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

From the end of August 2009 to the beginning of January, I studied chemistry in the 5th semester at the University of Uppsala. During this time, I hoped to attend various courses in English at a renowned university and at the same time learn a new language in a quiet country with idyllic nature. I can say at this point that I was not disappointed.

The journey:

In principle, there are two ways to get here. On the one hand, you can travel around 1000 km by car or you can choose to fly.

I flew with Ryanair from Bremen to Stockholm (Skavsta). The flight cost me around €50 including 15kg free baggage allowance and 10kg hand luggage. From Skavsta you can get to Stockholm in 1.5 hours for €5-10, depending on the bus company. From Stockholm there are trains to Uppsala every hour for just under €7.

As a total of 25 kg of luggage is quite little for a winter semester in Sweden, I had an additional 10 kg sent to me from Germany. Unfortunately, with Ryanair you would have to pay an extra €15 for each additional kilogramme.

Accommodation:

I arrived in Uppsala around midnight and was lucky enough to be picked up by my buddy Stefan. He also gave me a roof over my head for the first night and helped me with the formalities for my room in Eklundshof the following day. I would strongly recommend that everyone register for the "Buddy Programme" in good time. This way, initial questions are answered quickly and you make friends straight away.

Eklundshof is a residential complex with several houses, three of which with around 30 rooms each are reserved for Erasmus students and the other ten are booked for hotel use. Personally, I think that Eklundshof was the perfect choice for accommodation. As a chemistry student, my courses took place at the BMC (Biomedical Centre) and the Ångström Labatoriet, both of which were less than 1000 metres from my flat. That's pure luxury, especially in the slippery winter!

Another plus point of Eklundshof is its proximity to a small forest and a river that leads to the city centre and is perfect for jogging.

In Eklundshof, each resident has a large bathroom and their own fully equipped kitchen with oven, hob, fridge, freezer and microwave. For a warm rent of €330-400 per month, this is a very good price/performance ratio for Uppsala.

The only disadvantage is that the nearest supermarket (Willys or ICA) is 1-2 kilometres away. But that's no problem with a bike!

University:

At Uppsala University, I took two chemistry courses in addition to a Swedish course. All courses were in English. Apart from a few chemical formula names, I didn't have any problems understanding them. At the beginning I just didn't know what potassium hexacyanoferrate meant in English.

Unlike in Germany, the courses in Sweden take place in blocks. I attended the "chemical libraries and efficient synthesis" course from September to mid-October. In the practical part (Mon. - Fri. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) we developed active substances against Alzheimer's and herpes in groups of 2-5 people. Unfortunately, we were unable to surpass the effectiveness of the existing agents. In the three lectures per week, we were taught a wide variety of tools that can be used to synthesise different functional groups as efficiently and economically as possible. As we had to read about 150 pages every week, give a presentation and give a lecture ourselves every fortnight, we learnt a lot but sometimes felt like a working machine. Fortunately, the team spirit among the students and the cooperation with the lecturers was very good, so that this course was a lot of fun overall.

From mid-October until Christmas, I attended the "chemical bonding and computational chemistry" course. Funnily enough, everyone who had attended this course before warned me about the unqualified lecturers and the huge amount of work I had just completed. However, I have to agree with most of the warnings. The attached computer lab helped me to internalise the theoretical chemistry I had learnt through practical exercises, which I found very illustrative and entertaining. However, the various lecturers and lab assistants were often poorly prepared.

Twice a week I went to a Swedish course for two hours in the evening. The dedicated and charismatic teacher, Lillemor, captivated every exchange student and quickly taught basic Swedish using teaching materials specifically tailored to Uppsala. It was the best language course I've ever had. Swedish is, in my opinion, "German with simple grammar and melodic pronunciation" and therefore very easy to learn.

