My Erasmus Experience in Stockholm, Sweden - by Iñigo

Why did you choose to go to Stockholm, Sweden?

Mainly because the KTH (Royal Institution of Technology) had no English language requirement (I don't have any English qualifications! )

How long did your scholarship last? How much were you paid?

For Basque students, if you don't have a First, you get two grants: the Erasmus+ grant and one from the Basque government. If you do have a First, they just give you the MECD grant. I think both schemes work out being the same amount of money. I don't know exactly how much, but I think it's around 400-500 euros a month. I'm not sure how they organise it in the other Spanish autonomous communities.

What´s the student life like in Stockholm?

At the university I studied at, the KTH, there were people from all different cultures: Indians, Germans, Spanish, Koreans, etc. There are lots of Erasmus students. Of course, there are Swedes too, recognisable by their golden hair and blue eyes. The local people are generally nice, but in my experience it's unlikely you'll meet a likable, smiling Swede.

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

Yes and no. I don't regret having gone, it's just that due to the classes I chose, I only went into uni two days a week, so I ended up having a lot of free time. The university didn't seem to have a big presence. You want to party? You can go out on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and though they're not massive parties, there is always somewhere to go out to. In clubs they always play great songs. The Swedish girls are also amazing, but at the same time totally out of your league unless you've got a limousine waiting outside the pub.

What´s the food like in Stockholm?

In the university cafeteria they have a lot of those ready made salad things, which I'm not too keen on. Otherwise, you can eat just the same way as you do in Spain. They eat lots of deer here, and it's good, it's a meat like any other. You don't pay for tap water in restaurants, and in some places there are usually free sides like rolls. It's there you can tell who the Spaniards are - it's free!

You can buy protein bars or drinks from vending machines or any food shop, but yeah, that's quite expensive.

Did you find it hard to find somewhere to live in Stockholm?

Luckily me and one other student of the nine who went to Stockholm from my university got accepted into a hall of residence (it was forty minutes about from the university, although all the halls of residence are apart from Lappis). The others had to look for a flat and it did take them a while, but if you spend 3-4 days making a concentrated effort you'll find something for definite.

How expensive is everyday life in Stockholm?

It's expensive - for example, the halls of residence cost between 3, 000 and 4, 000 krona per month, so 300 to 400 euros (actually a bit more than that, since the krona to euro rate is divided by 9 and not by 10). You aren't catered in halls either, you just pay to stay there. You don't have to pay for light or water though, in case you're wondering.

How are you finding the language? Have you signed up to a language course at the university?

The Swedes speak English incredibly well. Many of them can't write English very well though (there's more than one teacher who makes written mistakes). All of them seem like English natives, it's amazing. It's incomparable with the Spanish's English.

What´s the cheapest way of getting around Stockholm?

Metro, metro everywhere. You can buy a SL card from Pressbyran (little shops near the entrances to most metro stations) which lasts for three months. It costs 1, 500 krona, so about 150 euros, and lets you travel by metro, bus, tram, train (pendeltag, the shuttle train)... even by boat all around the area.

What are the best places for partying in Stockholm?

You find out about parties in the halls of residences on Facebook (the parties in Lappis are the best, in my opinion). Apart from these, if you want to go to clubs or bars, I recommend the following ones:

• Wednesday: Café Opera. Open until 3am, amazing Swedish girls always go there, it's great! It's a posh place, I've never seen more young people in a club in my life. There's a few creepy stoners though. To get there, take the green line to a stop near to T-centralen - I think it's called Kungstradgarden.
• Thursday: Bojan. Only open until 1am. Get off at the university (Universitetet). It's a kind of pub where Erasmus students go, not many Swedes though. The first day you go to Bojan you'll end up spending about 40 krona all at once, but you'll spend less the next time. :)
• Friday: Kristall or Soldaritet. To get to Kristall, get off at T-centralen and get off at Ostermalmstorg on the red line for Solidaritet.
• Saturday: Kristall or Solidaritet. Kristall closes at 3am and Solidaritet at 3am or 5am.

There's another club in the metro station called I think Medborgatplasten (take the green line below T-centralen). I'm not 100% surre if it's there, but what I am sure of is that you don't have to leave the metro station to find the club, and it's a huge one! If it's not at this metro station, then it must be in one very nearby on the green line near to T-centralen. I only went there once, and paid about 150 krona to get in (I've only paid twice to get into a club).

Did we pay to get into clubs? What kind of question is that? Of course not, we're Spaniards. Like clubs's Facebook pages and they usually put up events where you can add yourself to a list and get free entry. Mind you, sometimes they make you pay a mandatory fee for the cloakroom, which is about 20 to 30 krona per item.

If you're looking for quite a quiet place to drink a few beers, try Lion Bar (there are two, but they're exactly the same) at T-centralen.

What about eating out in Stockholm? What are your favourite places?

At T-centralen there are lots of good restaurants. One is called BarCelona Tapas & Bar, very close to one of the metro exits. I don't usually eat out though.

What does Stockholm have to offer in terms of culture?

Stockholm has a lot of culture. Gamla Stan is very beautiful, as is the Vasa Museum, the Town Hall, the Palace, etc. The city centre is very pretty.

Do you have any advice for future students coming to Stockholm?

If you want to pull girls, and you're a guy with dark hair and brown eyes... you won't pull anyone here! :') People always say that in Sweden everyone loves Spanish guys, and it's a complete lie... haha, it's the biggest disappointment for me in coming here. If you do want to pull, it's easier to try other Erasmus students. Swedish girls only go out to make an impression.

If you want to join the gym, if you're staying for the whole year you can sign up to the Fitness 24 gyms, which are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They give you a membership card, and you can use this to get into any of the Fitness 24 gyms in the area whenever you like. If you're staying for less than a year, you won't be able to join these gyms because you won't have an 'official' personal number as they call it (to be honest I don't even know what I have, I think you can get a temporary one but not the proper one). Instead, you an use the other gyms, ones in the street or outside ones. Calistenia and Crossfit are the best choices.

The cold? It's not that bad. I'm from Northern Spain anyway, but right now on December 4th it's minus 4 degrees, which is normal and totally OK. It's no big deal.