A challenging but rewarding experience in one of the most beautiful cities! Past Review
By A student (Economics and Film, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/27/2013 to 05/18/2013 with
The Swedish Program: Stockholm, Sweden
I leared how to be more independent, and how to spend time alone. I also heightened my ability to navigate and find my way around a foreign city.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The facility was nice, but there was not much integration with the Swedish students at the school--they are working on that. Class work was not super challenging, some busy work. Some Professors are WAY better than others. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff could not be more helpful, though at times the student advisor seems somewhat disorganized |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Nice, large apartment. 30-45 min. commute to school, and far from other students (other than your roommates). |
| * Food: |
Make sure you research the food in Sweden before going. Supermarkets are pretty modern, and mostly have anything you need. Going out to dinner is very expensive, and choices can be limited if you like to eat produce and are somewhat of a picky eater. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
As the only undergraduate program in Stockholm, and the exposure to Swedes daily you feel very integrated. The language difference will at first seem alienating, but you will soon get used to it. It would be nice to be more integrated with the students at the school. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The program administrators are fantastic in case of a health emergency!! Hospital and doctor system is similar to the US. |
| * Safety: |
Very safe city--very rarely felt uncomfortable. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
It depends on how you manage your budget. I did not go out at night on the weekends, thus I had more money than other people, but Sweden is REALLY expensive. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $250 approximately |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | N/A |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Talk to cashiers at the grocery store, your contact/host family, and at restaurants/cafes. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Which classes/professors to avoid, and that it would be really cold majority of my time there. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Swedish Language 1 |
| Course Department: | Language-Swedish |
| Instructor: | Eva Panova |
| Instruction Language: | Swedish/English |
| Comments: | Eva was a fantastic and demanding teacher. She was a tough grader, as she confirmed with us multiple times that it was rare she would ever give any sort of A grade. I really enjoyed the class. We had nightly homework in our textbook and workbook, as well as 3 exams and a few compositions and quizzes. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I do not expect to. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Globalization and Culture |
| Course Department: | Political Science |
| Instructor: | Steve Turner |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | There was a lot of reading for this course. We did not go on any field trips, although the teacher brought in a guest speaker for one class. The course was seminar based, and involved a lot of discussion among our peers. I participated about the same as I do at Middlebury. We had 2 presentations for "globalization fairs" on two of the three topics discussed, 5 papers, and a final exam. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I do not expect to. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Europe and the World Economy |
| Course Department: | Economics |
| Instructor: | Pehr-Johan Norback |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The teacher was knowledgeable, but is most likely a better researcher than teacher. Lectures are somewhat disorganized, fast-paced, and come directly from the book (which often explains it better). Title is misleading, as it is really an international trade seminar. Exams were challenging. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I do not expect an issue. |
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Swedish Film and Television |
| Course Department: | Film and Media Culture |
| Instructor: | John Alexander |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | While there were no field trips, the professor was very interested in connecting the culture of Sweden to the films we watched, so the class is very cuturally based. The teacher was knowledgeable and well-prepared, although a lot of the class was student driven. I participated as much as I would a home, and we were assessed by weekly response papers and projects, as well as a final paper and presentation on a film. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
