My Exchange Lund University
I found out about the 360 International programme during O-week of 2023, however it didn’t really cross my mind and morph from dream to reality until after a successful first semester and understanding masters students are also able to apply for exchange. I arrived in Denmark on the 2nd of January as university starts incredibly early in Scandinavia (9th of Jan I believe). Denmark and Sweden in that time of the year is incredibly cold to say the least, especially at the time I arrived which was said to be the coldest winter in the last decade. Although cold, the cities of Copenhagen and Lund are magnificent and awe inspiring in the snowy winter. There is nothing more comfortable than looking outside from the warmth of Scandinavian houses with roaring fires and a sense of the hygge (quality of cosiness). I stayed for a week in Copenhagen with my family which was a tremendously helpful and a big reason why I chose this part of the world. Every morning waking up was surreal, “Am I really living in Scandinavia???” or “This can’t be real”. With my family’s help, I was able to move into my student accommodation seamlessly, purchasing anything I might have needed such as bedding and towels etc. My room (studio room) included both a small kitchen and bathroom and was very reasonably priced since Sweden has stringent laws for student accommodation pricing. I met a lot of my friends through the international student’s orientation; however, the bulk of my friends were local Swedish students. This was because I began heavily involved with the local rugby team as soon as I got my bearings, taking on a coaching role as well as being the only international student in my architectural stream. Certain degrees have various limitations on international students and architecture was one of them due to the limited amount of studio seats. The student lifestyle in Sweden is totally alien to me, my peers went to studio everyday and treated uni like a 9 to 5 which means no work after class and on weekends. Group projects took precedence over individual, frequent fika (coffee and cake breaks), and there is an incredibly strong student network. Lund is practically built around the university with much of the city catering towards students who make up more than half the population. Student ‘Nations’ or fraternities dating back to the founding of the university in the late 1600s organise most of the social events in the city, own most of the clubs, and have cafes scattered around the city. Because of this, all students are highly encouraged to join one of the nations to able to take part in these activities. Party events take place throughout the week, so it is imperative to keep a balance between partying and study. Cost of living is surprisingly cheap in Sweden compared to New Zealand and for the most part food prices are quite acceptable, that being said, alcohol is regulated stringently and can only be purchased through a government-regulated store called the Systembolaget and is open during certain hours during the work week. I would highly recommend exchange students to Sweden to take part in as many traditional activities as possible, that includes festivals such as midsommar, kräftskiva, or the famous weeklong Valborg festival where thousands of students gather in the city to celebrate Spring, the whole city comes alive, and corridor parties are everywhere. Traditional formal dinners called sitnings are also common and is definitely an experience many international students tend to miss out on, don’t! These are incredibly fun, rent a frack (tuxedo suit), have a traditional meal, sing songs (or try), and have plenty of schnapps. Getting around in Lund and most of Scandinavia is easy, public transport is efficient and cheap, and within the city, everyone owns a bike which is the primary form of travel once the snow has melted. Second-hand bikes are well priced and common, there are entire whatsapp groups for this. I cannot recommend Sweden enough for an exchange. The people are incredibly friendly, although culturally quite reserved, so Swedes may seem standoffish until you get to know them and understand the culture. My exchange was filled with highlights that would take too long to go through, from all the experiences aforementioned, to traveling other parts of Europe because of the close proximity. It would be remiss of me not to mention the impact of me joining the local rugby club, where I met lifelong friends. Through this extracurricular activity I made friends with likeminded people through a common love for the sport and gave me an avenue to give back to the sport. Not only did I help with the team but I also ended up working for the municipality on teaching rugby to the local schools of the area. Experiences like these are invaluable. So, the advice I would give to students going on exchange in Sweden is to be proactive. Make the most of your time by doing everything you can and appreciate the opportunity to be able to.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
The main highlight of my academic experience at Lund University is definitely the study to life balance. The course load wasn’t over the top (and this isn’t just for exchange students) which meant you can really enjoy your time abroad while still learning about your degree in a foreign context. I think this balance allowed me to put my best foot forward for extracurricular activities and in turn helped me meet some incredibly cool people that are now my lifelong friends. I also have never seen anything like it when it comes to the student organisations called ‘Nations’. These were the crux of social life in Lund and were a common meeting place for most of the student events in the city. At UoA there is the shadow bar which is a student bar, now imagine 13 and each one organised by a different nation who cater to various style events. Each nation also offers different activities throughout the semester, some specialise in sport, some hiking and nature, and others arts and culture, etc. there is a nation for everyone. When it comes to classes my architecture stream wasn’t too big which allowed me to get to know everyone and promoted me to express some of my own knowledge on the subject.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
Again, I would highly recommend taking part in as many or all the traditional festivals in Sweden or the Skane Provence. One of the biggest festivals is Valborg which is the weeklong spring festival that attracts young people from all over the country. Lund hosts the largest Valborg party in Sweden and is famous in Scandinavia for it. Midsommar which is also a popular festival is incredibly fun as well with a lot of traditional singing, dancing and schnapps. What differs for midsommar is that most people celebrate it back home or with their friends and family, so for this reason it is good to make Swedish friends to be invited for these midsommar parties. During these festivals there are usually traditional foods associated with them so definitely make the most of that, for example the Semla which is a delicious cream pastry can only be found in the festive season between Christmas and Easter or the kräftskiva (crayfish festival), well the name says it all. Sitnings which are formal dinners turned parties are definitely events you want to go to. Sometimes there’s an invite while sometimes all you need to do is sign up; these formal occasions are one of the best ways to interact with Swedish culture. Everything from the dress, food, songs, and drink are all part of the tradition of Swedish university life. Finally, Join a club, because Lund is the largest university town in Sweden there are a plethora of clubs and extracurricular activities to take part in, each one offers you opportunities to make friends with not only international students but also local Swedish students
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
First tip is to be very stringent in the timing of your application process, and take initiative. The biggest hurdle for me was to time everything perfectly so I can go on the exchange in the first place. Between the UoA course approval, the Lund University acceptance letter, the Swedish Resident Permit verification (In Canberra), and the countless number of flights booked, every one of these needed to be in place and the right order for me to go on the exchange. Even if it means chasing up migrationsverket over and over again for resolution, do it! Because it will all be worth it.
