Personal Erasmus Report

Personal Erasmus Report

Uppsala University Euroculture Programme

Linda Piersma

lindapiersma@hotmail.com

Courses and credits

Component

code

(if any) Component title (as indicated in the course catalogue) at the receiving institution

Semester [autumn / spring]

[or term]

Number of ECTS credits to be awarded by the receiving institution

upon successful

completion

5RT945 Eurocompetence II Spring 5 ECTS

5RT947 Intensive Programme II Spring 5 ECTS

5RT948 Research Seminar Spring 10 ECTS

5RT949 Intensive Programme with

Methodology Seminar Spring 10 ECTS

5PU028 Basic Swedish I Spring 7,5 ECTS

Total: 37,5 ECTS

All the courses, except Swedish, were mandatory within the Euroculture Programme. For Eurocompetence II, we had to plan and execute our own project to learn valuable organizational and project management skills. For this purpose, we collaborated with ‘Colours of a Journey’, an organization that intends to give a voice to refugees themselves by collecting and exhibiting drawings of refugee children across Europe. As a group, we organized a three- day exhibition in Uppsala with a closing event hosting two interesting speakers.

The Research Seminar constituted the more substantial part of the semester and dealt with the Baltic Sea Region in a multidisciplinary manner. Next to reading articles we also had to write a seminar paper and lead the discussion in a seminar session. Overall, the course was very informative and really provides you with an opportunity to learn about the history, politics, and society of a region that is usually lesser well-known.

The Intensive Programme with Methodology Seminar prepared for the Intensive Programme (IP) in Krakow, Poland. We received various theoretical and methodological readings and had to write several ‘Letters to a Friend’ to reflect on the readings and our paper writing process. Next to presenting our paper at the IP in Poland, we also participated in various workshops, lectures, and field trips. As an extra course, I followed Basic Swedish I, which helped me to be able to understand and speak a decent level of Swedish.

Quality of education

Overall, the courses were well-organized and on a sufficient level. Especially the Research

Seminar covered many different interesting topics and was well-structured. However, in

Sweden the education system is slightly different than in the Netherlands. Classes were

usually restricted to a maximum of six hours per week. There is only so much a teacher can

do in the limited amount of time available. On the bright side, this means that there is more

time to reflect on what you read and learn, but in general this relaxed attitude does mean that

at the end I felt like I learned less than I would have in Groningen. At the same time, Erasmus

is not only about learning at university, but also learning outside the classroom, about culture and life in Sweden.

Level of help and information

We received all the necessary information concerning housing, nations, registration, and even the weather, via a booklet. This information was given well in advance via e-mail. In addition, a welcome package was prepared for us upon arrival, containing a booklet for exchange students, a map of Uppsala, a SIM-card and other useful brochures. Teachers and coordinators also tend to reply very quickly to e-mails and are generally very open to questions and constructive feedback.

Reception and accommodation

When students arrive at the official start of the spring semester, free pick-ups from the airport are available and students are immediately taken to the Welcome Reception. All kinds of activities are then also organized for the students, for example with regard to choosing a nation. However, the Euroculture semester only began at the beginning of February instead of mid-January, and therefore these services and activities were not available. Yet, information was provided about the travel from Stockholm Arlanda to Uppsala and the process of picking up your key. The Euroculture team in Uppsala will consider planning their own introduction activities in the future (scavenger hunt/dinner).

Housing was very well-organized in Uppsala. It was possible to sign up for three different housing possibilities and then the Housing Office would send you an offer. If you decide to reject the offer, you have to find something yourself. Personally, I ended up with my third choice at Rackarbergsgatan, which I ended up liking very much. Rackarbergsgatan is very close to Engelska Parken, where I had most of my classes (5 minute walk), but also to the city center (only 5 minutes by bike). Although the building is quite old, the room was clean and cosy, I had my own sink and plenty of cabinet space. I lived with four others in a corridor and my flatmates were great.

Contacts with teachers/students

The contact with teachers was really friendly and quick. My teachers were very open to feedback and possibilities for improvement. We were in a group of twelve students and through the nations you could be more engaged with student life if you would please to do so.

It only costs around 21 euros for a semester and you can go to every nation that you like. Due to the limited class hours, the nations provide the perfect opportunity to get to know people.

Support by home institution

The home institution and host institution were coordinating their tasks very well. This is mostly due to the fact that they are part of the Euroculture consortium.

Estimation of expenses

Housing 400-650 euros

Food & drinks ca. 200 euros Other living expenses 100 euros

Activities 100 euros

Total 800-1050 euros a month

Life in Sweden is relatively expensive compared to the Netherlands. Rackarbergsgatan only cost around 400 euros a month, but housing expenses can go up to 650 a month, depending on where you are residing. The rest of the costs depends mostly on your own consumption behavior, but if you also want to do stuff and if you have occasional visitors, 800 euros a month is definitely realistic.

Possible problems

I did not experience many language problems as the Swedes usually speak English on a high level. Students with a background in Germanic languages in particular should not have much trouble understanding Swedish either. Information was clearly provided and every aspect of studying was well-organized.

Personal observations and recommendations

For the autumn semester, be ready for the limited amount of light during the day (especially in

December). I was attending Uppsala University in the spring semester, and the biggest

challenge was the sudden amount of time I had due to the limited class hours. As it is quite

cold in February and March, there were not many opportunities to do outdoor activities and I

sometimes felt a bit bored. Luckily, I did follow Basic Swedish, which added four extra hours

of class time to my schedule. Moreover, if you are into winter sports then the schedule does

give you the opportunity to travel to other places to go skiing or see the Northern Lights.

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