For many, many students, coming to KI means moving away from places they love and people they hold dear, and it goes without saying that it can feel really scary. Throwing your life essentials in a compact suitcase and hopping on a plane to your new home is one of the bravest steps you can take—seriously, awards should be given for it. So, what better way to start off my blog than to give you some tips on what to do when arriving to your new, exciting destination. After all, I’ve done this quite a few times—six in total, but hey, who’s counting—and, though I’m afraid to say it never gets easier, I’ve learnt that it is possible to develop a sort of shell that can help you make these transitions lighter. Without further ado, let’s get into it.  

Pack essentials, but bring pieces of home  

When settling in my new apartment, amidst the chaos of starting over, I began to unpack and, while looking at what I had brought from home—apart from all the clothing and winter essentials—my heart was comforted by the sight of several notes, photos, letters, and souvenirs I decided to bring with me last-minute on this new adventure. Pictures with my friends from Montreal, with my parents and siblings in Mexico, postcards from my favourite café places, a map of a trip to Ireland I loved. Though you are leaving something behind, there’s no rule against bringing parts of it with you to hold you through tough times. Do it!  

Intro week at KI: something you won’t want to miss  

I can’t stress this enough: sign up for intro week activities! This is where you get to meet people from all programmes and ages, where social interaction is facilitated by games, pub crawls, and challenges brought to us by our beloved student association, MF. It can get overwhelming at times; we’re only human after all, and too much socialising in such little time can get exhausting. Just remember, you never know who you’ll meet! In my case, I walked the streets of Stockholm with my group, and most notably, I went to a very dynamic pub crawl where I met another Master student who is still to this day one of my closest friends. It was intense, yes, but so worth it as it helped me be more at ease for when school actually started.  

Talk to people in class, share who you are, and be open  

It’s my first day of class in the Master in Global Health, and I can feel my heart beating at a hundred kilometres per hour as I look for a place to sit in a classroom filled with strangers. I look around and, excited as I am, my nerves are getting the best of me. The class begins, the professor draws us in, and now the spotlight shifts to the students.  I realise then that, for the entirety of the programme, oral participation will be a huge part of everything. If you’re like me in that you don’t necessarily yap your way through class, this can seem terrifying. Being surrounded by strangers and expected to speak of controversial global health topics was not in my bingo card for the year (though it really should’ve been, what was I expecting?). Then, a single, fleeting thought rewired my neurons: “You didn’t come all this way just to be shy”.  

Call it divine enlightenment, luck, or whatever, but in that moment, nothing had ever felt as true. So, I swallowed my nerves, began to talk to just about everyone, and in doing so discovered that two of my classmates—who now are very close friends—live right across the hall from me. Don’t be afraid to talk and share who you are, it’s what we’re all here for anyway.  

Do what you like to do, Stockholm version  

Another important thing I do when moving abroad is keeping up with my hobbies regardless of geographical location, and this first month at KI was no different. I have taken countless strolls around the city, catching sunsets and discovering the best cafés (I am currently on a quest to find the best hot chocolate in town). A quick café run with a girl I met briefly in class led to a picnic in the park which led to plans all around. She’s now who I call my best friend in Sweden.

Adding on, I love travelling, so with a few classmates we decided to explore Uppsala, a charming college town only a mere fifty minutes away by train. All in all, doing things that you have always enjoyed will help Stockholm start to feel like home.  

Get your papers in order  

Last, but certainly not least, and the most tedious aspect of moving abroad: navigating local bureaucracy. This has been true for all six countries I’ve lived in, and I kid you not when I say, even more so in Sweden. Their very efficient system requires everybody to be properly registered. When you decide to come here, please make sure to start looking into the whole permit-personnummer-id cascade as early as you can. I will write another blog solely on this, but just keep this in mind for the time being!  

And that’s all for now! If you’re an international student considering pursuing your studies abroad, please know and be assured that there is a beautiful life expecting you on the other side. I hope these tips help ease your mind and potentially show you that it is possible to start over without it being all draining. Are you ready to take the next step in your journey?