My Swedish Experience Past Review
By A student (University of Southern Indiana) - abroad from 01/19/2019 to 06/09/2019 with
ISEP Exchange: Vasteras - Exchange Program at Malardalen University
I gained many friends and some knowledge of not only the Swedish culture, but other cultures that my friends were a part of. I also gained the ability to be independent in situations I wouldn't have been comfortable with before I left.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The excursions and meeting new people was the best part (obviously). My housing was not the best, but I was in another country so I didn't really mind. However, the management was rude and disrespectful to our entire building. I felt like they were trying to take advantage of us because we were exchange students, and put a little more stress on my experience. The city is pretty small and quiet and there wasn't a lot to do, but if you're with your friends you can always find something to do. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The room I didn't mind. It wasn't the cleanest and I had to share 1 bathroom and 1 shower with like 6 or 7 people, but I didn't really mind because I'm not too picky. Especially about being in other countries. However, the management/company I went through to get my room , threatened to take money from everyone in the building and kick us out several times. The building wasn't the cleanest, and they tried to take money out of our deposits for things that were not in our control (ex: graffiti on the walls that had been there for years). The cleaning crew also breached their contract by refusing to clean the building even though that was where part of our rent money was going. There are several other examples that I will not go into in this comment. (I am not saying they didn't have some valid complaints that we did our best to fix, but by the end of the semester it just felt like they were trying to take advantage of us as foreign exchange students.) This made the accommodation portion of my study abroad experience stressful and unenjoyable by the end of the semester. |
| * Food: |
Swedish food is AMAZING!! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Swedish culture isn't much different from American culture, so I think I got as integrated as I could in it. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I have no idea, because I didn't have any issues, but I heard it was good. |
| * Safety: |
Had no safety related incidents, and I felt very safe everywhere I traveled to. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I had a really good time and had some once in a lifetime experiences, but I wish I would've went somewhere where I could've got integrated into the culture a little more. |
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) |
2.5 because Sweden, for the most part is very expensive. However, if you budget correctly and only buy the things you need, you'll be fine. I had no problem with money, especially with the stipend I was given. That was very helpful. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50-$100 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | The grocery stores in Sweden are ICA (it's like the Walmart or Target of Sweden), and Coop is also a popular grocery store, but a little more expensive. If there is a Hemköp that is where I shopped because it was a little cheaper than the other places. Also, the post offices in Sweden are called PostNord if you want to send something home or vice versa. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
