making e sure that everyone is involved and is having fun or just following someone to the bus,” says Ida Lilja, who is studying the the nursing programme and who is a "fadder" during the Kick Off.

Malarchy Byrne is studying to become an orthopedic engineer at the School of Health and Welfare and is looking forward to learning how to find creative solutions that suit the patients.

“The Kick Off is an ice breaker for the class. We do some stupid stuff together and then it's easier to talk to each other and spend time together,” he says.

Making memories for a lifetime

Jim Andersson and Ludwig Anderzén at the School of Engineering (JTH) are "fadders" during the Kick Off. They try to create a good atmosphere so that the new students make friends and have fun together. No one should feel left out, they emphasize.

“We listen to the students so that everyone has a good time and if there is something they don't want to do, they can opt out. It's more important that they have fun than that we do, but it's fun for us too! You meet a lot of fun people as a fadder and make a lot of new friends,” says Ludwig Anderzén.

The fadders look after the new students at the student pub Akademien as well, and those of them who drink alcohol do so with care. There are also several sober "fadders" during the Kick Off.

“We create lifelong memories for the new students during the introduction and it feels great to be part of that. There is good energy among the students, and we try to get them to come to the activities,” says Jim Andersson.

They say that they have a very good community on in their programme they study at JTH, New Media Design, and that they are happy to share good examples from there there to the new students.

“We are a very good group who get along across the gradescohorts, so everyone is friends with everyone,” says Ludwig Anderzén.