Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Semester of Growth January 12, 2023

By (Economics, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/22/2022 to 12/10/2022 with

The Swedish Program: Stockholm, Sweden

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a ton of independence.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The program was good academically, but it was clearly geared towards students that were operating on a pass fail system. This made it difficult for me because my grades from the Swedish Program went right into my Middlebury GPA.

* 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?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Perfect mix of integration and comforts of home. I feel that it did a really good job of exposing us to Swedish culture and students.

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? 60 dollars
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Cook a lot

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

Everyone in Sweden speaks English

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
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Nothing
How many hours per day did you use the language?

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

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • People
  • Environment
  • Culture
* What could be improved?
  • Environmental Econ instructor
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You will be fending for yourself quite a bit.

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:

Economics of European Integration
Course Department: Economics
Instructor: Pehr-Johan Norbäck
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was a good class with a good European perspective.
Credit Transfer Issues: None
Course Name/Rating:

Environmental Economics
Course Department: Economics
Instructor: Pamela Campa
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The entire time it was unclear what the instructor was looking for in terms of grading.
Credit Transfer Issues: None
Course Name/Rating:

Swedish
Course Department: Swedish
Instructor: Erik Cardelus
Instruction Language: English/Swedish
Comments: This was my favorite class, fun and interesting.
Credit Transfer Issues: None
Course Name/Rating:

International Finance
Course Department: Economics
Instructor: Marcus Op
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class was very challenging and rigorous, it was also taught alongside 300 other Swedish students, so classes were very big and lecture only. The grading system did not match the grading system I was used to at home.
Credit Transfer Issues: None