Hej (Hello) from Stockholm! After a hectic week of orientation and a nerve-racking first week of classes, I feel that I am finally settled down in my new home in Stockholm. I’ve been celebrating little accomplishments along the way — finding my way to/from school without looking at Google Maps, using all modes of public transportation (commuter trains, trams, metros, and buses), learning basic Swedish words and phrases, and being able to tell my twin host brothers apart!
For me, Sweden is a country that felt so familiar due to Pippi Longstocking, the Vikings, its globally-known welfare system, and its vibrant music industry, yet so culturally different. Filled with many questions about its culture, economy, politics, and technology, I chose Stockholm, Sweden as my second study abroad adventure (I studied abroad with AIT-Budapest in my sophomore spring). As Avicii, one of my favorite Swedish musicians, once sung, I wanted to “live a life [I] will remember” and “go venture far beyond the shores.”
Introducing SSE and the Swedish Program
The program that I am enrolled in is the Swedish Program at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), or Handelshögskolan as it is called in Swedish. SSE is much smaller and close-knitted than I originally imagined. The size of the student body is similar to Hamilton, and rather than having classes dispersed in different buildings, most classes and activities are held in the main building in Sveavägen, which is conveniently located next to the metro stop Rådmansgatan (green line).
When I first walked in, I was taken aback by the grand atrium, which looks like a fancy hotel lobby. It is a bustling, lively area where students gather to do schoolwork, hang out with friends in between classes, and grab coffee or food. Since eating out daily in Stockholm is unfeasible for a student budget, many students pack their lunch and eat it in the atrium, so the area smells delicious during the lunchtime.
The Swedish Program is a liberal-arts focused study abroad program that allows students to take courses in humanities and social sciences on topics ranging from healthcare to Swedish arts and architecture. I will talk more about classes and academic work in another blog post. This semester, there are a little more than forty students representing institutions such as Bowdoin, Colgate, Harvard, and UPenn, and I was happy to find a fair number of international students as well. One of the first friends I made is a student from Ukraine, studying economics at Brown University.
Salmon, Saunas, Sandhamn!
Our weeklong orientation included information sessions, a scavenger hunt around Stockholm (it involved tasting salted black licorice, which was quite awful!), a bus tour, and an improv workshop. My favorite part of the orientation was the overnight trip to Sandhamn, an island in the Stockholm Archipelago. Apparently, the population in Sandhamn is a meager 300 in the winter, but grows to 2,000 in the summer, as it is a popular vacation spot. We walked around the island, and our tour guide told us about a Swedish murder mystery author who based her book in Sandhamn.
We feasted over fresh salmon and cod fish, relaxed in saunas and hot tubs, and the brave ones took a dip in the cold Baltic Sea.
First Impressions So Far!
- It is not that cold! (I did hear that it is an unusually warm winter for Stockholm.) For the past few days, the weather was in the 40’s and I wore my autumn/spring coat instead of my winter one. I haven’t even seen snow here.
- There is a nice balance between city life and nature. I especially love how much water there is in and near Stockholm. I pass by lakes in my daily commute and often see the beautiful sunrise/sunset over the water, or look at the reflections of the city.
- One interesting thing about the transportation is that the lines branch out to different end points. For example, the green line has the metro numbers 17, 18, and 19, which share the same route for a while, but eventually go their own route. I got lost in my first day because I was confused by this system, but now, I think it is very efficient and well-organized.
- Last but not least, it is dark. The sun rises a little past 8am and sets a little past 3pm, although the days are increasingly getting longer. It is still strange to see the sky dark at 4pm. Due to the prolonged darkness, I get excited whenever the sun is shining and I am now a devoted Vitamin D consumer.
