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6min read
After a year and a half of preparation, I finally arrived in Sweden. This post covers the classes and academic environment during my exchange.
Unlike APU, where you take multiple classes simultaneously, the basic style at Swedish universities is to focus intensely on one course over about five weeks. In my classes, the student breakdown was roughly 30% Swedish, 20% Middle Eastern immigrants, 40% exchange students from various European countries, and 10% Asian students—I was the only Japanese student.
Group work and group presentations were mandatory in every class at Linnaeus University. Since all the students came from different backgrounds with different communication styles, we struggled a bit to communicate effectively. However, at APU, we have frequent opportunities to collaborate with both domestic and international students, where we express our opinions through discussions and presentations. I was able to leverage these skills in Sweden, constantly experimenting with how to best convey my ideas, which helped me overcome the challenges.
Linnaeus University and a group work session
Presentation
The biggest difference I felt in tourism studies abroad was the strong focus on sustainability as the core foundation of tourism. In class, discussions revolved around the need for a shift towards sustainable tourism, viewing global events like the establishment of the SDGs and the impact of the pandemic on the tourism industry as new business opportunities. I even had the chance to visit a hotel that was actively implementing sustainable practices to reduce its environmental footprint. I also took a class on food tourism, which integrates local agriculture into tourism, and learned about collaboration models with local residents. Learning through real-world examples in my host country deepened my understanding of sustainable tourism.
In the beginning, I lacked confidence in speaking English, and my naturally introverted and shy personality made it difficult to make friends. It was nerve-wracking to be in an environment where there were no other Japanese speakers, unlike APU. But in hindsight, it was this environment that forced me to realize I had no choice but to push through.
The two things I did to make friends were initiating conversations myself and preparing a few icebreaker questions in English beforehand. It took a lot of courage to approach European students I didn't know, but I decided that not making friends would mean I came for nothing, so I took the leap. As a result, I made such close a friend that we ended up visiting each other's homes. I was even invited to her family’s Christmas dinner and stayed at her family home for a week before returning to Japan. I was anxious when I first arrived in this new environment, but taking the initiative led me to meet truly irreplaceable friends.
Since you don't need to show your passport to travel within the EU, I took advantage of breaks between classes to travel to various countries. I even met up with friends from APU who were also on exchange and traveled to France, Switzerland, and Denmark. Having friends studying in different places is another great perk of APU's abundant exchange programs! Although I was caught up in a few delays, my European travels during the exchange were the best memories.
Next time, I'll share my reflections after completing my exchange program!
Hello! My name is Manaka, a 3rd-year student majoring in the College of Sustainability and Tourism (ST). I love reading books, which led me to join the SPA. As a member of the ST1 cohort, I aim to write about the appeal of our department and my upcoming study abroad experience in Sweden starting from fall '24. Thank you in advance for your support.
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