Series of photos of Sarah in Sweden.

Sarah Lee

Major: Linguistics

Q&A

"As an Asian-American woman, I knew that Sweden would be very different than the environment I was used to, but I grew fond of Sweden quickly because of how kind and inclusive the people are there."

What led you to study abroad? Why did you choose your country/program?

 Having studied the Swedish language in my free time and for a semester at UC Berkeley, I wanted to experience Sweden real time, and studying abroad helped me do just that. I also chose Sweden because I had been wanting to visit Europe, especially Scandinavia, for a while.

What salient identities do you hold? How did your identity/identities impact the way you prepared for, or chose your study abroad experience?

 As an Asian-American woman, I knew that Sweden would be very different than the environment I was used to, but I grew fond of Sweden quickly because of how kind and inclusive the people are there.

Describe a typical day for you abroad.

 Attending class, grabbing fika with friends, and taking a short train ride away from Lund to Sweden's third biggest city, Malmö. Also, Malmö has a wide variety of delicious cafes to choose from, so I was never bored!

What coursework did you take while abroad? How did courses abroad compare with Berkeley classes?

 I mostly took linguistics courses, but others were Scandinavian studies, communications, and philosophy. In comparison to my coursework at Berkeley, I felt that my coursework at Lund was not as demanding. However, that doesn't necessarily mean it was easier. At Lund, most, if not all, final grades are based on only the final. So, although there is often no homework given, one would still have to study and perform relatively well on their final to achieve a decent grade overall.

Often, studying abroad can influence or shift our understanding of our own identities. How did your experiences studying abroad impact your understanding of your own identities? And/or what lessons did you learn in general related to your identities?

 I became more independent and comfortable with doing activities alone. As such, in Sweden, I learned to undertake a lagom lifestyle. Though I was often with others, I sometimes went to cafes alone. Previously, I had never done that before, but it soon became my new form of self-care. And it was, to say the least, some of the most refreshing experiences I've had.

What was the most memorable/meaningful aspect of your time abroad?

 I absolutely loved the student nations Lund has to offer, alongside any student corridor parties that came after! Getting to meet both international and Swedish students helped me better understand more cultures.

What was the biggest challenge/concern of your study abroad experience? How did you respond?

 I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get around easily because I hadn't used public transportation often before studying abroad. But I quickly found out Sweden has a swift public transportation system - unlike here, buses there are on time more than 90% of the time. The Skånetrafiken app, primarily used for public transit in Southern Sweden, helped tremendously with this. For one, I was able to travel to and within cities, such as Malmö, Gothenburg, and Helsingborg, at ease.

What would you recommend to students considering studying abroad, especially if they share similar identities and/or are considering your country or program?

 As many have said, studying abroad honestly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. At least for me, I was still given a different perspective even having previously traveled before studying abroad. While abroad, I didn't only feel like a tourist but also a local. Staying there for a year, I eventually immersed myself into the Swedish culture. Doing so provided me many new experiences and made my time there more enjoyable!