Before I started my trip, I thought a lot about whether the courses I was taking would be recognised. All the responsible lecturers at the University of Oldenburg as well as staff from the Examinations Office were very accommodating when it came to crediting the courses. It is important to have all examination results and laboratory protocols signed off on site and to inform the responsible lecturers in Oldenburg in advance.

Student life in Uppsala

There are 13 nations in Uppsala. Every student is a member of a nation and therefore enjoys special benefits, such as free entry to the associated discotheque or discounts at various events. The nations organise many events, such as quiz and games evenings or smaller excursions. Almost every nation has its own discotheque, which is open to students on various evenings. Admission and drinks are also much more affordable here than in the "normal" clubs.

We also recommend the theme parties in the student corridors. These are usually advertised on Facebook and everyone is welcome.

For your own mobility, I highly recommend getting a bike. You can get one second-hand for 50-100 €. Similar to Oldenburg, you can get anywhere in Uppsala by bike and local bus transport is relatively expensive.

The weather:

When I've been asked in Germany what the weather was like in Uppsala, I always say that it was exactly the same as in Germany, if you subtract 5-10 °C. In winter, however, it is often dark and from November onwards you can only catch a bit of sunlight between 9am and 3pm. As it was always cloudy in November 2009, Stockholm recorded 9 hours of sunshine - in the whole month!

As a result, 20% of Swedes suffer from so-called winter depression. I kept my spirits up by exercising and always told myself that the sun was shining behind the clouds. And when the first snow finally fell at the beginning of December, the surroundings brightened up anyway.

The Swedes:

In this part of my report, I would like to talk about the general difference between the German and the Swedish citizen.

The Swedes are generally much quieter than us Germans. They speak more quietly and have no problem standing in a queue and waiting for a long time. Speaking too loudly or jostling in a queue is not acceptable.

They also don't see their work as doggedly as some Germans. At 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the dot, there is always at least a half-hour coffee break, the so-called "fika". This is how Swedes socialise and talk about everyday things.

Swedes from young to old speak excellent English. This is because English programmes are broadcast in the original language, as dubbing them into Swedish would often not be worthwhile for around 9 million people.

The outward appearance of the Swedes is also very striking. They are always well dressed and have a well-groomed appearance.

A travel tip:

In January, I travelled to Kiruna in the north of Sweden for a few days with three friends I had made in Sweden. We flew from Stockholm to Kiruna for a good €70 and stayed in a small cabin in "Camp Alta" and started our excursions from there.

We visited the ice hotel, saw the Northern Lights on a ride with sled dogs, drove snowmobiles over frozen lakes at a speedy 100 km/h, tried our luck at ice fishing and cross-country skiing and visited the 1000 metre deep iron mine in Kiruna. I would recommend such a trip to Kiruna to everyone. It was filled with unique experiences that I will never forget!

A few special tips at the end:

• Withdraw cash free of charge:

Swedish banks are reluctant to open an account for a study abroad student with a six-month stay. I therefore recommend opening a free account with DKB (German Kreditbank) before you leave. With the bank card you receive, you can withdraw cash free of charge from any ATM in the world.

• Pre-organisation saves effort and money:

I spent my first few days in Uppsala organising a bicycle or buying crockery for my flat. You can buy all these things in advance via StudiVZ or Facebook from students of the previous generation at a favourable price. It's also easy to sell your inventory again later via this channel.

Final words:

All in all, my time in Sweden was very successful. If you are a little open-minded, you get to know a lot of new people, especially at the beginning, and quickly make new friends who will stay with you in the future.

During this time, I got to know a lot of people from different countries whose experiences I can benefit from. I have learnt that sometimes small cultural differences can lead to avoidable misunderstandings.

Thanks to frequent practice, I feel very confident in English and have the confidence to work with people from many different countries. These experiences will be very important not only in my academic appointment, but also in my daily life.

I would recommend a stay abroad to anyone who wants to gain similar experiences to mine!

Sebastian Decker Oldenburg, 15 February 2010