Uppsala, the most underrated yet amazing place you'll ever experience. Past Review
By Katie H (Special Education, Illinois State University) for
Uppsala University: Uppsala - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
This opportunity is the one I'm the most happy that I took advantage of. I learned how independent and responsible I can be. It taught me about how many people view the world from so many different perspectives. How people live differently on a small scale. It sparked my interest for learning about other cultures too, I'd love to learn about cultures that are more extreme from my own now. In terms of future plans I plan to expand my future job hopefully internationally.
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. |
The grading system was quite a bit different. It took some time to get used to. Swedish school place much more into the hands of students than we do in American schools. They don't assign readings as much, rather they just tell students what books to read, and expect it to be done. It requires discipline at the time I had to pull out of myself. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My expectations were met, my international adviser in both Sweden and at ISU were always quick to respond when I had questions and those were some of my most vital resources. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved the way flogsta was set up. I got to experience a social life with my corridor mates in the kitchen but had the privacy of my own bathroom and bedroom. It was a little far from campus, but I didn't mind much. |
| * Food: |
i loooveed Jalla! Its a kebab place in town. I have a lot of great memories there and the workers are so sweet. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I really enjoyed our trip to Stockholm made available by Uppsala, it was a fun day to bond with some of the friends I had made and to discover the city. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Not once did I feel threatened or scared for my safety in Uppsala. I would say its one of the safest places in the world. I didn't have any vaccines taken before I went and I never got sick in Uppsala so I never needed to figure out their health care system. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't waste your money on things you don't need! Buy some cute clothes but don't spend a ridiculous amount on anything, save it for traveling! |
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? | No |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I took a course in Basic Swedish. it was twice a week and my favorite class throughout my whole stay. I learned a lot in that class and the language was fun! Also, we had a great teacher. I would say 95% of the population spoke english so that was absolutely no problem. |
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? | DO IT. Any student with an open mind. |
