A Semester in Sweden
Fourth Year Joint Honours Education Studies and Psychology student Faye Donnelly reflects on her Erasmus experience
Experiencing life abroad was always something that intrigued me, but I was never sure when the opportunity would be available. Then, through speaking to friends at university I heard about completing an Erasmus exchange. This program gives students the opportunity of studying or doing an internship abroad for a period of time. It sounded perfect – I knew it would be a unique opportunity to experience a new culture.
When the applications became available, however, I was extremely hesitant. I had never taken a flight on my own let alone lived in another country and was very unsure if moving abroad was something I was capable of. Due to the fact I was so unsure, I ended up completing the application on the final day it was due, and had little hope of getting accepted to any universities abroad.
When I received acceptance into Malmö University in Sweden, I wasn’t very excited at first, and even considered rejecting it. I didn’t know much about Sweden. It didn’t strike me as having a reputation for being a very warm place, either in terms of climate, or the locals’ demeanour! I didn’t know any Swedish people before going, and had no friends or family who had visited the country previously. Overall, I really had no idea what my next few months abroad were going to be like.
After deciding I was going to accept the opportunity, I had to go through various stages of preparation before moving such as organising my travel insurance, health insurance, visa and linking my class subjects so they matched the ones I would have missed while I was away. In the beginning this all felt quite overwhelming. However, with the guidance from the university, it was all simple enough to figure out, and all the work it took to gain the paperwork I needed, such as visiting the Swedish embassy in London, was totally worth it once I had arrived.
Once I landed in Sweden, I was met with a large number of international students that were also in my student housing. I soon found out that everyone was just as nervous as me and had all the same questions. Having a large group of people in the same situation made it a lot easier to settle into a new way of life abroad. It didn’t take long to make a good group of friends – everyone who signs up for such experiences tends to be very open to meeting new people. I soon found out that I had a lot in common with students from various places around the world.
Encountering so many different cultures all at once was an incredible experience, and widened my knowledge of lifestyles, customs and traditions of places I had never been to. I got particularly close to a Spanish international student as we bonded over our love for the nightlife and social events that Sweden had to offer, quickly becoming great friends.
As the days got longer and the sky got a bit brighter, I started to see what a beautiful place to live Sweden can be. The university supplied plenty of events that allowed international students to mix with Swedish students and really grasp the Swedish way of life. I can blame my newfound coffee addiction to the Swedish lifestyle, as they are avid coffee drinkers. I also developed a love for fitness, as the Swedish take adopting an active lifestyle very seriously. Undergoing university classes in another country was extremely interesting to me as my degree is in Education Studies; the Swedish education system is renowned around the world for its innovative and modernistic education style, and I can now understand why, leaving me with many thoughts about how my home country could adopt some of the best ideas.
After university teaching had finished, my days consisted of trips to Copenhagen or time on the beach playing volleyball, which towards the end became increasingly competitive. We took a few group trips to places such as Gothenburg, Stockholm and Oslo, and even managed to squeeze in a weekend in Budapest. Since finishing my Erasmus I have kept in contact and visited many of my friends around Europe, with plans to all reunite in Sweden this spring.
The memories I gained from my time abroad will always be something I am so grateful for. It is hard for me to believe that my self-doubt led to me to almost turn the opportunity down. Looking back, I now can’t imagine going through my 4-year degree with Sweden not being a part of my university chapter!
The advice I would have for future students is that you are capable of a lot more than you allow yourself to believe. I really didn’t see myself being able to go and live in another country completely on my own, let alone having it become one I was so sad to say goodbye to. Being prepared but allowing yourself to be surprised enables you to get the most of your time abroad. My six months away felt like six days, so try to do anything and everything – you will be back before you even realised you left.
Images - Faye Donnelly