Student blogs

In my last blog, I discussed the more “practical side” of getting settled into Sweden, ranging from SL transportation cards to healthcare, so if that’s something you are interested in → you can check it out here. This blog will take on a similar format but will aim to cover the more personal/social steps of getting settled into Sweden (speaking from my own experience of course), so stick around!

1. Post-class coffee hangouts. One of the main things that helped me feel more settled in Sweden was finding people I enjoyed spending time with (who eventually became friends). And one of the main ways that I did that, was by asking people who I thought were nice in class, to grab a coffee with me after! You will probably be spending a lot of time with the people in your programme, and proximity is a great way to meet people and build connections.
2. Join an association at MF (in anything you’re interested in). Becoming part of a Medicinska Föreningen association helped me feel more involved within the KI community. It gave me a chance to meet people outside my programme, and to practice something I enjoy doing every week! In my case, it was music, but there are so many different types of associations you can join (sports, improv, bands, choirs, dancing) and all are open to international students 🙂 Another plus of joining an association is that you will probably meet more Swedish students, and that can be a great way of getting to know a bit more about Swedish culture and people; and thereby feeling more settled. 
3. Start Swedish classes. The Swedish government offers free Swedish classes under the organization Swedish for Immigrants (SFI). I wish I had started these Swedish classes earlier than almost five months into my master’s programme, because once I did I realized it played such a huge role in helping me feel more comfortable here. I started to understand road signs, could order coffee and could even ask the older person on the packed bus if they wanted to sit (without having to make them switch to English). 
4. Get lost in Stockholm. This may sound vaguely strange, but I feel that an underrated way to familiarize yourself with a city is to get lost in it. Choose a different area every weekend, (Vasastan, Kungsholmen, Södermalm etc.), put on your favourite playlist and without google maps, let yourself get lost. Also, it’s a great way to increase your step-count, which is very much needed after day-long lectures all week. 
5. Find your third place. As you explore Stockholm you will find certain spaces that you are drawn to and will want to go back to. Those are spaces that have the possibility of becoming the ever-so-coveted third place. When you go to a particular place enough times, it becomes so familiar that it feels like home away from home. And while you can’t do that with all of Stockholm just yet, you can find one place that feels home-like amidst the unfamiliar. So choose a cafe, bar, restaurant, library, gym, viewpoint or park that resonates with you, and keep going back to it.

To sum everything up, these actions are great steps you can take to feel a bit more settled into Sweden, but ultimately, what I think helps most, is time. So be kind to yourself throughout the “settling-in” period, and eventually you will start feeling more rooted in this lovely country.