My Exchange at Lund University
After COVID, I was eager to go out and explore the world as the borders were beginning to open up, and what better way to do that when you can study and travel at once. I remember my sister going on exchange previously with the 360international programme and was very encouraging about the suggestion, which ultimately made me decide to apply for this experience.
Upon arrival there was a mix of nerves: anxiety, excitement, wonder at being in a country (Sweden in this case) so far from home. The most overwhelming emotion would have been excitement I would say, as there was so much intrigue of being in this new, unknown environment.
Luckily Lund being a student town has a large variety of student housing, although very competitive, which became my home for the six months of being here. It was friendly and very student orientated which was a nice difference from the Auckland flatting experience.
Orientation in Lund was insane to say the least. There are five meticulously planned weeks of activities for new students to get to know each other and experience the new lifestyle. It was very welcoming, although I feel that since they organised the international students to be separated into purely Swedish-speaking groups, it was harder to connect with people as they would continuously speak their native language.
I love the academic way of life in Sweden – they work on a pass/fail basis for courses, and do not try to force hours of unmanageable workloads upon the students. It’s a very nice work/life balance here, as classes would run for a few hours and everyone would be leaving by 5pm at the latest so you were never working overtime. This gave the opportunity to really focus on the work at hand, and take time to understand what you were learning instead of constantly having to work assignment after assignment. The downside of this is that your learning is based on personal motivations to achieve, and less instructive teaching is provided so it can feel that you are left to your own devices sometimes.
Sweden feels like home almost. Perhaps a more orderly and introverted society but the pace of life seems similar to that at home. There is time to relax and everything is not in this current state of flux. The people are friendly and always willing to help if you need, as well as their amazing abilities at English make you feel more comfortable in this foreign environment.
I had heard Sweden was expensive to live in, however in comparison to my living expenses when I was in Auckland it actually tends to be cheaper. Renting is cheaper and food is similarly priced, although I found myself eating out less and cooking more in this student city purely because of the price of restaurants as well as the amount of downtime there is between studying.
I was lucky enough to be a part of the Erasmus Student Network, an organisation of international students who conduct trips to various countries with activities included. I got to meet a lot of cool people who were all studying, as well as travel to Iceland!
I loved life on campus much more than Auckland. Everyone seemed willing to be there so there was always a lively atmosphere around. I also appreciated that from 12-1 no classes are scheduled, so all students are out eating lunch together.
Highlights of the exchange was a study trip to Morocco that our class took; it was a whole different culture to anything I had experienced with true local living integrated into it! Another one is all the amazing people you meet, whether they are international or native to the area – every connection is invaluable, and lifelong friends have been made in such a little time.
The challenges of the exchange have been to say goodbye to this life I have had over here. I know New Zealand will always be home however there’s now a desire for exploring the rest of what the world has to offer, since I got a little taste of it during these past 6 months.
My advice to students is that they should just do it. Yes, it is scary, it is unknown and it is a long way from home; however despite all of these hard feelings that I experienced at the beginning of this journey have been undoubtedly worth it for every memory I get to bring home, and the wonderful people I have met. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and I wish my programme allowed me to stay longer since it will be forever a highlight of my life.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
The biggest academic highlights of this experience include an architecture study trip to Morocco to investigate our site for our semester’s project, and also working with a large range of international students all giving a different perspective from their backgrounds – sharing their knowledge from different countries was a cool thing to learn from.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
Saunas! There is a big sauna culture here which is so refreshing and good for the body.
Swedish sittnings – these are a type of dinner party with songs and performances, varying levels of formality but very wholesome to get the peers together.
Biking is not particular Lund specific, but there is a large biking culture considering the flat terrain of the city, and very extensive cycle paths throughout the city which makes it the most convenient way to travel around!
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
Definitely buy a bike for transit – this town is so heavily involved in cycling!
Seek out other Kiwis and Aussies if you are homesick – they will always be such a comforting crowd to get to hang out with!
You will meet a lot of people, so choose the ones you that you think are worth more of your time since it is very limited!
How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?
To be honest I didn’t budget for this exchange. Once I reached Sweden I got accustomed to the cost of living, which was well within the living costs provided by Studylink so it had no real bearing on it.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
This experience has taught me a lot about myself; especially getting out of my comfort zone that I had established within New Zealand. It has shown me I am capable of a high level of independence and self-motivation to travel alone and interact with people I would usually not have the opportunity to.
Tags: 2023, Architecture, Report