Mobility specification

Country:Sweden

Institution:Stockholm University

City:Stockholm

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2023/2024

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Education / Department of Czech Language and Literature

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?they have tons

Are your credits converted?yes

Can you give an example?Yes, I studied at Stockholm University a course called Syntax of the Czech Language, which I took at SU for 7.5 credits, but when I had it accepted as my home course Syntax of the Czech Language, I got only (I think) 3 credits for it.

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?It depended very much on the teacher. In one subject I even had a teacher who didn't suit me so much that I stopped taking the class. On the other hand, in the special education course I learned a lot, the classes were very interesting, they were taught by different lecturers, we had a lot of reading to do at home, and the outcomes were also variable. Overall, however, there was a lot of work with studies and scientific articles compared to studying at MUNI.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?Yes, the university definitely offered these activities. Right when I arrived I paid for a membership - a kind of student card, which gave me a discount on public transport and allowed me to participate in various activities. For example, the university organized various student events in the local pub, free breakfast once a month and other interesting events. Another way to integrate was to join the ESN, which also offered a lot of opportunities, but I didn't take advantage of those as much.

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
Interpretation services
Special aids and technologies (e.g., text-to-speech software, hearing aids)
Special examination conditions (e.g., extended time, quiet rooms)
Crisis intervention
Support for LGBTQ+ students (e.g., safe spaces, counseling services)

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:25000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?no

Do you have any tips on how to find private accommodation?Yes, I do! It's definitely worth looking for private accommodation on Samtrygg or Qasa. What I strongly advise against are Facebook groups unless you want to be scammed by scammers.

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?Yeah, how much everything costs! The rumour that prices in Sweden are the same as those in the Czech Republic, but in a different currency, so they cost 2x more, was not far from the truth. Especially expensive (even triple the Czech price) were pastries in Sweden - so I recommend learning to bake your own bread, I saved a lot on that :)
Besides, public transport is also much more expensive - even with the student discount it was almost double our regular price. Finally - and I was very disappointed about this - culture (at least in the capital) costs a lot. Entrance fees to galleries were around 500-800 CZK with student discount, not to mention a ticket to the local amusement park.
On the other hand, what was surprisingly cheap was clothes - well, I mean in secondhand shops. That's what makes Sweden really worth going to.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?I saved a lot on the fact that they also have Lidl in Sweden - so I could apply Lidl discounts there. Unfortunately, you can't set up a loyalty card in other stores unless you have a Swedish personal number (which you probably won't unless you're moving to Sweden for more than a year).
Then one could also save quite nicely on food by cooking at home (of course), but once one decided to eat out, the menus were very reasonably priced. Plus, at any Swedish gastro place, there's free water for as much as one fills up.
And if you're studying directly at Stockholm University, I highly highly highly recommend the student canteen right on the main campus - it's called Lantis, it's an all you can eat canteen and it's great.
You can also find interesting things in secondhand shops, which in Sweden often not only have clothes, but also crockery, decorations, books and household items. I recommend checking out the Myrorna chain.
In addition, Swedes are very generous - I joined a Facebook group of stuff for takeaway and this way my boyfriend and I got two ice skates for free :)

🗺 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?runs like clockwork

And what about transport outside the city?runs like clockwork

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?All through the app. It's called SL (Storstockholms Lokaltrafik).

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?yes

How do you rate the availability of healthcare?I've seen better

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?There's quite a bit of that since I was in the capital. Definitely Gamla Stan, Skansen, Gröna Lund, Vasa Museum, Djurgården in general. The whole Enskede Gård area is also very close to my heart, as I've lived there - it's not super touristy, but it's a lovely opportunity to see the Swedish countryside. Also definitely the city centre with the Monteliusvägen view, ideally a tour of the Stadthuset town hall. You can also see it from the water if you like kayaking. Apart from that, also the university campuses and libraries (wish we had those at home...), and if you're going to travel, take a good tour of the metro stations as well. The Stockholm ones are special and really worth it.
If you have more time, nature, nature, nature. For one thing, the whole archipelago is absolutely magical - everywhere you go will be beautiful by the water, but also a nature reserve. I for one can highly recommend the islands of Vaxholm (which is very touristy) and Grinda (which is not at all) and the nature reserve of Tyresta.
Finally - there are some really good galleries in Stockhom. Some of the top ones are Artipelag, Moderna Museet, Fotografiska Museet, Nordiska Museet and Millesgården.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Actually, absolutely anywhere from what I wrote above :) especially in the countryside. And don't forget your swimsuit, you can swim almost everywhere. And if you want to spice it up a bit more, you can buy this Google Map with all sorts of tips for Stockholm tours from a lady on instagram - it's called Hey Stockholm.

Share your best experience:Ice-skating on the frozen lake in Hellasgården, a hiking trail in the Tyresta Nature Reserve with a wistut bridge and a visit to Gröna Lund, Europe's oldest amusement park. And aurora borealis sightings that were hardly visible. And last but not least - a West Coas swing lesson at the Wanna Dance School.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Train
Bus

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Yeah, I'm fine. For a rail strike in Germany not to happen just when you need to go halfway across Europe.

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?Own key lock. Otherwise you will have to buy one or never use lockers. And also a swimsuit and sunscreen, even if you're going north, and finally a sleeping mask if you can't sleep in the light. Around the solstice in Sweden the sun practically doesn't set. And thermal underwear and good winter boots - it does get really cold and snowy there (when it's freezing, locals walk around downtown in crampons like it's not cold. But it did snow quite often...)

🥳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?My stay was icy on the outside but warm and beautiful on the inside. It was enough to break the ice...