OUTGOING STUDENT FEEDBACK FORM
University Attended : Uppsala University 1 of 2
INDUCTION/ORIENTATION PROGRAMME
What did this involve, how long did it last, was it useful?
We had a week long induction programme which involved a tour of the city, an introduction to our course and department, meeting up with our buddy, basic information with regards to how to access the internet and e-mails. Also involved a variety of activities for the evening, including, cinema night, wine night, introduction to the nations. Furthermore we introduced to the norling event, which is a 6 week long event full of activities and parties to help integrate us with Swedish student and get started with the socialising and going out in Uppsala.
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
Style of teaching, courses, ease of access to courses, methods of assessment, teaching support
Very hands off style of teaching, students are expected to help teach the class through presentations. Despite the hands off approach teaching seen in seminars, in lectures there was a high standard of teaching. Many of the courses that I undertook involved alot of group work and presentation, although initially I was hesitant towards the group work and presentation, I found it an invaluable asset at improving my presentation skill and at helping me integrate more with the Swedish students. Methods of assessment involved, presentations, essays, exams and attendance to seminars. Access to courses was easy, furthermore changing courses was also easy.
MBS INTERNATIONAL OFFICE
Level of support, additional information that could have been useful
Good level of support from the international office, not only did they help with the application process before departure to our host institution. But while we were away they were easily contactable and provided us with all the relevant information we had missed out on whilst away.
MBS SECOND YEAR MEETINGS
Any additional information that you feel could have been provided
Found these meetings extremely helpful. Especially the meetings were we are introduced to student who have previously been on the exchange. By talking to them, it helped put my mind at ease with regards to any worries and questions I had, and in addition they actually sent me away with a positive feelings towards the exchange. I found it especially helpful that I had regular contact with them before departure with regards to questions I had about my arrival and stay in Uppsala.
HOST INTERNATIONAL OFFICE
Level of support, additional information that could be useful for future students
Again found that I had a good level of support from the host institution, they were easily contactable my email, however opening hours to see them in person were not as flexible as they could have been. They answered any queries we had, and were good at signing and sending off all the forms we were required to fill out.
INSURANCE, HEALTH COVER
Please include any information relating to the purchase of compulsory health insurance ie costs etc. or whether this was waived by having the University of Manchester Insurance Policy
Despite having taken the Manchester insurance policy, and taking out my own insurance, I still had to pay for dental care whilst out there apart from that I did not need an medical assistance.
INFORMATION ON ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS
This should be information on any extra fees that the University charged but should not include accommodation, books, transport, visa etc.
The additional costs that I experienced was a membership fee which gave me access to the nations (were all the going out and socialising happens), and the travelling we did whilst out there to different countries and arts of Sweden. Apart from that there were the obvious additional costs of food, clothes, buying a bike if you choose too and going out.
ACCOMMODATION
As much information as possible on what accommodation is recommended or not recommended.
I would very much highly recommend the Flogsta accommodation in Uppsala. It’s a bus ride/bike ride/30 min walk into town and uni (not much of a distance if you are in the business department though). This is the place were most exchange students hang out, and were most of all the flat parties occur. Very sociable area in comparison to some of the other accommodations. Couldn’t have asked for a better place to stay during my year, many people ask to transfer here is they do not get it initially. I can’t stress how much it will make the year much more enjoyable by living here.
DESTINATION INFORMATION AND OVERALL EXPERIENCE
Transport, travel, social life, integration with local students, student activity groups
Uppsala by far was the best choice ever to study abroad. Despite initial hesitation of going to a place that wasn’t in my top three, I can safely say it was the best decision. Amazing people, amazing social life, amazing city. Integration with local students although is possible, I found myself attached to mainly other exchange students. Travelling through Europe and other parts of Sweden is very easy and had a very fun time exploring other cities. Lots of activities for student to get involved in, especially amongst the nations, you can get the opportunity to work in them or just enjoy the social aspects of them. Transport and travel through Uppsala is very easy and convenient whether you choose to bus, walk or bike. I can safely say anyone that goes on a year abroad to Uppsala will have a fantastic and unforgettable time, without a dull moment in sight.
DESCRIBE IN ONE SENTENCE YOUR YEAR ABROAD
By far one of the best years of my life!!!!!
OUTGOING STUDENT FEEDBACK FORM 10-11
University Attended Uppsala Universitet 2 of 2
INDUCTION/ORIENTATION PROGRAMME
What did this involve, how long did it last, was it useful?
