Sweden

Carrie Lutsch
MU in Lund at Lund University, Winter Semester 2002

"The Sweedest Experience! My experience was just so indescribable and fantastic, I can't imagine that words can ever come close to conveying the experience, friendships and changes studying abroad made in my life, but here goes...

"I chose Sweden, because it was one of the few "undiscovered" places to study abroad. Since it is a country rarely in the news and only two other people from Mizzou had ever been on this program, I felt that its uniqueness added excitement. I had previously traveled to Sweden before for about a month to visit a friend. I loved it so much I thought it would be the perfect place to study abroad and find out more about this Scandinavian treasure.

"Lund is nicely situated in the southern tip of Sweden, not too far from the coast. As Sweden is typically though of as being a very "cold and snowy" country, I was pleasantly surprised that it only snowed twice in Lund during the five months I was there. And although the winters are long and dark in Sweden, I hardly even noticed that the first glimpse of sunshine was about two weeks into my stay because we (the international students) were having so much fun with the planned events and excursions provided by the international center and student nations.

"I was welcomed to Lund University by a group of mentors who took everyone around and showed them their living quarters. I shared a student apartment (fully-furnished by IKEA-an awesome Swedish interior store) with four other international students: One Finnish, one German, and two Dutch girls. I later named them Min Svenska Systrar (my Swedish sisters). We all got along great and had the time of our lives that semester! We hosted our share of "theme" parties, including the Pink party (see the photo), roommate dinners, late night tea talks, and routine evenings out at the student nations/clubs. (The student nations were student-run organizations that each had their own place to host dinners-"Sitnings", discos, and bars. They also had sports teams and other activities that all students were welcome to participate in and everything was student-run and student-CHEAP!!!) You were always guaranteed a fun evening at the nations - each one a little bit different - and you were sure to run into many international students that you knew, as well as the party-hard Swedes!

"In addition to the many activities in Lund, it was also very easy to travel. Whether by train, bus, or plane, you could easily see other parts of Sweden or venture to another country. I frequently visited Copenhagen, Denmark-which was only about an hour by train and offered a big Scandinavian capital with shopping and lots of sightseeing. Another popular excursion for most of the exchange students was the renowned trip to Kiruna (northern Sweden) to see the famous Ice Hotel and experience dog sledding, followed by a short train ride across to Norway for skiing. There were also overnight boat/ferry trips planned to surrounding areas (Oslo, Helsinki, etc.) by the international center. Through the cheap STA travel office in Lund, I was also able to book a couple of cheap excursions to Germany and Belgium. TIP: There is A LOT to see in Sweden, and you won't be disappointed, but if you have the means to travel more while abroad-definitely do it!! Being in Europe where the distances are rather "close" makes traveling quite easy for a student.

"In addition to all the fun "extras" in Lund, there were of course the classes. I really enjoyed my classes and the university. Almost all Swedes can speak English so communication is not a problem, and except for my Swedish language class (which was taught completely in Swedish) all of my classwork was done in English. As a Journalism major, I know most people think it is virtually impossible to study abroad on a non-journalism program. THIS IS NOT TRUE. One piece of advice for studying abroad: Go where you want to go, not where you think you have to go! I worked out my schedule at Mizzou so I could study abroad and get upper-level credits for Social Sciences, Humanities, and Electives (and just doubled up on some J-credits my last year). I was able to study the Swedish language, education, social system, and economy - all things that I would never have gotten to learn in classes at Mizzou, AND I got credit for them! I recommend immersing yourself further by taking at least one class pertinent to your place of choice. It's a great way to enrich your abroad experience.

"Overall, my abroad experience fully over-exceeded my expectations. I have gained so much from the experience-new perspectives, ideas, life-long friendships, and a stronger sense of my personal strengths and goals. Not only have I kept in contact with numerous friends from Sweden, but I have also continued to expand on my international experience. Since studying abroad, I have mentored and interned at the MU Study Abroad Center, back-packed around Europe visiting nine countries and 18 of my international friends, and interned/worked abroad in Germany for three months.

"This study abroad experience has opened my views on other countries, cultures and ways of developing my abilities way beyond my typical comfort zone and otherwise, "American" perspective. I STRONGLY recommend it to everyone. I even think it should be a requirement for students, not just an additional opportunity!

"If you would like any further information or pictures, feel free to email me at lutschc@gmail.com."

David Kim
MU in Lund at Lund University, Academic Year 2001-2002

"Hi, my name is David, and I studied at Lund University in Sweden during the 2001-2002 academic year. I am an Industrial Engineering/Business Management double major with minors in Mathematics and Computer Science. I studied mostly Swedish while in Sweden, but also took classes in Asian Economic History and Computer Science.

"Lund University has one of the largest exchange programs in Europe. And don't worry if you can't speak Swedish, for they offer many courses in English. Lund University is proud of their international program, and they try to accommodate for their international students extremely well.

"Lund is a great college town, similar student/town ratio as Columbia, but a little larger. The great thing about Lund is that if you're looking for something different on a particular weekend, Malmo (250,000 people) is just a train ride away, and if that's not enough, Copenhagen, the largest city in Scandanavia, is just as accessible.

"Swedes are friendly and almost everyone speaks English. Swedes are also interested in talking with Americans, as they are quick to want to practice their English and learn more about America at the same time." E-mail: mutigerguy@hotmail.com.

Michelle Wait
MU in Lund at Lund University, Winter Semester 2001

"My major is Parks, Recreation and Tourism, and while I didn't take any courses in PRT while in Sweden, I learned more in one semester abroad than I have in my 4 years at Mizzou! I couldn't have chosen a better place to do an exchange program. To this day I still dream that I am back there with all my friends. If anyone is even thinking about studying abroad, in Sweden or elsewhere, my only advice is DO IT! It is the experience of a lifetime!" E-mail: waitmichelle@hotmail.com.