Jasmine's Exchange to Malmö University | Sweden
When I made the decision to apply to study abroad, I began the adventure of a lifetime. I’ve always wanted to travel and there were so many places I wanted to see but I didn’t want to have to put my studies on hold to do so. The exchange program was the perfect opportunity to travel and add to my studies at the same time. There was lots to organise in the beginning; flights, accommodation, academic transcripts, VISA’s, university paper work and trying to pack enough belongings in your suitcase to last 6 months! But I can definitely say that all that initial stress was so worth it in the end.
On Christmas eve, my boyfriend and I packed up our suitcases, said a teary goodbye to our family and friends and hopped on the 19-hour plane ride to London. We spent the next 2 weeks travelling around Europe on a Winter Contiki Tour. We visited the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France. After this we caught a plane to Copenhagen, and then a train to Malmö. There were university representatives at the train station to greet us and tell us where we needed to go.
For the first couple of weeks we stayed in Air BnB accommodation while we waited for our accommodation to become available. We moved into student housing in February. My apartment was tiny but had everything we needed (and most importantly had an excellent heater!) There was also a gym, shops and bus stop next door. I would catch the bus for 25 minutes to get to University each day. Malmö is a beautiful city with lots of culture and history. One of the first things I noticed was the diversity in the city and how people from all over the world have come together to live here. Malmö University is only 19 years old so all the facilities and buildings are very modern. It’s located right on the harbour which was the perfect spot to go sit with friends on lunch breaks.
I took two different courses at the university – Special Needs Education and Outdoor Pedagogy. I also participated in a 1 month course in Swedish language to learn the basics. I was impressed by both of my courses and learnt so much from both the teachers and my international peers. It was such a different experience being in a classroom with students from all around the world. It made for some very interesting discussions and broadened my views on a lot of topics. I particularly liked my outdoor class as we got to explore the city on bikes and visit different parks, playgrounds and primary schools. They have a law in Sweden known as ‘free nature’ which gives every person the right to camp, hike and pick berries anywhere in Sweden. The impact of this was that you always saw people and children out enjoying the beautiful surroundings. At the end of my course we went on a 2 day camp and stayed in a wooden cabin out in the Swedish countryside.
When I wasn’t busy studying, I was busy exploring and travelling! The train and bus system was excellent in Sweden and I used it to explore near by towns including Stockholm and Helsingborg. In April I went on a trip to Kiruna, at the very top of Sweden in Lapland. This was by far the most amazing adventure that I have ever had. We went snow shoeing, dog sledding, visited an ice hotel, built snowmen and were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights three times!
At the end of the semester, it was sad to say goodbye to all of my new friends but I was also excited to come home to Australia. Being away from home made me realise how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful country. I ended my trip with one last adventure – a trip through Berlin, Prague, Budapest and ending on the Greek Islands. Coming home felt surreal and I felt like I had been away for a lot longer than 6 months! I have gained so much both personally and professionally from my time studying abroad. I found myself more confident, organised and independent. The teaching practices and lessons I learnt in class will stick with me forever and I look forward to putting some of them into practice in my future teaching career.
- Jasmine studied at Malmö University in Sweden
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