Stúdentablaðið - 01.09.1983, Blaðsíða 14

14
STUDENTABLAÐIÐ
But you needn’t be dismayed.
When an Icelander hits his friends,
he is only meeting them (að hitta, to
meet); when he smacks his food, he
is only tasting it (að smakka, to
taste); when the children beat nap-
kins, they are only trading them (að
býtta, to barter or swap); and for an
Icelander to hate his name is only
for him to be called by it (að heita,
to be named).
This little lesson is a reminder
of the importance of getting the
right information, especially as a
newcomer to a strange land. For-
tunately, there are a number of
good services available to you in
this regard.
One source of information which
you will find useful is the news-
paper you hold in your hands,
Stúdcntahlaðið. which is published
by and for students at the Uni-
versity of Iceland.
More exactly, Stúdentablaðið is
put out by the University Studenl
Council (Stúdentaráð Háskóla ís-
lands, abbreviated SHÍ; see further
information below); it appears
eight times peryear. All registered
students receive the paper auto-
matically. The subscription price is
included in the University’s
registration fee.
Stúdentablaðið attempts to call
attention to all issues and events of
special importance to students in
the University, and to discuss more
general matters affecting education
and culture. Pertinent contri-
butions from any student are wel-
comed by the editors.
This year, Stúdcntablaðið has
planned a series of articles in Eng-
lish for the benefit of new foreign
students. But, of course, most
things which appear in the paper
are in Icelandic, and it may be a
few months before you find that
you can read them easily.
News from Iccland is a monthly
newspaper published in English.
And although it is not intended
especially for students, you are
nevertheless likely to find it
informative and useful.Toquoteits
own advertising: News from Ice-
Iand .. . reports on the main
events in the country, interpreting
economical and industrial deve-
lopments, with special emphasison
fishing. Politics, culture, communi-
cations, and ... tourism are also
featured.“ This paper is available in
the student bookstore, Bóksala
stúdenta. which is located in the
Student Union (Félagsstofnun
stúdenta. see map). The price per
copy is presently 22 kr. — or, you
may want to subscribe (News from
Iceland, Höfðabakki 9, P.O. Box
93, Reykjavík; telephone number
84966).
The University Student Council
(SHÍ), which was established in
1920, isabody which represents the
interests of university students in
Iceland, foreign students included.
It consists of 30 elected student
members, four of whom also sit as
representatives in the University
Council (Háskólaráð). Student
Council elections are held each
spring, and all students formally
registered in the University of
Iceland are entitled to vote and to
seek a place on the Councih
In addition to representing
student interests and publishing
Stúdentablaðið, SHI provides cer-
tain special services for university
students, such as an information
service through which studentscan
investigate their rights in various
matters, and an employment coun-
selling service. The offices of SHÍ
are located on the second floor of
the Student Union, and are open
weekdays from I0 to 5; the tele-
phone number is 15959.
Beginning in mid-Oetober, SHÍ
will be sponsoring a series of eve-
ning get-togeters for foreign
students, in order to help to
familiarize them with the workings
of the Student Council and of the
University of Iceland in general.
Foreign students will also be offer-
ed an introduction to key features
of Icelandic culture and society,
past and present. These get-to-
gethers will be advertised in the
entrance hall of the Student Union
and elsewhere; those who are
interested should keep an eye out
for the notices.
Also available for information
and assistance is the University’s
Student Advisor (Námsráðgjafi),
Ásta K. Ragnarsdóttir. Her office is
located on the top (third) floor of
the University Main Building
(Aðalbygging, see map); turn right
at the top of the niiddle staircase,
and it’s the second door on your
right. Her office hours are on
Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 to 1
o’clock, and on Thursdays and
Fridays front 3 to 5 (telephone
25088, exlension 143).
The Student Advisorcan provide
information about the organization
of the various programs of study
within the University, and is avail-
able to help students who are hav-
ing difficulties, however closely or
remotely these difficulties may be
related lo their studies.
This autumn, the Student Ad-
visor has advertised for Icelandic
contact people: Icelanders who are
interested in meeting and assisting
foreign students on an individual
basis (particularly in the beginning
when help is most needed). Any
foreign student who would like to
have such an Icelandic contact is
encouraged to get in touch either
with the Student Advisor or with
the offices of the Student Council
(SHÍ).
