Student blogs

The tradition that MSc Molecular Techniques in Life Science (MTLS) programme students have is that second year students organize a fun overnight stay at a lakeside cabin for both the first-year students and second-year students. It’s a time when first years can bond with each other but also for the all the students to have a dedicated space outside of formal academics to meet and chat. In this blog, I will write from the perspective of a second year student and my reflections on the passing of one year in MTLS.

What is Solvik?

Solvik is a beautiful lakeside cabin hosted by Medicinska Föreningen (MF) located in Värmdö. If you’re going by public transport, you get off at the bus stop near the main road and you start walking on a small road into an almost forest-like trail. I went just last week in late October and the ground is filled with warm hues of different leaves, really showcasing the beauty of fall. There’s multiple cabins with beds, a lake, and a sauna for us to enjoy.

To tell you a little secret (not a real secret), we actually went to Osqvik last year, a cabin rented from THS (KTH) for our yearly traditions. However, due to planning conflicts, we decided to go with Solvik this year. So, it was my first time going to Solvik and I am in love with how cozy the main cabins are with the sofas, the pillows and general vibe.

Prepping and planning people

Speaking of planning, this year, I was present on the planning team for Solvik. I think I knew from last year that I wanted to be involved in this tradition. There is something I love about creating a successful event where people can have fun, socialize and get to know each other. Even though I’m no Master Chef, creating food for my undergrad community was always a highlight of my time there so I hoped to bring that also to Sweden and MTLS.

Of course, with the rainbow and sparkles of a successful event comes also the challenges and hard work to get there. I put my all into creating a food plan to feed everyone, including calculating down to the kronor food budgets, and shopping lists for a hearty easy to make menu (which ended up being Bolognese). It may not have been the most delicious, but I hope that people weren’t hungry and generally satisfied.

Additionally, the stress and challenge of coordinating our planning truly created a bonding moment for the members of the team. We shopped together, we carried heavy items together, we cooked together, we cleaned together and we filled in the gaps for each other.

One year passed

It was noticeable that we’ve spent one whole year together since Osqvik as first year students. In that time, we had classes with only each other for two and a half semesters. We navigated living in Stockholm together, sharing our struggles and achievements. We were no longer the strangers of a year ago but friends of today.

The concerns I had last year were about the unfamiliar new environment: Can I find good friends here? Will I survive the Stockholm winter? Am I going to do well in the courses here? Yet this year, different questions reside in my mind: How can I remain friends with the people here for a long time after the programme? Will I get a job or a PhD position afterwards? Am I going to stay in Stockholm or explore a new city?

I wonder how the first year MTLS students felt this time. Will their feelings evolve like mine in the next year?

Message to future students

To all the prospective students who are thinking about applying to the MTLS programme, I believe that you too can have the same bursting energy, excitement, and joy in our yearly Solvik/Osqvik tradition. I know that lots of people may be concerned about bonding with the programme and making new friends in a new school, new country and new era in your life. Yet, I hope that this post can offer a peek into both an initial fluttering of getting to know people in your first year but also the more quiet, reflective and bonded nature of a second year student.

P.S. Many other programmes also have this similar tradition so if you end up checking out other programmes, you won’t be missing out!