Hello again! This is my final post for the blog. It has been a really great experience, thank you for all the lovely feedback. I hope I have helped give you some indication about how fantastic it is to live and study in Umeå. All I can say is that I am so happy I chose to come here. It is truly one of the best decisions I have ever made. In a parting blog post, I offer you some pieces of advice for your year in Umeå. Hejdå!
Långkalsongar: A must buy. They make everything so much better when it's cold.
Go for the year : Take a chance, go for the full year. I know it's a scary concept but it really goes quite fast and there is so much I would have missed out on if I had only chosen one semester. Your home will always be there... but a chance to really immerse yourself in Umeå will not. Go for it!
Långkalsongar: A must buy. They make everything so much better when it's cold.
Go for the year : Take a chance, go for the full year. I know it's a scary concept but it really goes quite fast and there is so much I would have missed out on if I had only chosen one semester. Your home will always be there... but a chance to really immerse yourself in Umeå will not. Go for it!
Tunnbröd. It’s Swedish, it's great. Try some.
Get a combination bicyle lock. I once got my tongue stuck to my bike while defrosting a key-lock. Not embarrassing at all. Spend time at the lake. It’s such a great place to do just about anything. Go for walks, watch the northern lights, barbeque, skinny dip..it's the perfect place to enjoy nature. (Bonus: there are no crabs or scary fish in the water.)
Björnekulla vild hallon: It’s the best Swedish jam ever.
Leave your door open: Invite your corridor mates into your room and they will eventually start doing the same. The house is so much more welcoming when everyone leaves their doors open and you can just wander in and have a chat. Whenever you want privacy you can always close it, but I would highly recommend it as a way of fostering friendships with your flatmates.
Leave your door open: Invite your corridor mates into your room and they will eventually start doing the same. The house is so much more welcoming when everyone leaves their doors open and you can just wander in and have a chat. Whenever you want privacy you can always close it, but I would highly recommend it as a way of fostering friendships with your flatmates.
Mix. Try not to spend all your time with people from your home country. It's great to share this experience with them, especially if you speak the same language but do try to mix a little as well. Everyone is really friendly here and nobody is closed to meeting new people. You could end up meeting the love of your life or a lifelong friend. You never know! Go to the lunchtime events on campus: Culture on Campus organize some fantastic lunchtime concerts. Inbetween class you and some friends can go and watch anything from a circus act, an acclaimed jazz band, a poetry reading. Quite frankly i'm impressed.
Enjoy the snow every way you can before it’s gone. Though I absolutely adore a Swedish summer, the winter here is so special. Have fun with it! Drink red wine. If there is anything that warms you up after an icy day it's red wine. Systembolaget have some really great red wines, my personal favourites lie in the cheap French selection where you can get a bottle for at little as approx 5 euro. Don’t just drink to get off your face. Drink to enjoy it.
Go to class and do your assignments: It’s very easy to drift along without doing anything here because the responsibility is all your own. Your teachers are not going to email you demanding an explanation. It is all on you, so don’t let it get out of hand.
Go to the jazz festival in October: It’s really great. Like really really really great. We got to see people like these guys: Baker’s Cottage- a local band from Umeå, not to mention the great jazz legend Chick Corea. Even if you are not a huge jazz fan, try it. You might be surprised.
Go on a ski trip: it’s such a great bonding experience and you will have some unforgettable memories not to mention extreme amounts of fun.
Hemavan was a great place to go to (it's up north on the border to Norway) I was a beginner and I came out of it alive!
Hemavan was a great place to go to (it's up north on the border to Norway) I was a beginner and I came out of it alive!
Learn to bake: The Swede's will show you how.
Visit Liseberg: This is a theme park located in Göteborg and I can safely say it’s the best place in the world. Nothing quite makes you feel quite as happy as a day spent here (unless you have completely lost your inner child that is) Get the night train down and spend the weekend. this is a great website for hostels Don’t buy magazines or newspapers: There is a room in the library that provides the latest editions of everything from the New Yorker to The Sunday Times! It’s a really great facility. Use it.
Check out Charlie at the elk farm: Seriously though, when else are you going to see an elk? The international office organize several trips there throughout the year. Go.
Don’t bring a full suitcase: Swedish design is really cool and you will soon realize you want a piece of it. The Swedes dress in a simple but really stylish way. Åhlens is great for cool Swedish designers like frk and WERA. Additionally Monki is just amazing. Tiger of Sweden is also really cool but super expensive. For guys I would check out ‘The Store’, ‘Carlings’ and ‘Dressmann’.
Go to the Ersboda sweet shop: It has giant toblerones!
Check out the Umeå facebook pages for great deals: People are always selling cool stuff on the cheap.
Check out the Umeå facebook pages for great deals: People are always selling cool stuff on the cheap.
Take part in the Buddy programme. It’s a great way to meet people. Obviously you are not going to click with everyone but it could be the way you meet one of your future best friends. Even if you are reluctant, give it a try.
Try to learn a little Swedish: Though you don’t need it to get around, you will be really proud of yourself every time you manage to pull off the basics without anybody noticing you are not a Swede. Also what if in the future you want to impress someone with your knowledge of Sweden? Both Beginners and Continuation level Swedish courses are offered at the university. Additionally - http://www.swedish-flashcards.com/
Let go. You’re in Sweden now! This means you can do things you never would have done before..like wear bright coloured pants or try crazy smelling fish. Be open-minded...this is the best piece of advice anyone can give you.
Enjoy!
Louise J
