Tanielle's Exchange to Lund University | Sweden
Hi my name is Tanielle and in semester 2 2018 I went on exchange to Lund University in Sweden. At Murdoch I am studying a Bachelor of Laws.
The key factors for me choosing Lund University were ...
I have always had an interest in
Scandinavia for its wide open spaces, countryside, and progressive stances,
particularly on environmental issues. I envisioned living in a small town in
Europe where I could get around by bike quite easily and there was a nice
balance between nature and cultural experiences. Lund was the perfect place as
it is a beautiful old town which is very easy to get around by bike and had a
very interesting history. Lund University is one of the most prestigious
universities in the world and the law school one of the oldest in northern
Europe. It has an excellent human rights program and also boasts having the
Raoul Wallenberg Institute for human rights studies. I’ve always loved
languages and saw Lund University as the perfect place to learn a new language.
A little about Lund University, classes and the teaching system ..
I took Swedish: Introductory Course for
Exchange Students, Legal History of Minorities, and Introduction to Swedish
Law. My classes were mostly seminars in which the lecturer conveyed ideas which
we were encouraged to engage with actively. I had anywhere between 3-6 contact
hours per week. The teaching system was not too different aside from the
grading scale and exams, which were oral exams.
A little about the city I lived in, Lund ...
Lund was not very easy to get around by
public transport, and the preferred method of transport is a bike as the town
is quite small. My favourite places in Lund are the Lund Cathedral and the
University Library, but the town as a
whole is an experience as it is all very picturesque. My favourite places to
eat were Ebba’s Café and Gront o Gott which is a salad bar which many students
frequent and is very close to the Law Faculty. The locals are all very kind and
speak very good English so communication is never an issue. I found that
Swedish people in general are quite reserved until they get to know you. It was
really easy to make Swedish friends by getting involved with the student
nations activities and going to the Swedish language café events.
The best
parts of your Exchange experience ...
The best part of my exchange experience was travel! My favourite places to travel
around were Sweden and Denmark, particularly Helsingborg, Elsinore and Aarhus,
but my absolute favourite place actually turned out to be Lund. Aside from its
charm and beauty, I was able to experience the true Swedish culture while there
and made some wonderful life-long friendships.
The struggles and how I dealt with them ...
I struggled quite a lot with being
away from my family and friends and boyfriend. I dealt with this by putting my
energy into forging new friendships and exploring new places around Sweden and
Europe more largely.
A little about my accommodation while I was on exchange ...
I lived in a student accommodation building
15-20 minutes away from the town centre by bike. While I enjoyed living there
and made great friendships with my corridor-mates, in hindsight I would have
chosen to live somewhere more central. The accommodation itself was very nice
and modern and I had a lovely view of the forest from my room. I found my
accommodation through LU Accommodation.
How I funded my exchange experience ...
I had saved a significant portion
by working part-time while studying. I was also lucky enough to receive a
scholarship of $2,500 from Murdoch University as well as an OS Help Loan of
$6,500. On top of that I was receiving Centrelink payments while studying of
$450 per fortnight and a Student Start-Up Loan of $1,000. In total my exchange
experience cost around $12,000 and I was lucky enough to come home with some
funds still left over.
Volunteering and travelling whilst on exchange ...
I volunteered for Vastgota Nation
as a bartender and chef. I also volunteered at a local film festival. Both were
great opportunities to get to know some Swedish students as well as meet
international students.
I was extremely lucky and had the
opportunity to travel to Edinburgh, Paris, Bergen, Oslo, Narvik, Hamburg,
Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Budapest, Abisko,
and many parts of Italy.
My advice to someone who is considering or about to embark on Exchange ...
To anyone who is thinking about
doing an exchange but feels unsure or scared, I would encourage them to just go
for it and take the plunge. As scary as it was to go to a new country on my
own, knowing no one, I learnt so much about myself by taking the risk, I made
wonderful friends, and I broadened my horizons. I think I’ve changed in many
positive ways because of my exchange experience. I am less shy and more
confident in myself and my abilities. I am more adventurous and now have a very
long bucket list of things I am looking to do in the future and places I’d like
to visit. Most of all I feel more sure than ever of who I am and what I want my
life to look like, and I believe this confidence is something that comes with
experiencing new places and things.
I think a lot of people might be
deterred from the idea of doing an exchange because they think it is expensive.
This is not untrue, but I also think it depends on the type of exchange
experience you want to have and where you want to go. I went to Scandinavia
which is one of the most expensive places in the world to live, and I did not
find the cost of living to be much different to that in Perth. I think an
exchange is a possibility that everyone should consider. There are many places
one could go where the cost of living is equal or lower to that in Perth, and
although I spent a lot of money on my exchange, I see the experience as an
investment in myself and in my future. It was also an opportunity to experience
Europe for the first time.
- Tanielle studied abroad at Lund University in Sweden.
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