A Swedish adventure

Samridhi Gupta talks about her time at Stockholm University in Sweden, and explains why it was an adventure that will forever have a special place in her heart.

Samridhi Gupta

Why I chose my host uni:

I had always wanted to experience life in Sweden, and as soon as I saw this opportunity pop up, I just knew I couldn’t let it pass. It was my penultimate year of law school, so effectively one of the final opportunities to experience a student exchange programme. At the time I applied, it was the only exchange offered for the Law School, but even with more options now, Stockholm University still would have been my first choice.

How I found applying to my host uni:

The applications seemed very straightforward and simple. I needed the transcript and my passport documentation for the host uni application stage. Candice (the international coordinator at the host uni) was very active in all communications and helped me resolve any and all issues promptly.

Kirsten from AUT was super helpful throughout my whole visa process. Since I didn’t have a New Zealand passport, I needed a visa. My programme was for less than three months, so I only needed a visitor visa for the general Schengen Area. Sweden doesn’t have an embassy in New Zealand, so I went through the Dutch embassy for that particular kind of visa.

How I found learning in a different academic system:

It was very different to what I’ve experienced so far at AUT. All the lectures were incredibly interactive, and all students were encouraged to present their points of view on the topic at hand. We were all allocated a presentation during the classes on the topics that were to be taught on the day. For instance, my presentation was on the German constitution, and I had to research it through the reading and present it to the class. The discussion on that ensued after, hence the interactive component.

The final essays we submitted had a pattern of being opposed and us defending it. There wasn’t much I had to do to adapt to this new style. There was the familiar component of having readings before class, so you don’t go in there completely unaware of the topic. The one thing was getting used to their student portal. It was a little complex to navigate, more than Canvas and Arion, so getting that set up and familiarising yourself with it in advance is a good idea.

What I gained from this experience:

I had personally never been out of the country alone before, so this was a huge learning curve. I had to find my own accommodation online, figure out the public transport in a brand-new country, navigate the lifestyle there and a whole bunch of things. It was very exciting, but scary at the same time. But it taught me that I can rely on myself. You can quite literally figure everything out with a little bit of patience and love. It was an adventure and definitely one that will forever have a special place in my heart.

Academically, it was a different learning environment, and it allowed me to understand what might and might not work for me, and what I can do to make things easier or better for myself here. It allowed me to identify my soft and transferrable skills, and see them in action.