Would you like to find out more
about Reykjavík? One good way to
do this is to take a guided bus tour
around town. Your guide will show
you the main districts (especially
the city center), point out the
principal sights, and introduce you
to the town’s most important
buildings. The University is
sponsoring such a tour specifically
for new foreign students, to be held
near the end of September. You
can participate for only 100 kr. If
you are interested, please contact
the Student Advisor.
As you see, there are various
sources of information and as
sistance which are availble to you
as a newcomer to Iceland and its
university, and which can help to
make your stay here a pleasant and
rewarding one —don’t hesitate to
use them. Soon you will know e-
nough lcelandic to take part in the
more important parts of daily life,
such as complaining about the
weather. In the meanwhile — go
out and hit a few Icelanders.
Velkomin til íslands!
Mikael M. Karlsson, dósent,
tók saman
New foreign students:
Has an Icelander hit
you today?
From what you hear during your first days in Iceland,
the Icelanders may sound like difficult-even violent-
people. You will soon learn that they hit their friends
and smack their food; that their children beat paper
napkins (and even postage stamps!); and that every
Icelander hates his name.
Raunvísindastofnun
I
Smyrilsvegur 22 I
, Verkfræðahús VR-I
|)/erkfra^^^g VR-II
2 I Gamla
ði Loftskeytastoöin
Hjónagarðar
ARAGATA
I
9
■■
Arnagarödr
Iþróttahús
HÁSKÓLI ÍSLANDS
Main University Campus
Lögberg
Nýi Garöur /
Norrænahúsið
Frá námsráðgjafa:
Kæru námsmenn!
Við Háskóla íslands eru erlendir stúdentar um það bil eitt
hundrað og á hverju hausti hefja um 50 erlendir einstaklingar nám.
Meirihluti þeirra innritast í íslensku
fyrir erlenda stúdenta, en jafnframt
tekur læknadeild árlega á móti sex
læknanemum frá Norðurlöndum.
Síðastliðinn vetur var gerð
könnun á vegum háskólans á að-
stöðu .þessara nemenda. Niður-
staða könnunarinnar bendir til að
ýmsu sé ábótavant og byrjunar-
örðugleikar eru algengir. Islenskir
stúdentar sem stundað hafa nám
erlendis kannast vissulega við þau
vandamál sem upp koma í ókunnu
landi, á framandi tungumáli, með
öðrum orðum við það að vera út-
lendingur. Víða erlendis hafa verið
gerðar ráðstafanir varðandi sér-
staka þjónustu þessum nemendum
til handa og er þar að sjálfsögðu
margtsem viðgetum tekið okkur til
fyrirmyndar. Er nú í ráði að koma
til móts við erlendu stúdentana
með ýmsu móti.
Háskólinn mun um rnánaða-
mótin september/október efna til
kynnisferðar um borgina, því að í
ljós hefur komið að margir erlendir
stúdentar hafa ekki kynnsí borg-
inni á meðan á dyol þeirra hefur
staðið, og því farið á mis við það
sem hún hefur uppá að bjóða.
Stúdentaráð hefur samþykkt að
efna til kynningarkvölda frá og
með miðjum október, þar sem leit-
ast verður við að kynna starfsemi
þess og háskólans almennt. Jafn-
framt verður leitast við að kynna
hinum erlendu stúdentum strauma
og stefnur í íslensku þjóðlífi.
Eins hefur sú hugmynd komið
fram að útvega hinum erlendu
stúdentum islenska tengla (contact
people), sem gætu reynst þeirn
hjálplegir á ýmsa lund, þá sérstak-
lega í byrjun. Slíkt aðlögunartíma-
bil getur skipt sköpum og einfaldir
hlutir valdið ótrúlegri fyrirhöfn og
erfiðleikum. Jafnframt má benda á
að margir þessara erlendu stúdenta
komast aldrei í kynni við íslend-
inga og umgangast því aðeins inn-
byrðis.
Því skora ég á íslenska náms-
menn að bregðast nú vel við og gefa
kost á sér sem tenglar. Þetta þarf
ekki að vera tímafrekt og krefjandi
starf, heldur byggist hugmyndin
meir á því að veita gestum þessum
stuðning fyrsta spölinn.
Þeir sem viljann hafa eru beðnir
að gefa sig fram á skrifstofu
Stúdentaráðs eða hjá námsráð-
gjafa.
Með bestu kveðjum,
Ásta Kr. Ragnarsdóttir