More than the classroom

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What I really like about having my masters in Sweden is the amount of opportunities I get as a student. All the time there are many events taking place in Linköping and around the country. As a student you can participate in different seminars, workshops, open lectures and conferences.

At LiU especially, every week you can find a new and interesting issue being discussed and inviting students to engage in. Because Sweden is a very international setting and everybody speaks English very naturally, a great number of events are hold in English and you won’t have problem finding something that is appealing to you.

On the other hand, professors also seek help among students to organize such events and conferences are always open for interested volunteers. Those are great experiences because you can attend a big event without paying fee, be present in important international discussions and meet all types of people. Be aware of everything Linköping can offer you as much inside as outside the classroom. A good tip is to always take a look in the posters and ads sticked on the walls around the campus (the same walls also announce a lot of parties, but this is an topic for another post ).

Eating out (of your country)

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One of the first things you will have to do in Linköping is to go to the supermarket, after all one needs to eat. Shopping food in another country for the first time can be challenging but also very interesting. At the beginning it seems everything is different and you can’t recognize not even a package of bread. Finding that one food you love to eat back home can a treasure hunt.

Particularly, I love to go to the supermarket and I found it even more fun here in Sweden. After a while you start to recognize everything and understand your likes and dislikes among your new options. You even learn some new words while trying to find your favorite things. It is also a nice experience to try different foods and learn about another culture through the mouth.

Sweden it is not the cheapest country, but you can always make your way and find good deals. Almost every supermarket has weekly products on discounts and the prices can be up to 70% lower for those. Also, in Linköping you have different options to have your groceries, ranging in price and variety of food and including items from other countries. The tip is to keep a trained eye and be open to different flavors.

 

Why Sweden?

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Hello world! Welcome to the first post of my blog!

One of the first things I am asked about when meeting someone new these days is what a Brazilian is doing so far from home. After all, why Sweden?

When I started to look for masters programs I was searching for something different. More than specialize in my field, I was feeling the need for experiencing new approaches to problems, different from that ones I would find in my country. My choice to come to Sweden was based then in its tradition of innovation (home of companies such as Spotify, Ericsson and Ikea) and its position as a sustainable and equitable country (the most sustainable in the world and fifth most equitable). Besides that, Sweden’s innovation is also reflected in its teaching methods, being recognized for having an original approach to education.

And why Linköping?

The university takes the innovation seriously and the master program I chose to engage (Science for Sustainable Development) has the interdisciplinary and critical perspective I was looking for, besides being research-oriented and with a unique structure to help students in their professional choices and competences. Now, It has been 3 months since I started to study at Linköping Universitet, and it couldn’t be more in line with my expectations. I was awarded with a full-time studies scholarship from the Swedish Institute – I will talk more about it in another post – that made it possible for me to be here. I’m just starting my Scandinavian adventure and couldn’t be more excited.

Entering Linköping University