My name is Maria and I am an international student in Stockholm, Sweden. I travelled to Sweden from Athens, Greece, to study biomedicine at the Karolinska Institute. I chose this degree at this place because it is one of the best 50 universities in the world for life sciences.
I was 18 years old when I moved to Sweden during the pandemic and it was particularly difficult to adapt. Not only did I need to adapt to university life and studying, but I also needed to learn how to live in a different country. This included learning how to manage residency paperwork, finances and much more.
I chose the Karolinska Institute because it is internationally known for its medical research and excellence in education. Biomedicine stood out to me because of its curriculum, language of education (English) and research opportunities that were offered down the line.
The application process for this programme, as well as any other programme in Sweden, is done through a website called antagning.se, and applying was a very straightforward and smooth procedure, something I did not experience when applying to other countries’ programmes.
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Settling in Sweden, like settling in any new country, was complicated sometimes. Although it is not mandatory, it is useful to apply for a unique personal number (personnummer) while in Sweden.
This number comprises your birth date and four unique numbers. A student can then use this personal number to create an ID card, open a Swedish bank account and have easier access to healthcare, as well as enter a queue for housing in student housing systems (such as sssb.se). This number can take up to a couple of months to be created, so until this is done it can be tricky to settle in, but it is truly worth it.
A drawback with living in northern countries can be the weather. In the winter, the temperature in Stockholm can reach -15ºC! So it is smart to invest in thermal underclothing as well as a good-quality winter jacket. In winter, it gets dark really early; this year, for example, on the shortest day of the year the sun will set at 2:47pm, which can mess with your sleeping schedule.
I overcame these challenges and I am proud to say I passed all my exams on the first try. Alongside academic achievements, I prioritised maintaining good mental health, building a healthy social circle and settling into the country.
Studying in a foreign country can have its setbacks, but it is without a doubt an eye-opening experience. The cultures you experience, the friendships you make, and the education and knowledge you obtain are what make it worth it. I would definitely recommend it.
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