Uppsala: Highly Recommended! Past Review

By Laura S (COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES., The University of Texas at Austin) for

Uppsala University: Uppsala - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I strongly recommend study abroad! I was worried I would be homesick (I get homesick VERY easily) but I experienced a lot less homesickness than I anticipated. Don't be scared to study abroad.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Most deadlines are only suggestions and professors will accept work after the deadline has passes. You are allowed to take the final exam multiple times if you fail. Depending on your major, most people only take one class at a time. Each class lasts about 5 weeks before a new one starts. I did have to be more responsible to keep up with class work than I did in America, but I did not find this to be too much of an issue. Overall, my classes were not too difficult and I was able to party a lot and still make reasonable grades. Many assignments were graded only on completion, and the test was the only grade factored into the final course grade.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Uppsala is a great school for exchange students. There were so many programs for international students and it was very easy to make friends.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I lived in Flogsta, about a 10 minute bus ride or 30 minute walk from the main area of town. There was a kitchen and living room shared by 12 rooms. Each room housed a single student and each had its own bathroom. The people in my corridor were very nice, but we mainly kept to ourselves.
* Food:	Eat at the nations..they are cheaper and good!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	The nations were a great way to make friends and enjoy the nights!
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	I felt very safe while in Sweden.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

Finances

* 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)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Try and make a lot of your own meals. Alcohol at the nations is much cheaper than at a public bar.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university?	Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students International Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	a lot of help for international students easy to make friends
* What could be improved?	more help when choosing classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	This program offers a lot of activities, so you won't feel "alone" or totally on your own.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Development, Democracy, and Governance
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was an entry level course; however, I found it difficult. There was a lot of reading and a lot of specific recall (ie which authors had which opinions and the supporting arguments they used). We had three optional seminars in which you usually wrote a short paper and had a discussion. If you attended, you automatically got full credit on up to three (one for each seminar) questions on the final exam. The exam was very difficult, but you have the chance to retake it if you fail.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Database Design
Course Department:
Instructor:	Erik Zeitler
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The class consisted of three partner assignments which were graded on completion and a final exam. The deadlines were only suggestions, so the assignments could be turned in whenever. If you failed an assignment, you were given feedback and a chance to correct your work for full credit. The test was semi-difficult, but shouldn't be too hard if you keep up with the class.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Computer Architecture 1
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was taught by an American professor, so the grading and deadlines were more similar to the American system. We had about one assignment every two weeks (5 total) which were 40% of the final grade, and a final exam that was 60%. This was probably the hardest computer science class I took, even though I had been exposed to all the material before. Keep up with the material and review it often. The professor was helpful and let me take the exam early as an oral exam since I left Sweden before the scheduled exam.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Human Computer Interaction
Course Department:
Instructor:	online
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was an online class. It consisted of several assignments that were graded on participation only, and a home exam. I found the course to be very easy. I made an A and did not put in as much time as was advised.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Basic Swedish 1
Course Department:
Instructor:	Carl-Johan Lind
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was fun and useful, and pretty easy. All the students are exchange students. You are required to attend at least 70% of classes in order to take the exam at the end (to receive credit; the class can also be taken just for fun), but you are able to make up the classes you miss by attending a class at another time. The course material is about things exchange students are likely to interact with, such as dorm life, parties, etc. I really noticed by the end of the class that I could understand some basic Swedish around town! There is a listening exam and written exam at the end of the semester; both are not too difficult and you are given practice tests.
Credit Transfer Issues: