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Anonymous
Hey /trv/,

I've always wanted to study abroad, and I've been really considering going to Sweden for college. What do you think, has anyone had any similar experiences?
>> Anonymous
No tuition fees = fuck yeah
>> Anonymous
>>24130
OP here, considering that I'm spending almost 1.5 - 2k at a community college to get my core credits thats more of an incentive than the hot women!
>> svenska
I'm also studying abroad in Sweden next year.

I'm going to Malardalen in Vasteras.
>> Anonymous
Swedish student talking:
Schooling is nice, but what school you pick is important - what field were you looking at?
>> Anonymous
Foreigner studying in Sweden here. I'm studying at KTH in Stockholm, great university with competent staff and resources. My only gripe is that well, it's hard to actually become friends with my peers, they seem to create shells and barriers around themselves. I mean hell, I'm individualistic as fuck, but there's something more to it I can't properly describe. Other than that, it's expensive to live here but it's a beautiful country and there's lightning-fast internet for cheap.
>> Anonymous
Planning to study in Stockholm next year myself. Can't wait for it, I've become pretty bored with where I'm currently at.
>> Anonymous
For those of you international students studying in Sweden, are your courses in Swedish? Or are you in classes taught in another language, as exist in some universities?

If you're in Swedish classes, did you learn Swedish before you got there or after?
>> Anonymous
>>24130


lol free=tuition does not include free housing and food
>> Anonymous
>>24205
I'm still not too sure what I want to major in. Ive been looking around at the different programs, but I haven't seen anything that appeals to me yet..
>> Anonymous
>>24212
What programme are you studying?

>>24300
If you're going for engineering - def. try to get into KTH (Royal Tech. Inst.), you can't beat that.
>> Anonymous
>>24305
Microelectronics.
>>24224
Since I'm an undergrad all my courses are in Swedish, but there are *some* careers that are in english. I moved here 6 months before the start of the year and learnt Swedish in the meantime. Math is math, regardless of language so it isn't hard at all. However, you should learn some swedish before you come here.
>> Anonymous
>>24313
I'm pretty sure more and more classes are turning into english. We had Linear Algebra mostly in english (Beginner course), and both Logic and Introduction to Computer Science have english textbooks, so you're all set.
>> Anonymous
Why the hell would you go to Sweden when you can go to FINLAND?
>> Anonymous
>>24878
so true. Finland is teh shit.
>> Anonymous
>>24878
probably bevause it is hard as fuck to live there if you are not finnish
you fuckers wont let anybody in
>> Anonymous
>>25111
Atleast i don't have to watch sandniggers and niggers everyday
>> Anonymous
>>25111
I dunno about Finland, but getting my student visa for Norway took for goddamn ever! Lotta hoops to jump through, paperwork, back and fourth between the Norwegian consulate. Bah!

Do it though. It's a good experience.

Start saving money. The dollar fucking sucks and it's expensive over here.
>> Anonymous
>>25207
but on the other had you have to live with those goddamm filthy russians instead.

enjoy you soviet slave-state
>> Anonymous
>>25207
>>25241
which one is more retarded? I can't tell the difference!
>> Anonymous
Speaking from experience here, and all I can say is DON'T.
>> Anonymous
>>25241
Got red under your bed? Cold war butthurt? Or just pure faggotry?
>> Anonymous
>>24224
At LTH all the higher courses are in english
>> Anonymous
Pros: Cheap internet, schooling is great, student activities are wonderful if you are in the bigger student cities such as Uppsala and Lund, everyone knows english.
Cons: Everything is expensive, swedes/scandinavians are cold people and it will take a while to befriend them, people knowing english ? can speak it well.
>> Anonymous
>>25800
I don't think Swedes are "cold" people, they're just very quiet and serious, but still generally nice.
>> Anonymous
>>25798
And most professors in higher courses are either well traveled or foreigners, meaning that they can speak the language well.
>> Anonymous
>>25805
Ok, maybe I meant "shy". Especially if you compare to southern europeans.
>> Anonymous
most scandinavians i know are assholes
their .gov feeds them a load of bullshit about how they're the best in the world and they buy it and feel if gives them the right to look down on all us inferiors and treat us like shit. as dishonest a group of people as i have ever encountered.
>> Anonymous
>>25925
You only get treated like shit if you are a minority there. But then again, the sandniggers in sweden gave themselves the bad reputation there.
>> Anonymous
>>25925
swedefag asshole here. You are correct. In some aspects we are your superior white gods, and scandifag countries are probably cleaner than your country, people are fairly well educated, well travelled, speak at least 2 languages and probably not as poor as your people. But at the end of the day scandifags are only half as fun as other nations fags, and your nation is probably cheaper to live in.
>> Anonymous
>>25929
yeah, thats the undeserved superiority complex i was alluding to.
have been there many times and you're wrong. sweden especially lacks anything like a real native culture. its just a bland conglomerate of vague 20 year old european stereotypes. sweden makes up for this by having some nice wilderness in the north, a rarity in western europe.
>> Anonymous
Another swedefag here.

Yes, we are indeed very reserved and can probably be percieved as "unfriendly" by people coming from other countries. We simply are like that - we like to keep to ourselves and our own group of friends.

Whenever someone breaks our social norms, like casually starting to chat with us on the bus or on campus about all sorts of things (even the weather), we get embarassed and feel really uncomfortable, and start regarding said individual with suspicion ("Why is he talking to me? He has some ulterior motive...").

A Swede makes friends, usually, through events or participating in groups, such as taking the same course at uni, going to a comic convention or a party at an already established friend, etc. It is very rare for two Swedes to befriend each other under everyday circumstances.

