This experience report can also be found on the ISO website.

From late August 2009 to early January, I studied chemistry in my fifth semester at Uppsala University. During this time, I hoped to attend various courses in English at a renowned university whilst also learning a new language in a peaceful country with idyllic natural surroundings. I can say straight away that I was not disappointed.

The journey:

There are essentially two ways to get there. You can either drive the approximately 1,000 km by car or fly.

I flew with Ryanair from Bremen to Stockholm (Skavsta). The flight cost me around €50, including 15 kg of checked luggage and 10 kg of hand luggage. From Skavsta, you can travel to Stockholm in 1.5 hours for €5–10, depending on the bus company. From Stockholm, trains run hourly to Uppsala for just under €7.

As a total of 25 kg of luggage is actually quite little for a winter semester in Sweden, I had a further 10 kilograms sent over from Germany. Unfortunately, Ryanair charges an extra €15 for every additional kilogram.

Accommodation:

I arrived in Uppsala around midnight and was lucky enough to be picked up by my buddy, Stefan. He also put me up for the first night and helped me with the paperwork for my room at Eklundshof the following day. I can’t recommend strongly enough that everyone signs up for the ‘Buddy Programme’ in good time. That way, your initial questions are answered quickly and you make friends straight away.

Eklundshof is a residential complex comprising several buildings, three of which are reserved for Erasmus students, each with around 30 rooms, whilst the other ten are used for hotel accommodation. Personally, I think Eklundshof was the perfect choice of accommodation. As a chemistry student, my lectures took place at the BMC (Biomedical Centre) and the Ångström Laboratory, both of which were less than 1,000 metres from my flat. That’s a real luxury, especially in the slippery winter months!

Another plus point of Eklundshof is its proximity to a small wood and a river that flows right into the city centre, making it ideal for a jog.

At Eklundshof, every resident has a large bathroom as well as their own fully equipped kitchen with an oven, hob, fridge-freezer and microwave. For a monthly rent including heating of €330–400, this offers very good value for money by Uppsala standards.

The only drawback is that the nearest supermarket (Willys or ICA) is 1–2 km away. But that’s no problem at all if you have a bike!

University:

At Uppsala University, I took two chemistry courses alongside a Swedish language course. All the courses were taught in English. Apart from the names of a few chemical formulas, I had no trouble understanding anything. At the start, I simply didn’t know what ‘potassium hexacyanoferrate’ was called in English.

Unlike in Germany, courses in Sweden are organised in blocks. So, from September to mid-October, I attended the course ‘Chemical Libraries and Efficient Synthesis’. During the practical sessions (Mon–Fri, 10 am–5 pm), we worked in groups of 2–5 people to develop active compounds to treat Alzheimer’s and herpes. Unfortunately, we were unable to surpass the efficacy of existing treatments. In the three lectures per week, we were taught a wide variety of techniques for synthesising a diverse range of functional groups as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. As we had to read around 150 pages every week, give a presentation and deliver a lecture ourselves every two weeks, we learnt a great deal, but at times it felt a bit like being a well-oiled machine. Fortunately, the camaraderie amongst the students and the collaboration with the lecturers were excellent, so the course was great fun overall.

From mid-October until Christmas, I attended the course ‘Chemical Bonding and Computational Chemistry’. Strangely enough, everyone who had previously taken this course warned me about the unqualified lecturers and the heavy workload I’d just got through. However, I have to say that most of these warnings were unfounded. Thanks to the adjoining computer lab, the theoretical chemistry we’d learnt was reinforced through practical tasks, which I found very clear and engaging. However, the various lecturers and lab assistants were often poorly prepared.

Twice a week, I attended a Swedish course for two hours in the evening. The dedicated and charismatic teacher, Lillemor, captivated every exchange student and quickly taught us the basics of Swedish using teaching materials specially tailored to Uppsala. That was the best language course I’ve ever had. In my view, Swedish is ‘German with simpler grammar and a melodic pronunciation’, and therefore very easy to learn.

