Experiencing European life

Andrew Buys shares why his student exchange to Stockholm University in Sweden was a great introduction to the European lifestyle for him.

Andrew Buys

Why I chose my host uni:

When looking at the options available to me I wanted to go on an exchange to a place with a completely different culture to what we have here in New Zealand. Where better to look than the opposite side of the globe? I also wanted to see what the European lifestyle was like as I had heard quite good things about it. That combined with Sweden’s access to nature, even within a densely populated city, appealed to me and I was not disappointed!

How I found applying to my host uni:

Applying for the university was straightforward with a great international team that always got back to any of my questions within 24 hours (even with a 12-hour time zone difference). Their housing office was extremely easy to work with in getting me set up and for any questions I had about my stay. All that was needed from my host university were my academic transcripts and the standard nomination process that all students go through.

The hardest part of the process was sorting out my visa. The Swedish migration authority took a bit of time getting back to me and my application for a residency permit for the duration of my studies (which is what a student needs to apply for). It takes around 2 to 3 months to get the visa, however they also needed my letter of acceptance from my host university to even apply, so it’s a bit of a tight turn around to get the visa sorted before you go. Additionally, they required me to go in person to the Swedish embassy in Canberra, Australia, for a 10-minute interview and identity check. Since my exchange they have apparently moved to an online process.

Overall, applying to the host university was a breeze and straightforward; it’s only the migration authority where you may face challenges.

How I found learning in a different academic system:

The Swedish model places way more responsibility on the student but with a more balanced approach to your learning. By only studying one course at a time there was a lot more freedom in your weeks to do other activities while studying. They highly respect your free time and often mentioned how we should not be doing any university work on the weekends.

I had three-hour lectures that were broken up into periods of 45 minutes of content then a 15-minute break, so in reality, you’re only working for an hour and a half. Class discussions were constant and often you’re engaged in a guided discussion with your lecturer. There was however a lot of reading to do for the courses, which was a big step up from the readings here at AUT. But due to only working on one course at a time it was very manageable to deal with all the extra work we were given.

What I gained from this experience:

It was an experience of a lifetime that really taught me how to be independent and confident with myself out in the world. Being on my own for so long and in a foreign country where English, while extremely common, isn’t the first language people would speak to me in taught me to adapt to situations and that there can be a great work life balance with the proper set-up and mindset.