Befriending a Swede is a slow process - I've just started talking to people in my class at uni, and we've been in the same class for about 2 years. That's just how it works. However, I would say that once you have befriended a Swede, he is a very good friend (unless he's a complete asshole or social misfit - unfortunately, we are too polite to ditch such friends and just suffer in silence).

It pains me to have to say this, because it will sound racist, but I think that Swedes are, in general, wary of befriending foreigners. Not that we dislike them for being foreign, but because they often act "un-Swedish" (in the ways I have mentioned) which makes us feel iffy, and so we stay away from them.

I know I try to avoid foreigners on campus because I'm afraid they'll get too clingy too fast and come up with un-Swedish suggestions, like "hey, my family's over from [weird foreign country with strange customs and kiss-hellos], why don't you come meet them?!".

Standard disclaimers apply, YMMV, "not all Swedes are antisocial fucktards", in before racist, etc. etc.
>> Anonymous
>>24201
It's Västerås in Mälardalen, not the other way around.
>> Anonymous
>they're just very quiet and serious, but still generally nice.

I think I'm swedish.
>> Anonymous
>>25944
All true, but your country is probably more shit than sweden anyway. So which country is it ?
>> Anonymous
>>25999BBBBBBBBBBÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
>> Anonymous
>>26061is that a country ?
>> Anonymous
Visit our own chan if you wan't to learn some Swedish.

Spchan.org
>> Anonymous
>>25958
>SWEDISH IS A STATE OF MIND YO
>> Anonymous
>>24128
Finland has the best school system, but if you want to get friends and stuff, don't bother.
>> Anonymous
>>25958
Yeah, I agree with you on everything.

Another thing I miss here in Sweden - weird as it may sound - is the dining culture that they have in, let's say southern Europe (Spain, France, Italy). There they can sit with their family and talk for hours and eat good food, and they also go out eating a lot. Over here, eating lunch and dinner is not a big thing. That's my opinion at least.
>> Anonymous
>>25944
that definatly depends on what you would call a native culture
sure we live in with a very modern "european" standard, and we arn't very keen on religion or such, so therefor we dont celebrate a lot of funky holidays, but thats because swedish culture is very invidualistic. but there are without doubt swedish culture, even though the main line is "do what you want". also our rapid modernisation has been a part of this. 100years ago sweden was bacisly just a old backwater, farm and lumber, kingdom

sorry for the grammar, but its 02.30 here
>> Anonymous
Swedes think they are superior but they are kind of like Japs -- clean, efficient, wealthy etc but lack cultural flare and are fucking boring.
>> Anonymous
>>26878
elaborate boring
>> Anonymous
>>26885
So boring you love when people mention your little country on internet forums.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/newscomment.html?in_page_id=1787&in_article_
id=391602
>> Anonymous
Strange this article mentions eccentric Swedes. I know a few and one of them is totally crazy.
>> Anonymous
>>26885
Actually don't listen to that faggot, swedes simply work that way that they are careful when they don't know people, so they may seem a bit stiff if you try to make lots of jokes and act too friendly if you haven't gotten to know them. They take great value in personal space.
But once you get to know them they are just as friendly and heartly as any other people.
>> Anonymous
'nother Swedefag here.

Something that needs to be mentioned is that there are always exceptions to the rule. Don't generalize too much about swedes (or any population for that matter).

If you come to Sweden and start looking for friends, you'll naturally gravitate to people that you like to hang out with. Especially if you go to bigger places like Lund or Uppsala.
>> Anonymous
> "lol free=tuition does not include free housing and food"

Of course not, why would it? You still have to pay to live. Don't expect anyone else to pay for you to live.
>> Anonymous
So I just got accepted to Chalmers in gothenburg for microtechnology. Is this awesome?
>> Anonymous
>>24232
it's still free tuition for foreigners?
>> Anonymous
Dude. I'm swedish and I can tell u that u would love it here ^^ The universites are sophisticated (especially the 1 in Lund) (that's in the southern part of Sweden called "Scania". That's where I live lol)
>> Anonymous
> "So I just got accepted to Chalmers in gothenburg for microtechnology. Is this awesome?"

Very much :) Congratulations.

Question for everyone (non-Swedish) who has gone there for university: How has language been an issue? I know it was mentioned above that some courses are in English and some in Swedish, but how long would it take the average person to learn enough Swedish to function well in society, including university? Do they have a Swedish test that you need to pass? What about jobs? How long until you get good enough at Swedish to get a good job to help pay for living costs through university?
>> Anonymous
>>28853
as a swefag i can tell you as much that all masters educations on Chalmers are in english. But i don't know what grade that guy is going to study at
>> Anonymous
Sweden have a good University for Veterinary or Microbiology?
>> Anonymous
>>28613
Me again, I thought all Swedish Universities were free, but I'm having trouble finding anywhere that says Chalmers is free. Can anyone tell me for sure? I need to know to decide between there and a job.
>> Anonymous
>>28869
I always thought it was free for residents of the country only... but I don't know for sure
>> Anonymous
>>28877
>Currently, tuition fees for everyone are fully subsidized by the state.
http://www.studyinsweden.se/templates/cs/Article____7328.aspx

My concern was over Chalmers being listed as a private university. From what I see though, it is still funded by the state and free. Only became private due to legal regulations on public universities.

http://euerek.info/Public_Documents/Documents/Sweden-DataCaveats.pdf
last section of this explains it a bit.
>> Anonymous
Back on topic. I can't say what it's like because I haven't been yet. But, it was easier to get into that I thought. Chalmers microtechnology was my first choice, and I got accepted. I go to a pretty good university with a pretty good GPA, but nothing exceptional. Engineering masters courses are taught only in English, and that is the main reason I applied.