Alexandre Gellé | Nathalia Arango | Fernando Azcona | Caspar Andresen | Lisa Bickelmayer

Selmin Seda Coskun | Kellie Curtis | Eun Jung | Vincent Olislagers | Maria Dlucik | Juliane Brandes

Paper – Group Assigment | Introduction Program | Group 1

Dear student...

Hej hej! Välkomna i Sverige! (Hello! Welcome to Sweden!)

We’ve been here for three weeks and now we are feeling like real Swedes – just shorter and
perhaps not that good looking. That’s why we are writing this letter to you. In the first week you’ll
feel like you are in a whole new place, you’ll feel lost and you’ll maybe think “What am I doing
here? I just want to go home” but we will advise you: don’t. It’s easy to run away to a familiar
place, but Malmö offers a lot of new experiences to your life. Boring or funny, it’s up to you. If
you read these lines maybe in the second week you’ll feel like you’re back in your own country,
just with many new friends, lots of things to explore, and living your life in the edge.

You are going to study in Malmö Högskola and there are several things that you must know.
Here in Sweden they have a different academic system, these are the things you need to keep
in mind:

 Call teachers by their first name. Universities have a somewhat informal code of
conduct; no dress code is required for most lecturers and seminars.
 Semesters are 20 weeks long Autumn semester and Spring semester, semesters
are called terms. One subject is studied full time at one time, 2 subjects generally
make up a term. Full time studies result most often in 30 credits per term.
 The benefit of studying one subject at a time is that you are able to concentrate
on one specific topic at a time.
 A lot of self-motivation is required for studying in Sweden as there is much
individual study in most courses. There can be a lot of reading and also much
group work. The Swedish academic system requires people to work
collaboratively as well as independently. The view is that people learn more by
working together. Team work and working together better prepares you for a real
working environment so you’ll be required to work with people.
 Alexandre Gellé | Nathalia Arango | Fernando Azcona | Caspar Andresen | Lisa Bickelmayer

Selmin Seda Coskun | Kellie Curtis | Eun Jung | Vincent Olislagers | Maria Dlucik | Juliane Brandes

 Studying in Sweden requires critical thinking. It’s not just a matter of reading or
listening to someone and then showing your lecturers what your learned through
assignments. You are required to question and analyse what you have heard and
to discuss and form your own idea about what you have learnt.

 The Swedish use the ECTS (European credit system) more information on the
credit system can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-
policy/doc/ects/guide_en.pdf
 Useful information about the Swedish academic system including visa
application, financial support, dates, courses, fees and deadlines can be found at
https://www.studera.nu/studera/1374.html
 For more information on the Swedish academic model and the structure of higher
education go to http://www.mah.se/english/Education/This-is-Malmo-
University/Academic-model/

Sweden has actually no official language, but most of the inhabitants speak Swedish and
therefore it functions as an official language.

Swedish is a mixture of singing and has a special melody to it when spoken by it’s speakers. If
you succeed in pronouncing words like „sjuksköterska“ (say 'chüksschöterska') you are on a the
right track. “Tack” is the most important word to know. Whenever you buy something, want
something, pay something, thank someone you say “Tack!” which means please and thanks at
the same time. You should also answer a “Tack.” with another “Tack.” and sometimes you'll get
a “Tack tack.” in response then.

There are several things to Swedish which might seem odd to you (like the strange vowels or
the “sucking of air “as a sign of agreement and paying attention, some foreigners thought they
simply had asthma...), but if you learn the useful phrases of the dictionary you'll get used to it.

Although everyone speaks English, while you’re here you should take the chance to learn this
charming Scandinavian language!

You should know something about politics in Sweden if you are going to live here, so this is a
brief summary :
 Alexandre Gellé | Nathalia Arango | Fernando Azcona | Caspar Andresen | Lisa Bickelmayer

Selmin Seda Coskun | Kellie Curtis | Eun Jung | Vincent Olislagers | Maria Dlucik | Juliane Brandes

The Kingdom of Sweden is a constitutional monarchy which has adhered to parliamentarianism

from 1917 on. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament (the Riksdag)
whereas the king is the symbolic head of state. Concerning the executive authority, the Prime
Minister is the head of government with his Ministers (roughly 22 Ministers). The Judiciary is
independent, appointed by the government and employed until retirement.
In 2006, voters elected a centre-right coalition government led by the Moderate Party and
Fredrik Reinfeldt is the Swedish Prime Minister.

Nowadays, the Swedish model obviously refers to the classical economic and social models of
the Scandinavian countries. This mix of a free market economy and social model is actually
characterised by a generous welfare state ensuring the basic human rights and stabilising the
economy but also by the famous Swedish social democracy which has gradually emerged since
the beginning of the twentieth century. In this way, the Swedish Social Democratic Party has
played a leading political role since 1917. After 1932 the Cabinets have been dominated by the
Social Democrats - only four general elections (1976, 1979, 1991 and 2006) have given the
centre-right bloc enough seats in Parliament to form a government. Thus, this is considered one
reason for the Swedish post-war welfare state, with a government expenditure of slightly more
than 50% of the gross domestic product.

You´ll be lucky if you can enjoy Malmö´s celebrations. Midsummer festival, crayfish party and St
Lucía will show you a lot of the Swedes. Don´t forget to bring from home party mood, here you´ll
have a lot of fun.

Perhaps you´d seen “Let the right one in” in your country, it´s the most popular Swedish film
lately. Don´t forget to take a look into the movies shop, there are a lot of good films in this
country and you´ll understand more of this culture through them.

You should need a bike here, since the public transportation system is very expensive. You can
look for a second hand bike and make your dreams come true by bike whilst enjoying Malmö.

Don´t forget to bring your scarfs, gloves and jackets!

Tack och hej då! (Thanks and goodbye!)