Why You Should Study Abroad
I got my thesis proposal approved. I got a supervisor, and now I am doing research on circumvention culture. This is how my Spring semester is going – already engaged in research abroad. Let’s discuss studying abroad!

By Amaraizu Genius
Late last year, just before we made our final goodbyes to 2021, Södertörn University hosted an International Day event at the university, a day set aside to celebrate diversity, inclusion and the international community of students. Students from Ghana, Kosovo, Germany, Spain and even a staff member at the International office, who is from Japan, shared experiences of studying abroad in these places.
It is now, in this start of Spring semester that you make the decision to study abroad. Applications for this usually end in the first week of February. So, I will share some details shared on our International Day. Are you ready? Lol. Our first stop is Japan:
Hidehisa Matsumoto is a staff member at the International Office in Södertörn University. He studied and worked in Japan before moving to Sweden in 2018 as a Master’s student at a Swedish university. In his presentation, he shared three reasons to choose Japan – first is, you have to try a different learning style. In Japan, you take several courses in parallel (8-10 subjects/semester), this is unlike Södertörn where we take one at a time. According to him, in Japan, they practice a lecture-based learning with a fixed course schedule and exams in the end of the semester. Well, in Sweden, the exam is at the end of every course. His second reason is that you will have the opportunity to visit many tourist attractions and third, you will learn the background of cultural difference and gain perspectives. Sounds fun and interesting, right? Let’s move to Spain:
Ana Vilaplana Burgos is from Spain and a fourth-year student in Environmental Sciences. In her presentation on the International Day, she shared experiences about why foreign exchange is relevant for all students. Studying at Södertörn University is her third exchange and she could not hide the excitement. She thinks you will feel such excitement if you consider studying in Spain too. According to her conclusion: the first month in Spain equals amazing welcome parties; third month equals that feeling of “oh okay! I am here”; the sixth month equals a testimony from you on how amazing Spain is, while by the end of your exchange, you would vow to come back.
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Let’s now move to Germany with Malin Nissen, a Master’s student in Political Science. In her presentation, she listed 11 universities in Germany with active partnerships with Södertörn University. Here is the list she shared: Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald (North-East), Universität Oldenburg (North), Universität Bremen (North), Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover (North), Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn (West), Universität Leipzig (East), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (South), Universität Augsburg (South), Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (South-West), Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (South-West) and Universität Konstanz (South-West). But there’s one difference between Sweden and Germany she highlighted: in Germany, your relationship and interaction with teachers are more formal, unlike Sweden – where we are free as a bird in our interaction with teachers. But don’t worry, in Germany, there’s usually free public transport for students, and that’s cool.
My thesis project is conducted abroad, and that will be my own exchange since I couldn’t take part in one last year due to pandemic concerns. You can either study at Södertörn University’s partner institutions around the world or find your independent preferred study institution to apply to. Here is the one stop for all the details you need for your study abroad engagement: https://www.sh.se/english/sodertorn-university/student/frequently-asked-questions?area=Study%20abroad External link.
You need help? Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/amaraizugenius External link, opens in new window.

Page updated
27-01-2022