My Study Abroad Experience in Sweden: Week 1

A Quick Look Into My First Week Studying Abroad In Sweden!

Hello everyone! I cannot believe that I have been in Sweden for 1 week (crazy right?). While I have been having a lot of fun, I have definitely been experiencing "culture shock" while trying to get adjusted to my new home for the next few months! Here is a short overview of my first few days in Sweden!

Day 1:

I definitely felt mixed emotions (scared, happy, nervous, excited, etc.) when I officially landed in the Copenhagen airport (on my way to Sweden). After I called my family (using WhatsApp - a free app that allows you to call/text/video-chat with family and friends, as long as you have wifi while on airplane mode) and let them know that I was safe, I got my baggage, and I was ready to go to Sweden. Right away I faced my first obstacle, figuring out how to get to the train station that is connected to the airport. I don't know about you but I am pretty good at knowing/following directions (love you Google Maps!) but for the life of me, I could not figure out how to get to the train station (there were no signs indicating where the train station is!). After going up and asking for help (always try asking for help!) and others not really understanding what I wanted, I decided that I needed to go through the exit and see if I could find the train station in another location. Thankfully it worked out in the end because when I walked through the exit doors, I was in the train station! Then came my second obstacle of the day, figuring out which platform and train were mine. Luckily a now friend came to my aid and we figured out how to make it there together! Once we (me and my new friend) made it to our Swedish train stop, we met with a staff member from my university and were taken to the student center for coffee/tea/water/snacks and to sign in! Finally, after a few hours I was able to move into my home for the next few months!!

Important: If at all possible, I would highly recommend arriving on the "arrival day" if your school has one because this is a great opportunity to meet lots of new people. This is especially true because no one really knows each other and everyone wants to make some friends! So if you can go, GO!!!

Side note: Breathe! Sometimes when you are feeling overwhelmed, just take a second and breathe! It will be okay! (sometimes I need to be better and take this advice more often too!)

Days 2 and 3:

Jet lag is not a fun experience if you haven't ever felt it before! Thankfully I didn't have to wake up too early for orientation! Going off what I experienced from my first time studying abroad, I prefer orientation to be 1 to 2 days (my first study abroad experience) vs. a week and a half (now). It is enjoyable but very tiring since we internationals are doing lots of activities which usually go late into the night. It also doesn't help that I am going to sleep a lot later than I should so in response I'm waking up quite late!! However, I did have a chance to pop into one of the supermarkets nearby me (Willy's) which was fun! Whenever I travel, I really like to eat at least one meal in supermarkets because not only is it usually cheaper than most restaurants but you have the chance to see what locals are really eating!

Also, I felt kinda stupid when checking out because I took my shopping cart outside with me (like we do in most/if not all of the U.S.). I didn't realize that I did anything wrong until I realized that there weren't any locations outside to put the carts away, had to return back inside (whilst getting strange looks from others as to why I still had my cart), and asked an employee where the cart needed to go.

Orientation side note: If you can, bring a notebook and a pencil/pen to write important information down. However, if you don't have one, totally fine! You can write notes down on your phone and take pictures of the important information!

Day 4:

We had today off! Truthfully, I slept for a large proportion of the day, made lunch with other people in my apartment, and explored around my new home. I experienced another bit of "culture shock" today with the buses. I don't know if this is all of Sweden or just my city but in order to ride the buses, one must purchase a JoJo card (bus card). Makes sense, however, what doesn't make sense to me (as someone who doesn't really use public transportation in the U.S. very frequently - doesn't really exist where I am from) is that you cannot purchase a bus ticket on the bus. This to me is mind-blowing because in order for me to get a bus ticket, I must now walk almost 1 hour (when my phone doesn't really work) to a location which sells it and then can only ride the bus for a limited amount of time! Hopefully soon, the bus won't be as big of an issue!

Side note: Most Swedish stores, restaurants, housing shops, clothing shops (basically anywhere in Sweden) prefer credit cards over cash. Some places will NOT accept cash (regardless of whether it is Swedish Krona or your home currency). I would say that you really have to have a credit/debit card in order to get around in Sweden (especially if you are staying in Sweden for more than a few days trip).

Days 5 and 6:

More orientation! Today we learned about the library and had a chance to meet the mayor of my city! It was a lot of fun and it had free food and alcohol which was pretty nice! I even had a chance to explore more of my city in between small breaks! I will say, I do love how most European cities are walkable (for the most part). Coming from the U.S. where very few cities are truly walkable (Washington D.C. and New York), I love being able to walk around because I feel that I can really see a city.

Day 7:

IKEA! I was finally able to go to IKEA with other international students from my apartment! This was such a fun and needed experience! It was needed mainly because my room needed a few pieces in order for it to feel more like home (I also needed some items like pillows, a blanket, a shoe holder, hangers, plates, etc.). I even had a chance to try some real Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce which was amazing! Today was even better because it was the first day that I didn't wake up at 11am (woke up at 9am but still, am getting better)! I am hoping that by the time school starts, I will be able to wake up by my normal time (I am a morning person).

Side note: I did notice that IKEA in Sweden is actually a little more expensive than back home in the United States. I don't know if this IKEA in Sweden was an exception or what but I was quite surprised when I calculated the Swedish Krona into U.S. Dollars.

Advice: If you are feeling down, it is okay to talk to family and friends back home/watch your favorite tv show/movie but I would suggest doing that to a minimum! I would say if you aren't living on your own, talk to your flatmates/ host family/etc. and get to know them and start trying to make friendships because that really is one of the best parts about studying abroad, the incredible friends that you make!

I still have a lot of stuff to accomplish (getting better at figuring out the buses, switching my phone to a Swedish account, getting to know my new home, meeting new people, and having fun) but I know that I have time to do it!

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Hope you enjoyed reading about my first week studying abroad in Sweden and if you are also studying abroad, I hope that you have a great first week as well!!!!