Stockholm - A Life Changing Semester Abroad Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

This program, from the start, emphasized that our experiences during the semester should embody the "abroad" experience. I mean this in the sense that our classes were to be taken seriously, but a major part of our time there was to be focused on exploring Europe. Based on a combination of American and Swedish academic systems, our classes were generally exam / paper based, but differed significantly from Brandeis in terms of the quantity of homework given - mainly, much less homework was assigned. The Swedish academic approach consisted of a more rounded "do it yourself" attitude. In other words, rather than burden students with constant exams / assignments, the students were given the choice of learning the material simply for the sake of learning - and the extent to which they did so would be reflected in their grades. Thus, we were not overburdened and pressured into our work through constant and rigorous academic constructs. I gave this category of overall educational experience a 2.5 star rating for this reason - the academics were engaging, interesting, and thorough - but were not so nearly intense as to overshadow our progress in integrating ourselves into Stockholm and a new life-style.

On-site administration of your program

The administrators of our program had convenient office hours, and made an effort to help us students with whatever pressing questions and issues we had. They were an integral and life-saving resource throughout the program.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing provided for us was fantastic. For those who are curious, we were assigned 1-2 roommates to life with in a spacious apartment. My apartment in particular involved one bedroom (two beds), one bathroom, a living room, and a fully-furnished kitchen (not to mention a heated bathroom floor and heated towel rack in the bathroom). The apartment complex was situated in a beautiful suburban neighborhood within Stockholm (Abrahamsberg, Bromma). I have only two complaints about the housing (thus the 4.5): First off, we were far away from Stockholm University itself. Granted, Stockholm University has little to no on-campus housing. But it was an hour subway ride to school - which in the freezing and slick winter weeks makes commuting a real hassle. Secondly, the program split most of the students up into different parts of the city. I understand that doing so may facilitate our transition into Swedish culture by denying us the ease of slipping into a program-only-clique. But it made socializing with other friends on the program a big ordeal.

An allowance was given out to us once a month, a total of about (if I remember correctly) 3500 SEK (~$533). This was meant for groceries and minor expenses. It was usually more than enough for groceries, if one was conservative and didn't use the money at bars (beware drink prices at Swedish bars/clubs). The food itself depended on the type of grocery store - Lidl was the cheapest, and had a decent selection. ICA had the greatest selection, but high prices. As long as you had the motivation to cook a variety of things, food was never an issue. And whenever the program treated us to lunches / dinners at restaurants, the Swedish food was phenomenal.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The Swedish culture I encountered at SU was very interesting, and I assume only relevant to the sub-culture that is college life. College-aged Swedes were a private but friendly people. They may appear cold and disinterested in a public setting (when you don't know them). In the context of becoming friends with Swedes - whether it's through the program, or some club / class / bar you visit in Sweden, they are very generous, engaging, and friendly. However, as an American you can expect to stand out - often times it feels like Swedes are only interested in talking to you because you are American, and for no other reason. They are often very politically opinionated (about American politics). So in being American, you are placed in a bit of a bittersweet morass. On the positive side, Swedes love to know about America and how much you like Sweden in comparison. On the negative side, you may often run into political critique, and experience an overall sense of being acknowledged but not accepted / incorporated into a group as a whole.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Based on the visas we receive when entering Sweden (student visas), we are in no way guaranteed health care. If, for whatever reason, you must see a doctor during your stay, expect a minimum charge of $150+ to see a doctor. In the case you require prescribed medication, the charges only increase (I know of a girl who had to spend over $500 on a doctor's visit / antibiotics for a bacterial infection).

Having lived in and around Boston for most of my life, I have a natural tendency to err on the side of caution when traveling at night within any city. But Stockholm, for the most part, provided a very pleasant change of scenery. Especially in the suburban areas of the city, I never encountered a single serious incident where I was in danger when alone. Certain parts of the city should obviously be avoided at night when alone, but as a general whole, Stockholm is very, very safe. Crime rate is considerably lower than in most states. After a few months I never had to think twice about my safety when taking a walk at night.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

As I said previously, if you practice a conservative approach to how much you spend at grocery stores and at bars, the amount of money allotted to you per month was never an issue. You aren't going to 'live it up', but you can live very comfortably.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Our Swedish teacher was an absolute sweetheart, and she spoke English fluently. Although 4 months is nowhere near enough time to become fluent, her lessons significantly improved our integration into society, and provided a fun party-topic with your Swedish friends (your accent is probably going to atrocious).

Select all that apply

• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Americans

• The housing
• The independence
• The flexible academics

• Closer housing to school
• Nearby housing for program students (to improve within-group socializing)
• More frequent / affordable program field-trips / events

The Avid Adventurer