Student blogs

Hey everyone! I am Kai-Lin and this is my first time greeting everyone here. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of experiences. When I finally had the time to sit down and reflect, I realized that I had encountered so many new items, words, people and even challenges at KI. Here, I will share with you all my “firsts” from the past month.

First time in Sweden and Stockholm

One early morning in August, I packed my two suitcases to the Norman Manley Airport in Kingston, Jamaica with my parents. After waving goodbye, I embarked on a 20-hr journey to Arlanda Airport in Stockholm. Already, I have experienced something for the first time: first time in Sweden.

Along with that came many little tidbits of firsts. Here, I drank filmilk for the first time, discovered that there are pointy cabbages, scanned my receipt to leave the self-check out section at the store, swam in icy cold water, basked in the sun and read a book on the many benches in Stockholm.

However, not all first experiences are as exciting. My first time sorting out recycling was a jumbled mess. There were times when I instinctively threw a plastic packaging in the household waste bag. Yet, there is still some fun with the recycling. Currently I am hoarding my cans to return them to earn some money (back) and buy myself a treat! There are also challenges that come with being in Sweden for the first time: first time living in a country where I do not know the language (yet), first time having a tick scare, and first time experiencing such a rapid decrease in temperature.

Nonetheless, there are many more firsts that I have yet to experience here in Sweden. I am manifesting here that one day I will see my first aurora borealis, hold my first conversation in Swedish, and visit the rest of Sweden for the first time.

First times at KI

On Monday October 7^th, 2024, my professor played the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine announcement live in the middle of the lecture. This was my first time watching this announcement and it had reminded me: I am at Karolinska Institutet.

Within the classroom, there is an abundant mixture of new and the familiar. While I have called my professors by their first name before, this is the first time I addressed so many professors by their first names so quickly. It was also the first time I participated in a class council for my course. There is a strong emphasis on a student’s right to influencing education and having open discussions on course feedback.

Overall, surrounded with classmates of such diverse backgrounds and taught by highly passionate experts in their field, I find that even the familiar aspects have the nervous excitement of feeling like the first time.

First time as a blogger

I have to confess: this is also my first time writing a blog. It’s exciting to think about how this blog will grow over my time as a digital ambassador (DA). I hope that I can provide some insightful perspective on my life here as a student with fun guides, pictures and stories. Perhaps I am using this opportunity to encourage myself to experience even more first times to write about. Right now, I am grateful for the wonderful new connections I have made with the DA team. Of course, I am also looking forward to the possible future connections with you, the reader.

Do you have any activities you wish to experience for the first time in KI? If you’re interested in learning more about other students’ first month, be sure to check out the blogs of my fellow new DAs.