Sweden. When am I going back? Past Review
By Julia D (Biology, General., Illinois State University) for
Uppsala University: Uppsala - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I am more confident in my choice of major. I am a double major, and at first I was wondering which one I should focus on in terms of finding work in the future, but now I know that I want to do Neuroscience or at least something related to Biology. I also learned the importance of patience and planning, and several other life lessons that I find significant. I made friends that I think will last a lifetime, I treasure them and miss them dearly. I learned something about this quiet little country called Sweden that no one in the U.S. seems to know very much about. I had the experience of a lifetime and cannot wait to go back!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I learned more abroad in my science classes that I did at my home university. I am more confident in a laboratory, and more interested in science in general. The grading system in Uppsala is really nice. I took two exams for one of my classes and they were both pass/fail. The questions were difficult, but I passed without a problem. Also, exams can be taken over and over if you should happen to fail. You can take them over until a passing grade is received. For my Neuroscience class, I had to design an experiment and turn it in for my final. Otherwise there were no exams. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
All the departments are not connected with each other in Uppsala, so you have to track down each individual who is the head of the department you are looking for. Sometimes the advisor would say things like, I don't know if this person wants to see students, so you should send an email instead. Also, when trying to sign up for classes, because none of the departments interact with each other and there is no one centralized scheduling entity, there is the possibility of picking classes that overlap with each other. It is possible to take more than one class at a time, but you might run into the problem of one class taking all day and the other class beginning when you are still in your first class. The woman I talked to about Master's programs in Uppsala also was not able to help me very much. She sat me down in her office and then told me to check the website. She was in charge of the Master's division, but she sent me to the head of Biology and told me if I had any questions I should ask them instead. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved the dorm I lived in, but I think I got lucky. There were all Swedish students on my floor except for one other, and they were staying in the dorm longer than I was so the kitchen and living room was always clean. I've seen some other corridors in the same dorm, and these can be scary looking. The students usually spoke English to me because they like practicing their English as well, but when they spoke to each other it was fun because I would try and see how much of the conversation I understood. I like the recycling that was done in all dorms. |
| * Food: |
I am a vegetarian, and never felt like I didn't have options. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Go to the town and see all the events! Throughout the year there are tons of culture nights or markets that happen in and around Stora Torget, the big square. Go to them. They are fun and interesting. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The city is pretty safe. I've never seen/heard/knew someone who had issues with safety. No one stole anything or robbed anyone or anything. I kept reading my home email while I was there and I would get a "crime alert" notification about something that happened back on the campus at Illinois, and I was pretty happy I was in Sweden. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | A lot. It depends what you eat and whether or not you cook at home or go out, but I spent maybe 200 kronor a week at the Ica store on food. I am a vegetarian and ate a lot of sandwiches and fruits. I didn't buy lettuce because I thought it was expensive and it wilts really quickly (they use less pesticides than we do in the U.S) I rarely went out to eat, but my favorite kabab place, Jalla, charges 70 kronor for a meal. I think most fast food ranged from 60-100 kronor for a meal. Buffets were about 120-140, but some places had a student discount. Going out is expensive, especially for the students who like to drink. Alcohol is really expensive there, but it is even more expensive buying it at the pubs. Nation's pubs are the cheapest, so go out there instead of local pubs. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I was told not to bring a winter jacket because it takes up room in the suitcase and that I could buy one there. I brought a light fall jacket and a leather jacket, and these became my winter jackets. Clothes are expensive, jackets, more so. Bring a winter jacket, unless you have lots of extra money you can spend on one in Sweden. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Basic level |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
A Basic Swedish language course was offered. I signed up right away, as there were limited spots. I think that the course was ok, but I did a lot of studying and practicing outside of class. My international buddy was Swedish (obviously) and his English wasn't that great, so I would practice my Swedish with him and we would text back and forth in Swedish. If I didn't practice the language on my own time outside of class, I don't think I would have been able to understand what he was saying. The course is good, but I don't think it is all that particularly helpful if one is really looking to hold a conversation with a native. The final exam for the course was ridiculously easy, and I would have preferred something a little bit more challenging. As a student living in a foreign country for an extended period of time, I would want to be able to communicate with native Swedes and read posters and billboards, even if all I know is basic communication. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | For the first time, I felt like an independent and responsible person. I had a better understanding of what sort of person I wanted to be, and what direction in life I want to head it. It was kind of cool. Those students who are interested in a challenge, who are open minded, and who are not afraid of meeting new people and having new experiences should go. This program is not for everyone. I knew some students who would never leave their rooms or who never split up from the other students that arrived from the same university. Don't do that. If you are going to stay in your room and only hang out with Americans, then you should consider National Exchange and swap places with another student somewhere in the U.S. Or take a summer trip abroad with your good friends. If you are interested in putting yourself in another country's perspective, then go abroad. It will change your life. |
