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Tag archives for exchange student

An Unforgettable Year!

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I have studied all night, I have partied, I have barbecued, I have given (what feels like) a million presentations, I have survived days with only 4 hours of sunlight, I have had a trillion fikas, I have tasted sill, I have made meat balls, I have survived snowstorms, I have travelled around Sweden and I have even learned some Swedish!

It is without a doubt that the memories created over the past year will never be forgotten. From walking into the first lecture with 100 other students from 52 different countries to celebrating a completed year with those same people you started with.

What I have really learned over the past year is that studying abroad is not just about sitting in a classroom, taking notes and having discussions. But, even more important, it is about what you learn outside the class. It is truly about meeting people, learning another language, living in a new place and really just trying something new.

I am thankful for all the people I have met and all the friends I have made.The possibility of traveling all over the world to visit friends and past classmates is nothing short of exciting.

I am especially thankful to all those Swedes who shared their traditions and cultures with us foreign students. The best way to truely understand and experience Sweden is to have your own personal tour guides, and who better then the Swedes who have enjoyed it all their lives.

My Swedish tour guides! Photo by: Daniel Lövgren

For all of those who have to say goodbye and go back to their home countries, it is not easy. It is hard to leave everyone you have met here and the adventures you’ve had for the calm and familiar life back at home. But, just remember you can always return. The last time I left Sweden I missed it so much I had to come back!

For all of us Masters students who are still sticking around for at least another year, we look forward to many more exciting times to come. A year full of internships, thesis writing, and I’m sure a few more parties.

While studying in Sweden this year has been full of both successes and setbacks, it is without a doubt that the friends and memories I have made will be around forever!

A great trip to the coast! Photo by: Kristin Follis

Kristin Follis — Student

June 7, 2011

Hej, Buddy!

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It was 5 p.m. on a Thursday. I had only just arrived in Sweden the night before, and I was exhausted. I had been sleeping for the last 24 hours, and hadn’t even unpacked my bags. I was still wearing the same clothes I had worn when my first flight left Portland, Ore. early Tuesday morning, and I hadn’t showered since Monday.

Your student "buddy" will be key to your survival your first few days in Sweden. Photo: Martin Winberg

Suddenly, there was a sound similar to a fire alarm going off. Harsh, piercing, and out of key, it caused me to rise a good 30 centimeters vertically from my bed. Startled, I wondered what it was. Then it sounded again. And again. It was my doorbell.

Normally I would have thought who the heck would be ringing my door when I’d just arrived, and especially when I had only even physically seen about four people and a dog in Växjö so far.

I limped over to the door, jolted by the doorbell’s unexpected similarities to a jet engine but eyes still half-shut with exhaustion. I opened the door, and in front of me stood an attractive, smiling brunette Swedish girl.

I had died and gone to Heaven. Either that, or this was the prelude to a rather raunchy and decidedly real-looking dream.

My jaw dropped.

“My name’s Sara,” she said, seemingly unperturbed by my reaction or what God only knows I smelled like, “and I’m your buddy.”

Within ten minutes, I was waist-deep in a field trip at the grocery store, having the history of practically every item explained and why it’s sold in Swedish grocery stores. On a more practical level, I was shown how to shop at a grocery store and told what the different words on the cans and boxes meant – all the more important considering I hadn’t been to a grocery store even in the U.S. in several months.

Walking home later that evening, carrying half a dozen bags of food that would spoil within a couple of days, I knew the whole buddy thing was worth it.

In short, international students at Linnaeus University are paired with a Swedish “buddy” who helps orient them to the university, shows them around, and helps them adjust to life in Sweden. Basically, they’re your best friend and the key to your survival.

Ah, nothing like forced friendship! Suspicious, no? Well, it’s not, Nuenen.

The buddies are not paid for their services, and don’t even get any kind of academic incentive. In other words, they’re volunteers who simply want to help exchange students.

And they really do help. If it wasn’t for my buddy, I would have starved to death a long, long time ago, and died a very lonely man.

You and your buddy will inevitably become fast friends. Photo: Ben Mack

But thanks to my Swedish-born, spends-her-summers-living-in-Houston-Texas buddy, I not only was able to survive, but to thrive. She introduced me to some of her friends, and now I can say most of my friends are Swedish. And no, we don’t usually debate which ABBA song is the best or swap meatball recipes.

I’ll issue a disclaimer: you and your buddy may or may not become attached at the hip. Chances are, you’ll be seeing a lot of each other. I know my buddy and I have. It’s like having a big brother or a big sister, only not having to worry about having gum placed in your hair or ice poured down your pants.

Unless you’re an anti-social hermit who prefers to converse with rocks, trees, or the flocks (more like swarms) of geese, you should get a buddy. All you have to do is email the international office, and they’ll show you what to do. I guarantee you won’t regret it.

