Ann Kim
Q&A
“I was worried about not being able to make friends with the locals because I was taking classes specific to international students. I really didn't have to worry about this because I met a lot of friendly Swedes through my corridor, my participation in a student nation, and my internship at a Swedish start-up!”
I've heard one of the things most people regret NOT doing in college is studying abroad. On top of not wanting to add to my list of regrets, I wanted to challenge myself by going to new country to learn first-hand about the new cultures and customs. I chose Sweden because I've always been interested in learning the mechanisms and experiencing the culture of a highly socialistic and egalitarian society.
Studying abroad pushes you to try new things and forces you out of your comfort zone. I never imagined bartending in my life. Lo and behold, I bartended at a Swedish student night club and it was so much fun!
I was worried about not being able to make friends with the locals because I was taking classes specific to international students. I really didn't have to worry about this because I met a lot of friendly Swedes through my corridor, my participation in a student nation, and my internship at a Swedish start-up!
Every day was different. Most of my classes in Lund University met once a week, so I had a lot of free time to meet new people, try new things, and go to new places! I definitely took advantage of my free time!
I took classes specifically designed for international students in Lund University. The classes I took were not as strenuous as the classes in Berkeley. This also attributes to the different grading system.
There's too many to say! But, if I had to narrow it down, I would have to say the most meaningful aspect of my time abroad was making connections and friends from all over the world. I've made friends from Singapore, France, Japan, Germany, etc. I loved learning about their cultures and sharing my own!
Studying abroad has made me a more independent and open-minded person. I learned the importance of sharing and understanding different cultures and customs. In addition, I fell in love with traveling while I was abroad. I had the opportunity to go to a different country every other weekend because of the affordable transportation in Europe. In short, studying abroad has helped me realize the importance of making new experiences.
I would HIGHLY recommend studying abroad in Lund University, Sweden. Everyone is very welcoming! Plus, you don't have to worry about a language barrier because most Swedes speak excellent English.