Adventures in Scandinavia While Researching Cancer Mechanisms for a Semester Past Review
By A student (Coe College) - abroad from 08/22/2016 to 12/16/2016 with
EuroScholars: Stockholm - Karolinska Insitutet
I learned how to be independent and survive in a country where I didn't know the language and didn't have comforts of home. I learned how governments and public transportation work in Europe and visited many new cities/countries I didn't know much about beforehand. I gained so many new friends from a variety of countries and have a new understanding of other cultures and how they view America/Americans. I gained valuable research experience from a well-known institution and connections with scientists that helped me confirm that I want to do biomedical research as a career.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I didn't have any courses, so I was just working on a research project the whole time. I would have liked to have a Swedish course throughout the semester. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Usually I could get in contact with them fairly easily, but there were some times when responses were delayed. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I enjoyed the student housing provided by the university for visiting students. It was convenient and easy to get housing through the website, and the dorm room was nice and secure. The only negative aspect was that the shared kitchen wasn't very clean and didn't include many dishes or cooking utensils. |
| * Food: |
There was every kind of food to find throughout the city, and I enjoyed trying Swedish and Scandinavian foods (reindeer, herring, etc.) and beverages like Glogg (hot mulled wine) near Christmastime. In grocery stores, food was very fresh and less processed compared to the U.S. One thing to note is that I had to stop at the grocery store more often than usual due to the limited food storage space and shorter time before fresh foods went bad. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Since most people speak English as well as Swedish in Stockholm, I was able to communicate with others throughout my time there, though I would have liked to learn more Swedish. Swedish people are very reserved which made me feel isolated in public spaces from lack of social interaction. I made friends with the other international students, and we went to events and spent time together. I was able to experience neat seasonal activities like Kanelbullens Dag (Cinnamon Rolls Day), ice skating in the city center, Christmas markets, St. Lucia Day (candlelit concert), and Nobel Week (Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded by Karolinska and where the talk is given!). |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't seek healthcare while I was abroad, but I did visit a pharmacy when I got a bad cold to find remedies. They don't have as many medicines to choose from there as in the U.S., but I was able to find some things to try. A friend who had seen a doctor said there was a walk-in clinic at the center/mall that was easy and convenient to visit. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safe throughout the city, though I am a cautious person. I didn't hear of any safety issues while I was in Stockholm. I rode city buses and the metro every day and didn't encounter problems. However, there are people who approached me in the metro and outside grocery stores wanting money, but you can ignore them usually. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
If I could go again, I would choose the same program but a different country (hopefully more social) to study in so I could have new experiences and meet more locals. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Most things were a bit more expensive than in the U.S. (toiletries, food at the grocery store, coffee shops, etc). Public transportation was an expensive up-front cost (I think ~$100/month at the student price for a 3 month pass). Paying for housing in the program fee was helpful so we didn't have to worry about that every month, otherwise it would've been harder to budget. If I would have gone out to eat more than cooking, I would have spent a lot more money than I did. Alcohol is a lot more expensive than many U.S. cities as well, especially in clubs/bars, so a night out could rack up quite a big bill if you aren't careful. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Maybe $75? |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make a lot of money before you go so you have a large reserve of funds, because you can't work while you're there. Cook at home rather than eating out a lot, and purchase alcohol from the store rather than bars because it's cheaper. Make sure you at least have a general idea of how much you're able to spend each week and monitor your spending. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I didn't need to learn much Swedish to survive in Stockholm. I did learn quite a bit from reading signs, menus, and food labeling. We were only offered a 3-day intensive Swedish language course during the orientation week at Karolinska which wasn't very helpful. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Learn simple sentences and vocabulary using language apps prior to departure if you want to learn some Swedish. If you want to learn the language, expect to pay quite a bit of money for courses. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | It can be kind of expensive to travel a lot in Europe if you are going to countries located far from each other, but it is so worth it to see new places. Make plans and go, even if it is a little scary. I didn't travel much until the second half of the semester, and by that time, it was too late to go to all the places I wanted to see. I can't wait to return someday. Also, it was weird returning to the U.S. after being away for so long. When I was in Sweden, it didn't really feel like life was still happening back home, more like I hit pause and spent time in Europe, but upon returning, a lot was different. It was a bit hard to get re-acquainted with friends again and overwhelming when everyone asked about my semester. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
