Växjö/Sweden-Open your mind to new opportunities(Erasmus)

I went to Linnéuniversitetet in Sweden for one semester to study computer science. I felt like I needed a change. I was looking for something new, something different; like new ideas, a different perspective, and a different point of view. I was looking for inspiration perhaps. And from the very beginning, I knew that Sweden was the place to achieve these goals of mine, and I had to go there.

In Sweden, teachers and students have a very good mutual understanding and students are allowed to share their opinions and discuss with one another openly. All the teachers I had the pleasure of studying with this year, were very kind and they were always there to help me with a problem or to simply answer a question I had in my mind. In Sweden, you get to call your professors by their first names and I think this makes everything more personal. Swedes are self-disciplined. For example, when you are away for a cup of coffee, you can simply leave your belongings in public without worrying it will get stolen. I am a person who adapts easily to new situations and environments. Meeting people from other cultures was both exciting and enriching. I often met with other international students and we generally spoke about our cultural, traditional, religious and language differences. Therefore; in Sweden, my Erasmus experience was even better than my expectations.

ESN Vaxjö organized an introduction week, offering both practical information and possibilities for various social activities. I was in Vaxjö for roughly 5 months. The first month was like an adaptation period. I tried to get familiar with the university and city. I met many new friends during this period. We went out for dinner and coffee, played sports, went out to dance clubs, watched movies and did many other things like that. I also had a Swedish “buddy”, Dennis. He helped me with all sorts of things. I also started to take a Swedish language course. In the second month, my two friends and l decided to travel Sweden and Denmark by car. It was a really crazy idea. We went to Gothenburg, Helsingborg, Copenhagen and Malmö. Although this journey looked tiring, it was an incredible experience for me. After this marvellous road trip, I attended the Halloween party held on the campus. I bought a Spiderman costume for the party but to my bitter surprise, there were already 3 other Spiderman costumed friends at the party.But still, I had great fun with my friends. In the third month; I joined the Sea Battle trip with the ESN Vaxjö group. I went to Tallinn with a big liner. It was so amazing because there were many Erasmus students from different countries. My Lithuanian, French, Turkish friends and l did karaoke there. Then, we all together had fun at the big party. This trip took 3 days. The fourth month was also important for me. I planned a Europe tour by myself. I included Poland-Belgium-Italy-France in this tour. Firstly, I went to Wroclaw/Poland with one of my friends. We went to Brussels, Rome and Paris together. I had booked all the flight and hotel tickets beforehand. Everything was fine till the last day, when I missed the plane in Paris. I had to buy a new ticket immediately. Fortunately, I could fly to Stockholm. So, I returned back to Vaxjö. I joined my Chinese and French friends’ for dinner. In addition, I invited them for a Turkish dinner and a marvellous Turkish coffee time. They liked Turkish kebab and Turkish coffee so much. I gifted Turkish coffee to my Spanish friend. In my last month, I booked the train and hotel tickets to spend the new year in Stockholm. I went there with my Chinese friend. We travelled around Stockholm. This city was really fascinating. In addition to its natural beauty, the fact that we had the chance to witness the New Year celebrations was priceless. This was, unfortunately, my last journey.

The Erasmus Programme has given me a desire to work internationally. It was a great experience as I not only learnt more about other cultures, but also discovered more about myself. Sweden will forever hold a special place in my heart and I will never forget the fond memories I collected there.