In Sweden, KTU communications student got a proper introduction to student life

Making new friends, gaining new experiences, and being a part of two Swedish student unions – that is the baggage of experiences that Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) second-year student of Communication Studies and Information Management Technologies Veronica Yakimovich is returning with from a semester abroad in Linköping, Sweden.

Veronica admits that it was a natural decision to seek out new educational opportunities; therefore, in her first year of studies, she knew she would apply for an academic exchange. “I wanted to understand how different educational systems unfold, and, of course, I wanted to explore life in new places,” says the student.

Veronica reveals that she chose Linköping University because it was the highest ranked on her list and because she liked the Nordic education system. “Last summer, I attended a summer school in Finland and enjoyed the educational approach in Nordic countries,” says Veronica.

Joined two student unions

Veronica says that the biggest difference between KTU and Linköping was the study model: “Instead of one exam session at the end of the semester, in Sweden, you have multiple exam weeks, and usually not all subjects are taken simultaneously but are divided into weeks.”

When it comes to the most memorable subjects, Veronica reveals that all modules were beneficial; however, the most intriguing to her was the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI). “It was interesting to look at the topic of AI from different angles and critically analyse its future development,” she expands.

Veronica reveals that she was surprised by how active the Swedish student community is: students are members of various organisations and like to have fun at various parties they organise. Veronica adds that these student traditions in Sweden “make you feel like the university is a big part of your life”.

While at Linköping, she joined two student unions. “One of them was concerned with sustainability and had a nice community of people who ran a campus second-hand shop. The other was advocating for accessibility on campus where I served as head of education and workshops,” she explains.

Veronica adds that to join these organisations she had to pass a motivational interview with other association’s members. However, Veronica says that it was easy to combine both studying and being a member of two student unions.

Achieved everything she wanted

When it comes to the party culture, Veronica mentions that the campus is always full of posters announcing different-themed parties or concerts. She also adds that students can get different patches after attending such events: “Every party releases its unique patch, which students then pin to their overalls. These overalls are also very popular here: depending on your faculty, you have one of different colours, and you wear them to the events. The library here even has sewing machines so that you can easily customise them.”

Veronica says that she achieved everything she wanted from this opportunity: enjoying her studies, making new friends, and gaining new experiences. As for her future, Veronica looks forward to continuing her education and seeking a scientific career path as a researcher and academic. “The next logical step for this is obtaining a Master’s degree”, says a KTU student from Belarus.

Student traditions in Sweden make you feel like the university is an important part of your life.

For students who are thinking of going to the exchange, Veronica suggests not to be afraid: “Even if it doesn’t meet your expectations, it will still be a valuable experience, helping you develop resilience for future changes”, to try to get involved in local communities and activities from the very beginning because “this will help you understand how life is arranged in a new place and will allow you to meet new people”, and to not be afraid to ask questions and attend non-compulsory educational events as they might be very beneficial.

Veronica also advises considering the location and the fact that you might not fully integrate during your exchange: “It’s too short a time, and at times you may feel like you’re missing out on an important part of student life that full-time students experience. However, I suppose it’s an inevitable aspect of every exchange, and the experience will be valuable on its own.”