Home Sweet Stockholm Past Review

By A student (PSYCHOLOGY., The Swedish Program: Stockholm, Sweden) - abroad from 08/27/2012 to 12/15/2012 with

The Swedish Program: Stockholm, Sweden

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Going abroad to Sweden was one of the best experiences of my life. The Swedish Program is a bit unorganized and not taking classes with Swedish students made it difficult to make close Swedish friends. Nevertheless, besides these few faults, I had the time of my life. For the most part, my professors were great, helpful, and interesting. I became very close with a number of students on my program. The city in the daytime is extremely clean and picturesque and the nightlife is so fun. I gained so much independence living on my own in an apartment. I also learned a great deal about Swedish culture and came back with a completely different perspective on the United States. I admire Sweden's social democracy, progressive gender equality laws, and welfare system and believe that the United States could learn a lot from Sweden and should adopt some of Sweden's policies to make a safer, more equal, and happier society.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	The student advisor and program director helped direct us toward healthcare facilities and would stay with students at the hospital when they were ill. However, I was ill twice and because I was not a citizen and Sweden's national healthcare system is paid through taxes, I had to pay $250 just to see a doctor. The actual care and facilities were easily accessible and comparable to what I would receive at home, but very expensive.
* Safety:	Stockholm is an extremely safe city. I felt completely comfortable getting home by myself late at night. One thing to be aware of is that pocket knives are considered a weapon in Sweden, so people cannot carry those for self-defense.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

Finances

* 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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$125
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Stockholm is an extremely expensive city, especially for people who buy alcohol. The government has a monopoly on alcohol so one can only buy it at the System Bolaget, the government-owned stores that charge very high prices. However, bars and clubs charge even higher prices for drinks and cocktails so it is much more economical to drink at home before going out than buying lots of drinks while at a bar or club. Going out to eat is also quite expensive, but if students simply cook for themselves, bring lunch to the university, and bring back alcohol from other countries when traveling, the budget is not hard to live on.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language
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?	Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	I had not taken any Swedish before going to Sweden
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?	Speak Swedish to the Swedes you meet. Because almost everyone speaks English, and speaks it very well, its easy to always speak English (as I did), but if you are really interested in learning Swedish, practicing with locals is the best way to get better.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans
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?	Interesting Courses Two weeks of break to travel Constant availability of program directors
* What could be improved?	Organization and punctuality Spending of program money on program events A student advisor more devoted to the cause
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Stockholm is an extremely expensive city. I wish I had known that I wouldn't be able to shop much or go out to eat. I was the most frugal I've ever been when living in Sweden. I wish I had known just how cold it can be, I would have brought warmer gear.

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 Urbanite A 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Positive Psychology
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	Steve Turner
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The class was fascinating and offered a new, unique perspective on psychology that I had not encountered at Middlebury. It was not especially challenging and the professors were great at letting us know exactly what we should study for exams. Although the class did not really make use of the location in terms of field trips, we learned about how Swedish culture ranks highly on a number of measures of well-being and as one of the happiest countries in the world--which was relevant to Positive Psychology from a socio-cultural point of view. I participated in class just as much as I do at my home institution. One professor, Steve Turner, was knowledgable and prepared. The other, Bjorn, got off topic a bit and most people ended up being distracted by their computers when he lectured. We were assessed with three exams. The professors are not particularly easy graders on the exams, but I have not received my final grades yet, so I cannot comment on how they grade overall.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I am still in the process of transferring credit so I cannot really answer this question yet.