Lexi Laufer

I always knew I wanted to study abroad because I love to travel, experience new cultures, and meet new people. I chose to study in Sweden because I didn't think of it as a hotspot tourist destination. This was important to me because I wanted to study in a place that felt more like home and less like a vacation. Not to mention the scenery is absolutely stunning! Lund's southern location also allowed me to easily take trips to central Europe and experience more cultures. Additionally, Lund University has an enormous student life and I was able to meet people from all over the world on a daily basis.

One of the most interesting cultural experiences I had abroad was attending the Lucia festival. This occurs on the longest night of the year and is a very traditional experience where school children dress in white gowns and sing Swedish songs for the town. The lead singer is called Lucia and she wears a crown of real burning candles to 'bring light to the town.' To add to it, every window in the village had candles burning in the shape of a triangle to signal the advent period. It made the dark weather so much more enjoyable and easy to get through. The experience was incredibly beautiful and something I will always remember.

My biggest challenge while abroad was having mostly online courses due to covid. I was really excited to be fully immersed in the classroom but unfortunately it wasn't safe to do so at the time. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it allowed me to travel more and gave me the flexibility to take my classroom with me wherever I went! Additionally, I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to communicate with other people due to the language barrier. I quickly found out that this was not at all the case and people were more than happy to switch to English and get to know me! By the end of my trip I even was able to say a handful of phrases in multiple languages from all the people I had met and learned from.

My experience with study abroad was slightly different than typical years because my classes were mainly online for covid. However, this allowed me to travel a lot more than a usual year because I could take my classes with me. A typical day for me consisted of waking up in the morning and making breakfast and chatting with my hall-mates. I would then attend class for roughly 2 hours on Mondays and then head over to my favorite cafe with my friends for a fika, which is an integral part of Swedish culture. After this we'd go to a park or stroll through town before trying out a new restaurant for dinner or testing our skills at making traditional Swedish meals. We also often crossed over into Denmark for the afternoon or for meals since it was such a quick train ride! My weekends usually consisted of traveling with friends to other countries or more northern parts of Sweden!

I took parapsychology, religion and politics, and citizenship and migration while abroad. The courses were structured very differently than Berkeley classes in that majority of the material is self-taught through readings and research outside of class. Additionally, students only take 2 classes at a time so they're able to focus more of their time to learning the material. It was definitely an adjustment but I ended up really liking the teaching style!

One of the most meaningful aspects of my time abroad was all the people I met. I was fortunate enough to meet a really incredible group of people and can't imagine what study abroad would have been like without them. Not only did we make the best memories while traveling and attending school but I also got to learn about so many different cultures and backgrounds which is an experience I would never be able to get from my textbooks.

It sounds cliche but studying abroad really did change my life. I found a new level of confidence, got to experience so many different cultures, and learned so much more about navigating life. I also really enjoyed taking classes at another university and experiencing different ways of schooling. It truly was the experience of a lifetime and while I'm sad the trip is over, I'm incredibly grateful that I was able to have the adventure and I know it will stay with me forever.

I highly recommend getting involved with student life! This is where you're going to meet the majority of your friends and really get immersed with the culture. If you want to travel I also recommend planning early so you can plan around any exams or projects you may have going on. The most important thing to keep in mind while studying abroad is to branch out of your comfort zone and take full advantage of the experience and what it has to offer.