There was an introduction meeting for exchange students with the department at the University which provided us with maps, information about courses, applying for our library card, and a chance to apply for classes to learn Swedish. They also provided us with a free sim card, which I would highly advise to use, since most exchange and Swedish students are on the same network it makes it so much cheaper to text/call. Generally after that it’s up to you what you want to do, the Nations put on a week of activities for exchange and international students, lots of bbqs, welcome tours, quizzes, movie nights etc. There is also a fair where you can find out about all the different nations in order to consider which to join. I attended a few of these during the week, they were pretty good but the events tend to fill up quite quickly and they are more of an opportunity to meet people than anything else.
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
Style of teaching, courses, ease of access to courses, methods of assessment, teaching support
Generally the courses are a lot about group work and presentations, for some courses I would just have seminars and for the other courses, there would only be a couple of lectures. The seminars would usually count for the majority of the grade and then there would normally be an exam at the end of the course too. There were some parts of this teaching style I liked because it actually makes you work quite hard during the course and I really preferred only doing one or two courses at once during each half of each semester. Many of the economic courses are just lectures and no seminars and the final assessment is an exam, a bit more like Manchester. All the teachers I had were very approachable and understanding of any problems I had.
MBS INTERNATIONAL OFFICE
Level of support, additional information that could have been useful
The level of support was very high and any inquiries I had while abroad were answered quickly and helpfully.
MBS SECOND YEAR MEETINGS
Any additional information that you feel could have been provided
No all the meetings before the exchange were very helpful and provided me with nearly all the information needed.
HOST INTERNATIONAL OFFICE
Level of support, additional information that could be useful for future students
The International office in Uppsala are very helpful and easy to get in touch with. Their opening times are only for a few hours a day such as 10am-12pm on most days so that can be quite tricky sometimes, but as long as you’ve planned time in advance, it’s fine. You can always email them with issues too.
INSURANCE, HEALTH COVER
Please include any information relating to the purchase of compulsory health insurance ie costs etc. or whether this was waived by having the University of Manchester Insurance Policy
No health insurance purchased or used.
ACCOMMODATION
As much information as possible on what accommodation is recommended or not recommended.
I was living in Flogsta this year and would highly recommended living here. It’s cheaper than living in Manchester, the rooms have an ensuite and usually pretty big. In each corridor there’s twelve students and it’s a shared big kitchen and usually have a living room with maybe sofas and a television, but this depends on the corridor some have a really nice space and others not so much. The corridors in Flogsta are normally a mix of exchange student and Swedish students so it’s great for integration and making friends. Flogsta has at least twelve student buildings, therefore there is a lot of students living here and I would say probably it is the most lively place to live out of all the university accommodations, which is great fun!
DESTINATION INFORMATION AND OVERALL EXPERIENCE
Transport, travel, social life, integration with local students, student activity groups
During the winter, most students take the bus because of the snow and the cold. The cheapest way is to get a student monthly bus pass which cost about 350 kroner and you can basically ride on any of the city buses with it. The rest of the time the easiest and cheapest way to get around is to bike, everything is not too far away. There are many great opportunities to travel, there’s the cheap cruises to Estonia and Lativa. There’s a lot of trips companies such as Scanbalt with trips to Russia, Norway, Lapland. Ryanair and many other cheap airlines fly from Sweden so it’s easy to reach the rest of Europe. It’s also easy to travel around Sweden, either renting a car or taking the train, there’s a lot of nice lakes which are perfect for camping in the summer. From personal experience, I would highly recommend taking one of the trips to Lapland (Kiruna) in the winter or organising your own trip there, you won’t regret it.
I would say Swedes mainly like to keep to themselves, they have their own set of friends and don’t tend to mix with exchange students but there are some that do. The key to a lot of the social life in Uppsala is the nations, there’s 13 nations, they are all of different sizes and have different interests. The bigger ones usually have their own café, pub and club and social activities they put on. They offer cheaper drinks and meals compared to the rest of Uppsala. There’s also opportunities to work in the nations, which I’ve heard is a great way to really get involved and make some friends but they do not pay and may be long hours.
DESCRIBE IN ONE SENTENCE YOUR YEAR ABROAD
Met some great friends, visited some amazing places, had some of the best times, and just wish I could do it again.