Second tip is to embrace the culture. This means join a Nation, take part in festivals and events, travel the country, eat local delicacies, go ice swimming and do a naked sauna, whatever the locals do, you do! Its all part of the experience and interacting with the beautiful country that is Sweden. Bare in mind that even though Swedes speak very good English and are heavily influenced by western countries such as the US or England, the culture is VERY unique and navigating the intricacies of social norms can be interesting at times. What might seem as rude or unfriendly behaviour could just be part of the cultural difference and will need additioanly consideration.
Third tip is to buy a good lock for you bike! Bikes are a hot commodity in Lund and most of the Scandinavian cities. This is the primary transport of students in city, whether it’s between classes, to the beach, or after a night out, your bike is incredibly useful for getting around. Because of this, bike theft if especially common in Lund and apparently most of Sweden. Obviously, it is a generalisation, but a lot of students wouldn’t mind ‘borrowing’ a bike after a night drinking if it means they won’t have to walk home in the cold, if seen this far too often. Avoid parking bikes near the Central station for too long (more than a couple days) as criminals may cut the chains and resell the bike (personal experience).
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?
Budget is a big ‘depends’ situation. To apply for your Swedish Residence Permit you will have to supply proof of substantial finances while you’re doing your exchange. This money along with student loan living costs is more than enough to pay for your accommodation (charged monthly) as well as your expenses. It all depends on your personal spending, eg. How much you’re cooking vs eating out, outfitting you room in unnecessary decorations, or how much traveling you plan on doing in Europe. I don’t think there’s an answer for everyone. For me I didn’t travel around Europe particular much as I have already in the past, so my personal budget was fine. A tip I’ll give to students going to Lund is to look at second hand stores or ‘green rooms’ first before buying new if you need any essentials. Because this is a student city many international students purchase things brand new and only use for a semester before giving it away for free. That means the second-hand stores often resale these goods for a fraction of the price for something that is essentially new. This also goes for ‘greenrooms’ which are donation rooms for leavers who can’t take all their stuff. These rooms are usually located outside in close proximity to your building and is present for many apartments and all AF Bostader owned complexes. Finally, it will come as a surprise to you, but Sweden really isn’t that expensive compared to New Zealand, much of the groceries are cheaper than at home. Believe it or not I bought a NZ Lamb shoulder for less in Sweden than here, which puts things in perspective. That being said, choose low price supermarkets such as Lidl or Willy’s to maximise your savings.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
I think the biggest takeaway from my experience abroad is just how good it can be to embrace a different culture, and there is no better way to do it than to actually live there, even if it is for only half a year. It takes a few months to really set in and be comfortable in living in a different country but once you do the experience is awesome. Coming back home I was not expecting to feel a sense of reverse culture shock, but I did, somehow, and that just makes me appreciate my experiences overseas even more. It is a weird feeling when you’re back to see your friends at home doing relatively the same thing as when you left, however, now you’ve grown considerably in your world view, having returned with so much more experiences and new friendships and acquaintances. All in all, I believe an exchange is an opportunity everyone should try and experience.
Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?
Because I was coaching the Lund Rugy team LUGI Lions, I was fortunate enough to do a tour with the team to Scotland where they played a local team just outside of Glasgow. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity as it was the first time I’ve visited the UK, I made the most of it and stayed longer than the team and did sight seeing around both Glasgow and Edinburgh. Also, this experience allowed me to connect with the Scottish team who had players that showed us around the city and the nightlife that Glasgow has to offer. I visited Germany a couple times as my parents work there often and it was great to change the scenery and have a break from Lund even if it was just for weekends. Spain was a major trip which I was able to organise with my longtime friend and previous flatmate James who has since moved to Stockholm after University. We spend just over a week visiting different cities and experiencing the true summer life style of the Mediterranean. Finally, Denmark was my most visited country outside of Sweden. Due to its proximity, only 30 minutes to cross the Oresund from Malmo, I was able to visit my family often while revelling in the beautiful and splendour of Copenhagen city, which I truly believe is one of the nicest cities in the world.
Final Comments
I think what makes Lund University such a great destination for an exchange is that it has the best of everything in terms of experience. It is close enough to a major city in Copenhagen for you to travel Europe or experience the big city life. It is small enough as a university town to allow you to enjoy the social aspect of student life and tradition. It is old, one of the oldest in the region so the amenity of the city means you do feel like you’re a foreign place as you bike along cobble stone streets past ancient cathedrals on your way to university. The weather is in stark contrast to New Zealand, for a kiwi it is great to experience a beautiful white winter for a change and still enjoying a temperate summer. And, if you’re there in winter travelling north and seeing the northern light is a bonus. Crime is low in Sweden, the people are nice, and the cost of living isn’t exorbitant. What more can you ask for?