What is one word to describe your study abroad experience:
"Studying abroad is such a unique and profound experience that should be taken advantage of"
ANDREW P.
Exchange student at the Linköping University, Sweden
Fall semester
Studying Bachelor of Arts & Sciences, majoring in English and Science
- What is the best thing that happened while you were studying abroad?
I was able to go on a trip organized by the university up to the Swedish Lapland to the town of Kiruna (which is 145km above the Arctic Circle) with a group of other exchange students. I stayed in a 12-person cabin with people from all over the world ranging from places like Germany, Belgium, and France, to El Salvador and Brazil. It was such a unique experience to live with a group of people of such diverse backgrounds and cultures. We cooked together, played games, went on excursions and bonded a lot from this experience. Overall, it was super interesting to see how people from other cultures lived together and interacted with each other!
- What was the biggest cultural adaptation you had to make?
For me, the biggest cultural adaptation was the modes of transportation. In Sweden, the vast majority of people travel via bike. This was one of my favourite aspects of living in Linköping, as everything is extremely accessible by bike. For me, it was not a challenging thing to adapt to at all since there are so many bike paths alongside roads that are often almost as wide as the roads for cars. Not only is travelling by bike sustainable, but it's also good for exercise and saving money! Additionally, the train system in Sweden is super extensive, convenient and easy to navigate. This is very different from Canada as if you want to travel to other places, most of the time a car is required.
- In terms of your own cultural self-awareness, were there any instances where you realized that your own behaviours, perspectives, or attitudes were different. Where did those differences stem from?
Culturally, Sweden is actually very similar to Canada in terms of social norms, manners, attitudes, etc. However, the biggest cultural difference that I experienced was the culture surrounding work-life balance. Swedish people are much laxer in their work environments and consistently take coffee and socialization breaks known as a "fika". A fika usually consists of a baked good (most commonly a kanelbulle (cinnamon bun)) and a coffee with a group of colleagues or friends. I learned this when taking my intensive Swedish language course, where a day of school consisted of 45 minutes of instruction, followed by a 15-minute fika break, then 30 minutes of instruction, followed by a 45-minute lunch break, an hour of instruction, another fika break, then another 45 minutes of instruction. Additionally, Swedish people are much more strict with their working hours and taking time for themselves. For example, there would hardly be any people studying in the library past 5 pm, as most people had gone home. Overall, the Swedish strongly value their mental health and tend to not overwork themselves the way we do in Canada!
- Was there a situation where you felt your actions were culturally inappropriate? How did you adapt? How did you know these were the appropriate actions to take?
Once again, I found Sweden to be very similar to Canada, so I did not have an experience where I felt as if I was being culturally inappropriate!
- Where was the coolest place you travelled to during your study abroad experience?
Definitely Switzerland. My mom has friends who live in Bern so I was able to stay with them for free. I bought a train pass which allowed me to go on any train at any time for the duration of my time there. I travelled independently and was able to do a ton of hiking and sightseeing in the Alps!
- What is something that you know now, that you wish you knew before you studied abroad?
I wish I knew that it was not going to be easy to meet and make friends with Swedish people. When you study abroad, most of your friends will likely be other international students. This is not solely due to Swedish people's subtle nature; it is much easier to connect with people who are going through a similar experience to you.
- If you were to recommend exchange to your best friend, what would you say?
I would tell them that while going on exchange is an extremely fulfilling and life-altering experience, it is not always going to be easy. There will be challenging days where you experience things like loneliness, homesickness, and cultural adjustment periods. Despite this, studying abroad is a net positive experience. I always say that regardless of how incredible your experience is, the skills and experience you gain while studying abroad are extremely beneficial to your worldview and growth as a person.
- Would it be helpful to learn another language for this exchange?
While it would be helpful to learn another language, it is not a requirement. Personally, there was an adjustment period for me to get used to everything being in Swedish. Everything from grocery stores, restaurants, and street signs was in Swedish, making it tricky to navigate at first. However, I was able to arrive early and partake in an intensive beginner Swedish language course which helped me orient myself, make small talk with locals, and gain an understanding of the language around me. Additionally, it can be quite draining to be surrounded by a language that you don't understand and have to constantly be trying to decipher what things mean. This is completely different from living in Canada where reading things like signs and menus are intuitive and don't require any mental strain.
- What role did language and communication (both verbal and non-verbal) play in fostering appreciation for a different perspective?
Living in a country where English isn't the primary language opened up my eyes to how I am so used to only being around one language. This motivated me to want to learn another language so that I am no longer monolingual.
- Did you live on-campus or off-campus? Would you recommend it, and why?
I lived off-campus in a nearby residence that consisted mainly of international students. While it was off-campus, it was about a 10-minute bike ride from campus so it was still extremely convenient. I would say that living both off-campus and on-campus are great experiences with different perks, so I would not recommend one over the other.
- Is there any other helpful information you would like to share with future study abroad participants?
My biggest piece of advice would be to do everything you can and make the most of your experience while you are there. Studying abroad is such a unique and profound experience that should be taken advantage of. Try and plan as much as possible to budget and plan any trips you want to go on while you are abroad. Aside from that, I would advise people to pay close attention to the visa application process. Admittedly, I was not completely on top of everything and had to make a last-minute trip to Ottawa to get my passport approved. Staying on top of things can help alleviate a lot of stress in the time leading up to your exchange!
