Erasmus Experience in Stockholm, Sweden

Why did you choose to go to Stockholm, Sweden?

I chose to come to Stockholm because of the possibility of studying at KTH (Royal Institute of Technology), a very well renowned technical university. Apart from that, I had always been curious about Scandinavian countries and I wanted to experience life in one of them.

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

I stayed for a semester (about 5 months). I received a scholarship of 1200€ for the whole period, and I am waiting for the response of the Erasmus scholarship.

In addition, the group I was working at paid for my housing costs (I did my Bachelor thesis at an experimental physics group).

What is the student lifestyle like in Stockholm?

There are plenty of activities. However, as students we have to mind our wallets and Sweden is not the cheapest of places. The key is to get good friends with whom you can organize cheap activities (dinners, hiking, visits).

Would you recommend the city and the University of Stockholm to other students?

Depends on what you are looking for in your stay. If you come to Stockholm there will be plenty of parties, of course, but is not the typical destination if that is ALL you want to do. Stockholm offers so much more that it would be a petty (and also very expensive) to only party all the time.

What is the food like?

High quality, high price.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Stockholm?

It is extremely difficult to find accommodation on your own. If your receiving institution offers you something, TAKE IT, wherever it is. Public transport is very good. Don't expect to live in the city center.

How much does it cost to live in Stockholm?

A lot. I cannot say any number because it depends on how you live. It is clearly more expensive that other countries in Europe, but it is definitely not the worst. If you cook for yourself it is totally affordable.

Also, there are cheap weekend cruises (to Tallinn, Riga, etc. ) where you can have fun and supply yourself of alcohol for the semester.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

Difficulty of Swedish depends on what your mother tongue is. For me (Spanish), very hard. For Germans for example it is not as difficult.

However, EVERYONE speaks English to a native speaker level (yes, even cashiers, bus drivers, etc).

You will have 0 problems with language.

If Swedish language courses are not mandatory for you, there are (at least for KTH students) free Swedish courses that you can take.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Stockholm from your city?

Plane.. duh.

From the airport you can either take Arlanda express or Flygbussarna.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Stockholm?

There are a loooot of bars in Norrmalm, Södermalm. Clubs are free if you go early enough (Colosseum is a good one). Just go where your friends are going; )

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Stockholm in the future?

No need to bring cash. Swedes pay everything with credit card!