STAR: Study Abroad Article

Jattebra That’s Swedish for gigantically good and pretty well sums up my abroad experience thus far. When I left home in August I was a little nervous, having never been out of the country and leaving my comfort zone but of course excited for the new experiences. The moment I landed in Sweden and met the other international students at the airport, I knew I was in for a good year and with the more I see and do it is true.
I feel like I have stepped back in time. I live in downtown Uppsala, which is 40 minutes north of Sweden’s capital, Stockholm, it is a beautiful city full of history and traditions. Viking stones from the 4th century, the largest cathedral in northern Europe and the Royal Castle(not too many of those in CA). It is amazing Uppsala Universitet was established in 1477(hard to believe) and is alumni of 15 Nobel Prize laureates, numerous royalty, public figures, Carl Linneaus and Anders Celsius. It is well known for being a university town and it really does cater to the students, with 13 student “Nations” spread throughout town in historical buildings dating back to the 16th Century. Only students are allowed in the nations and each includes a club, pub, library, café and restaurant. Everything a student could need and perfect place to keep warm during the cold, dark winter. There are always activities and entertainment to keep busy.
So far my favorites have been the gasques, like a university prom with a formal three course dinner, traditional Swedish drinking songs, singing, bands, dancing and lots of snaps(shots). Very fun And another important aspect of the swedish culture is Fika “A coffee break”, but not what we consider a coffee break, it is more just a time to get together with friends at a café, relax and enjoy some tasty treats and good company anytime of the day. Also can’t forget meatballs, hard ciders, IKEA, muesli, towel warmers, saunas, folk dance, bikes, Abba, choklarbols, falukorv and lingon berries, just to name a few of the things essential to the Swedish culture I have found.
On top of experiencing the local Swedish lifestyle and taking in all the nearby sights, including the Royal Palace in Stockholm, the famous Falun Copper Mine, Aland Island and many other museums and activities, I have also been able to travel to other countries. A few cruises to the surrounding countries of Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia and many more travels planned for the upcoming months. The public transportation is great here and if you book it right the travel is too cheap to pass up. My class is going on a field trip to Berlin at the end of the month. How cool is that
The schooling system is also very different in Europe, which has been a bit of a transition. I do like the change and with my courses being all international students, it has been very interesting and broadening to hear such diverse and global perspectives on different issues or discussions.
Sure it took a few weeks to settle in, after confusing sour milk(yes they love it) for regular, which I have heard is a common mistake among the international students, trying to translate the laundry machines and signs, figuring out the currency, grocery shopping in a different language and the metric system. After all that I feel comfortable to call this home for the next nine months and excited for all it will bring.
It isn’t just what I’m learning in the classroom but also the different people from all over the world, adjusting to the new way of living, the culture and the many experiences that have already made an impact. This is the perfect time of life to see and do new things before the “real world” job and all the other responsibilities that tie us down. Coming abroad is one of the best decisions I have made, not only am I having the time of my life, but it has also given me confidence to handle any situation and opened my mind to different views.