Mobility specification

Country:Sweden

Institution:Mid Sweden University

City:Östersund

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2025/2026

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Education / Department of Special and Inclusive Education

Study level abroad:Bachelor

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?manageable

Are your credits converted?no

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?The relationship with the teachers was on a much friendlier level. We normally addressed each other only by first names in both spoken and written communication. Teachers emphasized discussion and feedback.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?Before the start of the semester we had two "introduction days" where we got acquainted with the university as well as with Sweden and its culture in general. There is also a student union within the university, which often organised social events.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Psychological counseling
Barrier-free access to classrooms and dormitories

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:19000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?no

Do you have any tips on how to find private accommodation?The university did not offer dormitories, but worked closely with a company that also arranged accommodation for students. These were shared student flats with 3 separate rooms each. To obtain accommodation, all you had to do was fill in an application form and provide proof of enrolment at the university.

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?My irregular expenses included mostly sports activities - gym, climbing wall, swimming pool... I didn't have any unexpected expenses.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Among the cheaper shops in Sweden is Willys, where you could often find "discount boxes" full of fruit and vegetables not 100% fresh, but still suitable for direct consumption. Such a box cost e.g. 20 SEK.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?perfectly

How does public transport work in the city?mostly fine

And what about transport outside the city?runs like clockwork

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?To find public transport, which in Sundsvall consisted only of buses, I used the Din Tur app, where you could search for the necessary connections and also buy tickets directly. Outside of Sundsvall, I only used the train connections, which I searched for and bought tickets for directly on the SJ app. When visiting the capital Stockholm, I used the SL app to search for public transport connections and buy tickets.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?Definitely the nature that Sundsvall was surrounded by. Especially in autumn we were blessed by nature with mushrooms, blueberries and cranberries. We enjoyed the pines, birches, moss and lichens on the endless intertwining forest trails. Contrasting with the green was the blue of the sea that lined the shoreline in town. Stenstan (stone town) is the historic centre of Sundsvall, built entirely of stone after a great fire. The whole of Sundsvall is in the grip of two hills, Norra Berget and Södra Berget, which offer breathtaking views of the town. At Norra Berget is an open-air museum and lookout tower - the history of the region is on display here (and there are cute Nordic animals).

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Höga Kusten (High Coast) - UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located a short distance north of Sundsvall. It is the place with the highest isostatic rise in the world (the earth rises the fastest here after the ice age). Skuleskogen National Park - the iconic rock cleft Slåttdalsskrevan can be seen here. The combination of deep forests and sea views from the high cliffs is unforgettable.
The Högakustenbron Bridge, or "Sweden's equivalent of the Golden Gate Bridge", provides a breathtaking view.

Without a doubt also visit the capital Stockholm. The journey by high-speed train (SJ) takes about 3.5 hours from Sundsvall.

The Student Union also co-organises a several-day trip to the Swedish Lapland region of Björkliden every semester. Among the experiences that one can collect and try there are definitely "hunting" the Northern Lights (which were visible in Sundsvall as well), husky safari, night hike on snowshoes, classic Nordic skiing = cross-country skiing, meeting reindeer, building an emergency shelter in case of a snow storm and making a fire without matches.

Share your best experience:My most powerful experience was the trip to Lapland. It is there, far beyond the Arctic Circle, that one fully realizes how important it is to slow down in today's hectic times.

The harsh but beautiful conditions - only a few hours of daylight, snow and frost - naturally make you stop rushing. You will learn to adapt to the rhythm of nature, not your plans. The stillness, when all you can hear is the crunch of snow under your boots and watch the Northern Lights, reminded me of the perspective of what is essential in life.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Plane
Train

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Sundsvall can be reached by train directly from Stockholm Arlanda Airport. I personally bought the train tickets from the airport, because I couldn't guess which train I would be able to catch. Next time I would rather choose the option of buying tickets in advance, even at the cost of waiting longer at the station.

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?I definitely recommend the layering system for the Nordic winter. The basis is a quality merino thermal underwear (it gets wet and warms up even when it is wet), followed by an insulating layer (e.g. fleece) and on top a down jacket for thermal comfort in combination with a hardshell jacket to protect you from the sharp northern wind and wet snow.

Reflective elements - in Sweden, this is a necessity in winter, not an accessory. In the gloom and darkness that lasts most of the day, drivers simply won't see you without reflective tape on your backpack or jacket.

A good quality face cream (without water) - in freezing temperatures below -15°C, conventional water-based moisturisers can be uncomfortably cold to freezing on the face. A greasier cream or special 'cold cream' is better.

Thermos - best friend on every walk and on the way to school. Having hot tea with you was like a basic necessity of life.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?Erasmus in the North showed me how important it is to find a balance. Studying in the arms of wild nature just changes your priorities.