And if for some reason you do, I promise to eat crow.

Ben Mack — Student

May 30, 2011

The Peculiarities of a Swedish Classroom

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Living and studying in a new foreign country will definitely require some adjustments to your regular lifestyle. Every time you come to a new country it is easy to notice the differences in everyday life from your home. Well, studying in Sweden is no exception.

Spending lots of time in Swedish classrooms was definitely not an experience I was used to or where I expected to see so many differences from my university life in Canada.

So here are some interesting things to know before stepping into that Swedish classroom:

  1. Teachers usually go by their first names. There is no Dr., Mr./Mrs. or Professor. Usually students have a much more casual and relaxed relationship with their professors and go on a first name basis.
  2. Questions are always encouraged. There is no need to sit there wondering what is going on or what this person is talking about because you don’t need to hold your question until the end of the lecture!
  3. Discussions are frequent. It doesn’t matter if it was started by the teacher or by the student, side conversations and discussions are encouraged. It has happened where the whole lecture has been taken over by a some debate between students and professors.
  4. There are many different professors for one class. You may have 10 or plus different teachers for only one class. Each professor teachers on their specialities as opposed to having one professor teach on the subjects they are not familiar with.
  5. There are breaks every hour. In Swedish classrooms the idea is that when students have a break for 10 minutes every hour they focus more during the lesson.
  6. The room is usually below 18 degrees Celsius. Studies have shown that students are more likely to stay awake if the room is cold. At least this is what I was told when I was freezing in class all winter. So make sure to wear a sweater!
  7. There are not always lectures every day. A lot of the time for class is spent either in group work or working on your own. Swedish education is much more based on individual responsibility. If you don’t do the readings you won’t learn anything.

Lecture hall and study area from The Stockholm School of Economics. Photos By: Wrote (CC BY)

While it may seem that studying is the same all over the world, there are many little peculiarities you will notice everyday when you arrive to Sweden. It is probably the little differences from your home country you will notice the most. The best way to cope with all the changes is to enjoy them. There is nothing better than a 10 minute fika break from class every hour to brighten up your day!

Kristin Follis — Student

May 25, 2011

The Search for Student Housing

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You have applied to go to Sweden, either through your university or for a Masters program, you have been accepted and bought your ticket, and your counting down the days until your flight leaves! Now what?

Well finding accommodation will most probably be the hardest thing you will have to do in your fight to actually make it to Sweden. If you are an exchange student you have nothing to worry about. All students in exchange programs have assistance in finding accommodation from the school you will be attending. Enjoy your corridor living!

A nice student room. Photo by: Johanna B. (CC BY)

For all of the free movers out there, life is just not so easy! You are responsible for finding a place to live and let me tell you, from experience, this is going to require you to sit in front of the computer for many hours each day with google translate as your best friend until you stumble across something livable.

I am not trying to scare you, this is not an impossible task! It just requires a lot of perseverance!

The system of finding a student apartment in Sweden is much different from most places in the world. It works on a queuing basis, where the number of “queue days” you have been waiting determines your place in the line. While this may seem alright, you are already at a disadvantage because most Swedes have been in queue for many, many years. Some even say it is popular for parents to put their young children in the line. So if you are not in any queues now, get to it!

For most free movers and Masters students this means no matter how hard you try you probably won’t have enough points to get a perfect student apartment. So my advice, just apply to whatever you can, the perfect one may never come along!

All universities have Student Unions and these are a great source of resources for those searching for housing. They always have good tips on finding accommodation and even some have a second-hand search site that can only be accessed by students.

Because there is not a lot available in student housing, many international students look to second-hand rentals. There are sites such as blocket and studentlya, which have housing announcements. Try and remember that the advertisers on these sites get lots of emails from many students, so make yours more unique and memorable!

A typical student corridor kitchen. Photo by: Kalleboo (CC BY)

A big warning is that there are scams on these sites. Usually these are adds that sound just too perfect to be true. A tip, if it seems to good to be true than it probably is! If someone asks you to send any money in advance and he/she will send you the keys in the mail, do not respond! Most advertisers do have the right intentions, so do not be scared, just cautious.

There are local newspapers that have adds. Usually in the menu is a link for Bostad (Housing). Also, the big Nations at universities like Uppsala and Lund have student apartments. Email the 1Q (First Curator or leader of the nation) to see if they have any free rooms.

I found my first room here in Uppsala through sending a very polite email to some of the previous students in my program to see if they knew of any free apartments or sublets available. All of the previous students are usually very friendly because they all went through the same search only a year ago.

Student housing shortages have been a long-lasting problem for most of the big universities in Sweden. But not to worry, this is not an impossible fight. Join all of the queues you can and search the second-hand sites on a regular basis and you will be sure to find a room!

Good luck!

Kristin Follis — Student

May 16, 2011