Pia went on exchange to Sweden

Hey, I'm Pia, I'm 18 and I had the opportunity to spend a semester in Jönköping, Sweden.

Trip to Sweden

My trip to Sweden was a bit turbulent, my flight was cancelled and rebooking was quite stressful. If this happens to you, the airline will send you an email or text message with a link to rebook your flight, be sure to use it. Nevertheless, I landed in Gothenburg a few hours late and was met at the airport by my host family.

The host family

My host family consisted of host parents and three host siblings, although only my host brother still lived at home, and my host dog Challie. I got on very well with them right from the start. We had dinner together every evening and chatted, and afterwards I often watched TV series or did jigsaw puzzles with my host mother.

At the weekend, we often watched ice hockey together. My host father and brother in particular are very enthusiastic ice hockey fans, and it didn't take long before I caught the ice hockey bug too.

School

School was probably the biggest culture shock I experienced. To begin with, school doesn't always start at 8 a.m., but for example on Mondays at 9 a.m., Tuesdays at 8 a.m., Wednesdays at 10 a.m., etc. This was very unusual at first, but all in all very relaxed. The atmosphere was generally very relaxed, both between students and teachers. I quickly made friends and am still in contact with my group of friends from class today.

In Sweden, similar to Austria, there are different fields of study, and I studied social sciences. I was able to keep up with the lessons quite well, even though all subjects except maths and English were linguistically challenging. However, my teachers were very understanding, often giving me the choice of whether I wanted to participate or not, and I was allowed to do all my assignments in English.

Highlights

In my second week, I went to the stadium with my host family to cheer on our hockey club. The atmosphere was incredible, and that evening still holds a special place in my heart.

What I also appreciate about Sweden is how good the train and bus networks are there. This gave me the opportunity to explore Sweden, and I am very grateful for that. An exchange student I had already met at the welcome meeting in Austria spent her exchange semester two hours south of me by train, and we visited each other several times for weekends. It was really nice to be able to talk to someone who was in the same situation as me and to visit and discover new places together. For example, we went on a picnic together in Åhus by the sea, explored the island of Visingsö and also took a day trip to Copenhagen.

I also made lots of memories with my Swedish friends. We went to the amusement park in Gothenburg together, went shopping and attended city festivals.

One of my best experiences was when a friend and I spontaneously decided to go camping by the lake and swim at sunset. Even though the swim was more like ice bathing (it was the end of May and the lake hadn't quite received the ‘summer’ message yet), I will always remember watching the sunset, chatting with my friend and feeling completely happy and relaxed.

Tips

In general, a semester abroad is THE opportunity to break out of your everyday routine and try new things. Often the best ideas come spontaneously, and it's important to just go for it.

Find out more

• Read more student stories from Sweden
• Read more about a high school exchange in Sweden
• See all our high school exchange destinations

Jule chose to study in Sweden

Jule from Germany made her 10-month exchange in Sweden.

Why did you choose to go to Sweden for your exchange?

A few years ago, I saw an interview in Swedish and fell in love with the language. I started learning it and got more interested in the country as well. So many people told me positive things about Sweden. The more pictures and documentaries I saw, the more the idea of going there for a longer time than just a holiday grew. I wanted to get to know the culture and learn the language.

How did you find the school?

At first, I was a bit confused actually, because the way they teach and how the lessons are structured is just completely different from Germany. I couldn’t really decide on the right program at first, and it was just very hard to follow the lessons and so on.

But, after settling in and changing to different classes, I started to really like the school. The school days were long and sometimes really tiring, but I learned so many new things. My school was focused on sports, and we had a lot of PE lessons, which I first wasn’t really sure about but, in the end, really enjoyed.

The teachers were so nice and really tried to teach in the best way possible. We also did a skiing trip, went outside a lot, and had a lot of freedom while studying, which was perfect for an exchange student, in my opinion.

What did you do in your spare time? Any new hobbies?

I did a lot of activities and tried different sports with my host family, like ice skating. My interest in sports grew a lot. Also, every Monday, and sometimes during the weekends, I joined the scouts and made amazing friends there.

Was it easy or hard for you to make friends?

During the first weeks, the language barrier was a problem, but I still met some people who helped me at school. After my language skills got better, I was able to join conversations, and I made amazing friends at school. Also, the scouts helped me a lot with the language, and I quickly made friends there as well.

How was it to live with a host family?

When I arrived, I immediately felt welcome and at home. It was very nice to live with a host family. They supported me during my year, especially with the Swedish language. We did a lot of activities together and I got very close with my host siblings too. We spent a lot of time together and they showed me many things in the city and area we lived in. I shared interests with all of my host siblings, that’s why we got along very well. During holidays, I got to meet relatives and family friends and joined a lot of traditions. We also traveled in Sweden, so I got to see many different places.