Before setting off on my trip, I spent a lot of time wondering whether the courses I was taking would be recognised for credit. All the relevant lecturers at the University of Oldenburg, as well as staff at the Examinations Office, were very helpful when it came to recognising the courses for credit. It’s important to have all exam results and lab reports signed off on site and to inform the relevant lecturers in Oldenburg in advance.

Student life in Uppsala

There are 13 student nations in Uppsala. Every student is a member of a nation and thus enjoys special benefits, such as free entry to the nation’s own nightclub or discounts on various events. The nations organise many events, such as quiz and games evenings or short trips. Almost every nation has its own nightclub, which is open to students on various evenings. Here, the entry fees and drinks are also far more affordable than in ‘normal’ clubs.

The themed parties in the student halls are also highly recommended. These are usually advertised on Facebook and everyone is welcome.

To get around, I strongly recommend that everyone gets a bike. You can buy a second-hand one for €50–100. Much like in Oldenburg, you can reach every corner of Uppsala by bike, and the local bus service is relatively expensive.

The weather:

Whenever I was asked in Germany what the weather was like in Uppsala, I always said it was exactly the same as in Germany, minus 5–10 °C. In winter, however, it’s often dark, and from November onwards you can only catch a bit of sunshine between 9 am and 3 pm. As it was constantly cloudy in November 2009, Stockholm recorded a total of just 9 hours of sunshine – for the whole month!

As a result, 20 per cent of Swedes suffer from what’s known as seasonal affective disorder. I kept my spirits up by doing sport and always told myself that the sun was shining behind the clouds. And when the first snow finally settled in early December, the surroundings brightened up anyway.

The Swedes:

In this part of my report, I’d like to discuss the general differences between Germans and Swedes.

Swedes are generally much calmer than we Germans. They speak more quietly and have no problem standing in a queue and waiting for quite some time. Speaking too loudly or pushing in is considered bad form.

Nor do they take their work quite as seriously as many Germans do. At 10 o’clock sharp and 3 o’clock sharp, there is always a coffee break of at least half an hour, known as ‘fika’. This is when Swedes socialise and chat about everyday matters.

Swedes, young and old alike, speak excellent English. This is because English-language programmes are broadcast in the original language; dubbing them into Swedish would often not be cost-effective for a population of around 9 million.

Equally striking is the Swedes’ appearance. They are always well-dressed and well-groomed.

A travel tip:

In January, I travelled to Kiruna in northern Sweden for a few days with three friends I’d made there. We flew from Stockholm to Kiruna for a good €70 and stayed in a small cabin at ‘Camp Alta’, setting off on our excursions from there.

We visited the Ice Hotel, saw the Northern Lights during a dog-sled ride, sped across frozen lakes on snowmobiles at a blistering 100 km/h, tried our hand at ice fishing and cross-country skiing, and visited the 1,000-metre-deep iron mine in Kiruna. I’d highly recommend a trip to Kiruna to everyone. It was packed with unique experiences that I’ll never forget!

A few more special tips to finish with:

• Withdrawing cash for free:

Swedish banks are reluctant to open an account for an international student staying for just six months. I therefore recommend setting up a free account with DKB (Deutsche Kreditbank) before you leave. With the bank card you receive, you can withdraw cash free of charge from any cash machine in the world.

• Planning ahead saves time and money:

I spent my first few days in Uppsala sorting out a bike and buying crockery for my flat. You can buy all these things in advance at a reasonable price from previous generations of international students via StudiVZ or Facebook. This also makes it easy to sell your belongings on later.

Final thoughts:

All in all, my time in Sweden was a great success. If you’re a bit open-minded, you’ll meet lots of new people, especially at the start, and quickly make new friends who will stay with you for years to come.

During this time, I’ve met many people from a wide variety of countries, and I’ve benefited from their experiences. I’ve learnt that sometimes small cultural differences can lead to avoidable misunderstandings.

Thanks to frequent practice, I feel very confident in English and am confident in my ability to work with people from a wide variety of nations. These experiences will be very important not only in my professional life, but also in everyday social interactions.

I would recommend a stay abroad to everyone so that they can gain experiences similar to mine!

Sebastian Decker Oldenburg, 15 February 2010