Of course, the family may be completely different from your family at home, but that’s exactly why it’s so interesting and amazing to be with a host family for a year. Now, after my exchange year is over, I still stay in contact with them and I’m going to visit them soon.

Was your exchange year like you expected?

I luckily listened to some former exchange students and tried to not have that many expectations. I already had in mind that not everything will be easy and that you have to manage some challenges. But in total, ‘not having expectations’ helped me to enjoy the country and special moments even more. So, I would say it was even better than I could have imagined.

Any big challenges? How did you overcome them?

I would say a big challenge was to actually start speaking Swedish. It can be hard and frustrating when you understand what the people around you say, but you can’t answer because you don’t know enough vocabulary and grammar. I would say I managed that challenge when I realized that every word you learn is an achievement and that it is ok to make mistakes while speaking.

What were the best things about your exchange?

That I got to meet my host family, all the friends I met thanks to STS, and that I learned the language.

Can you recommend going on a high school exchange?

YES! Not only because you grow independent and learn many new things, such as a new language. You also get to know so many amazing people and collect memories that will stay with you forever.

Your top advice?

• Be open!
• Don’t be shy to talk to people!
• Try new things and activities!
• Don’t overpack! I would definitely pack less. Everyone tells you that beforehand, but I didn’t really listen and then packed way too many clothes. 😅

How do you think your high school exchange will affect your future?

Now after the exchange year, I want to travel more and would also consider work and travel after school. If possible, I would like to use my Swedish language skills in the future and at my future work too.

Furthermore, I would love to stay in contact with my host family and I’m sure we’re going to travel together or visit each other in the future. I believe, I’ll always have a special connection to Sweden and will definitely come back often.

Why did you choose STS for your exchange?

STS was one of the few organizations that had Sweden as an optional country for a high school exchange. They have existed for quite long and I heard so much positive feedback. When I talked to them for the first time, they explained everything very well, which made me feel safer in my decision.

Are you happy with STS?

Yes, very! I felt very safe during my exchange, because I always had the opportunity to contact my local coordinator or STS directly if I had a problem or question. I also really enjoyed all the trips that we did with STS (e.g. Welcome Camp, North Sweden, Copenhagen).

Find out more

• Read more student stories from Sweden
• Read more about a high school exchange in Sweden
• See all our high school exchange destinations

Rayn studied abroad in Sweden

Hi, my name is Rayn. I‘m from Germany and had the chance to be an exchange student in Linköping, Sweden for half a year.

Why I chose to go to Sweden as an exchange student

I have always wanted to experience the life, culture, and school system in another country. I wanted to live somewhere else, not just travel there on vacation. When I heard about the possibility of an exchange year or semester, I immediately thought of Sweden. I had never been there before, but always enjoyed looking at Swedish landscapes and cities on TV.

Going to a new school

The school I attended in Sweden was really good. It was a small high school for students in the last 3 grades. The people were really kind and the teachers were gorgeous! I had an amazing learning experience. Of course, I had to get used to all the new things, the scheme, and especially to find the right room for all the lessons! But once I had a routine, it was like going to school in my home country. In my opinion, even better.

Living with a host family

First of all, it’s super interesting to see how daily life works in another family. Living with a host family is so much different than moving abroad on one’s own to study. Your host family can help you a lot with the orientation in your city, in your host country in general, and whenever you have problems, you can talk to them. I got along really well with my host family and we did a lot of cool activities together! Moving back to my home country, I know that I have a second family, and I will always be connected to them.

Making friends

The first chance to make new friends is in school. On my first day, after introducing myself to the class, my teacher chose two of my classmates who had the job to look after me and help me in case I had questions. Soon, I found a friend group in class, with which I spent most of my time. I recommend to talk to as many people as possible, even to the most introverted people, because great friendships can be formed!

You often get to know many other exchange students, for example you get this chance at the STS Welcome Camp and several STS activities! Sometimes, exchange students from other organizations go to your school, too. That’s how I made a really good friend!

In your free time, you have all the possibilities of making friends. No matter if you play a sport, an instrument, or just enjoy hanging out with other young people. You will for sure get to know other people by just joining a sports team, orchestra, youth club, the scouts, etc.

Expectations

I suggest not to have many expectations or hopes for your exchange, e. g. how your host family will look like or which school you will attend. Your exchange will be a great experience, no matter if you have host siblings or not, or if you go to a small or big school! I did not expect anything and was really happy with my whole exchange experience!

If you have any problems during your exchange, you can always talk to your host parents, your local coordinator, and your mentor/tutor at school.

Main learnings from my time abroad

First of all, I developed much more self-confidence in just a few months! I learned to get along by myself and in a new environment much better. Of course, I also learned and practiced a new language, which was much more fun than learning a language in school in my home country. What I also learned was that it’s always okay to ask for help and to set yourself boundaries, for example, not getting too stressed over school or activities.

How my high school exchange affects my future

My high school exchange has had a bigger impact on my life than anything else. After coming back to my home country, I realized I had completely lost my fear of new places and situations. I also have a goal in life now: To improve my Swedish and to live in Sweden one day, because I really fell in love with the country.

Things I would have done differently

If I could do it again, I would choose to go on an exchange for a full year instead of just half a year, because it was the best time of my life. But this is just my personal experience, many other people would probably be totally fine with going abroad for only 6 months!

My experience with STS

I think STS is a great organization and going on exchange with STS is an awesome experience. STS is always there for the exchange students and families: Before applying, many video- conferences take place in which STS informs about the exchange year, the different countries, and the application procedure. While applying, your program manager is there to answer all of your questions. Every exchange student has a local coordinator who will check up on you once a month, plus you can contact them anytime.

By starting with the welcome camp at the beginning of your exchange year, there are several possibilities to get to know other exchange students. Later on, STS organizes activity weekends for exchange students in several countries. Those are not included in the price of your exchange year, but definitely worth it!

Why study abroad

Studying abroad is an experience I suggest everyone should do once. Just living in another country for some time gives you so many new impressions about how life can be under other circumstances, like another culture, different climate, in another house, in another school.

You become so much wiser! Not only do you have the chance to learn a new language and practise it in real-life situations, but also learn a lot about yourself, and become way more independant.

Advise for every exchange student

• Don’t compare yourself to any other exchange students, every exchange experience is
  unique and has its advantages and disadvantages!
• Don‘t be afraid to ask for help. It is totally understandable that living with a new family,
  going to a new school, and trying to talk to people in a language you‘re still practicing isn’t a piece of cake!
• You are enough! There’s no need to feel bad about yourself.
• Do not wait too long to do things you want to do, like talking to new people or trying out a new activity. Overcoming your fears is really worth it!
• To get to know your host family or your new mates better, I suggest playing a game or doing an activity in the city, like mini golf or shuffleboard 🙂
• Enjoy your time, it‘s the first and last time you will be an exchange student!

Find out more

• Read more student stories from Sweden
• Read more about a high school exchange in Sweden
• See all our high school exchange destinations

Amelie went on high school in Sweden

We managed to get an interview with Amelia from Italy. She was on exchange in Uddevalla, Sweden for 322 days.

Why did you go on exchange?

Because I have always been interested in Sweden and I wanted to experience something new while escaping my ordinary life.

How was the school compared to your home school?

It was so much fun! I was very much surprised about how nice both the students and teachers were, how different the school days from the ones in Italy were and I was very fond of the whole school system. I liked the freedom we had, the friendships between teachers and students, the subjects, even the school lunch!

Describe your host family. What was it like to live with a host family?

It really is like living with a friend and second family. So many laughs, jokes, funny moments and so much love. I really enjoyed the way we didn’t just live beside each other, but with each other. Especially during Covid time it was really helpful having a host family you trusted and enjoyed spending time with. Of course it is not 100% like living at home, in your country of origin, but it shows you things you never would've experienced, habits you never would've thought of and it helps you to grow up and become responsible.

What did the exchange give you?

A lot of laughs and tears in the end when I had to leave. It gave me unforgettable memories, taught me about life and helped finding myself. I am really glad I got to experience this year in Sweden. I got a second family, friends for a lifetime, a new language I can practice on, and I learned so much – not only in school, but in and for life.

What was the best thing with your exchange?

It's hard to only name one thing, but I'd definitely say the fact that I am able to understand and talk in another language and the fact that I made friends for life.

What is your best/weirdest memory?

The best memories would probably be when me and my friends went to the ocean, at 00:00 and we were still able to see the sunset and swim.

The weirdest memories are definitely about the food in Sweden. On my first day of school, the others in my class invited me for lunch – we got pizza. Just that, in Sweden at least, the pizzas could appear kind of odd. One of my friends ate a pizza with chicken, curry, banana, and peanuts, the other one ate a pizza with kebab, fries and salad!?!?!

What is your advice to future students?

Enjoy every single second, take pictures and videos, don't worry about missing out something in your country of origin and don't be shy. You only live once, right?

Why did you choose STS?

It was the first organization we got in touch with. After the first online-meeting I was already really sure about it and trusted the coordinator.

Find out more

• Read more student stories from Sweden
• Read more about a high school exchange in Sweden
• See all our high school exchange destinations