Month: September 2026

By October the days start getting shorter and shorter. I knew it would happen, but it somehow still took me by surprise. I was never sure which sunny day would turn out to be the last one, so I spent all of them outside. Until one day I was wearing my shorts and biking to uni and midway it started to get chilly; not enough to bring out my mammakorv (wait for the blog about that) but enough to bring out that wool sweater that was still lying in the suitcase. And fall had just started.

Sweden’s weather is mostly unpredictable and asks you to be ready for wind, rain, sun, and even snow (especially if it’s April). Maybe that unpredictability may be why Sweden makes such good outdoor gear, but it is also why Swedish homes are the way they are. The weather forces you to be inside at least 4 months and maybe that is the reason why Swedes have become the experts at the art of home décor and setting the right atmosphere.

For instance, I have never seen so many candles in my life since I arrived in Sweden (and I am not talking about Lucia festivity). But more about how candles are present in daily life, according to Sverige Radio, more than 300 million tealights are used per year in Sweden. And it makes total sense, lighting a candle means having a little light in your home, particularly important if the sunset is at 3pm. Later in the year, you also have the adventsstjärna, a star that is placed in almost all windows and that illuminates the streets. Suddenly everyone has a blanket to put on your lap, a candle lit besides you and a coffee or tea in your hands.

Coziness is part of the experience of Sweden, when you go to a café that is nice to sit at or that has good décor that makes you feel at home, a Swede will describe it as cozy. If there is a relaxed hike, with snow and a hot chocolate pit stop people might describe it as a mysig vandring, and even if a person is easygoing and just nice to be around, they could also be described as cozy.

When I first started listening to what at the beginning might seem like an overuse of the term cozy, I thought it was interesting and maybe it was because we were all speaking our second language. But soon I realized it is not necessarily an overuse of the word, but more a sort of lost in translation nuance that mysigt covers while cozy stays short. Cozy is an adjective, is something you have, while in Swedish it can also be a verb mysa, something that is. For example you can have a höstmys, feeling of enjoying autumn.

For me that tells us a lot about the core values of Swedish culture. The value of going slow, the importance of beauty in a physical space and of being comfortable and relaxed. When you stay four months indoors, you start valuing that nice couch with a warm blanket more than you would expect.

My name is Katlyn, and I am from the United States. I am a first-year Global Health student at Uppsala University. Though I have not been in Sweden very long, I wanted to share a few things to hopefully make your transition as an international student a bit more meaningful and manageable.

Budget Extra Time for Everything

It is important to be mindful that you are navigating a new city in a new language. Swedish is the primary language spoken and written in day-to-day communication in Uppsala. Though Swedish people typically speak fluent English, it is important to realize you will be navigating some of daily life in Swedish. Road signs, bus stops, construction and safety information will be in Swedish most of the time. Pharmacies and grocery stores sell a majority of products and medications labeled in Swedish. Of course, you can always ask someone for help translating something, but I also suggest having a translation app readily available on your phone. It is nice to be able to quickly scan signs or grocery items with your phone and perform a quick translation so that you are not missing key information. Translation services can, of course, be incorrect, but I have found that they have been very useful for basic words or phrases.

It is also important, if you plan to stay in Sweden, to commit to learning the language. At the least, I suggest learning to recognize the daily phrases and signs you see around Uppsala so you can walk, bike, and commute safely. Of course, with the additional time to translate and relearn what was once familiar at home, small tasks will take longer, and over the course of weeks and days, what used to be small tasks add up. This is why I suggest you always budget more time than you think you need. I especially suggest this when you are trying to find your buildings and classrooms. In my opinion, you should plan to go to the building the day before your class to find the classrooms without the added stress of a time crunch. Though the organization of Swedish classrooms is very sensible, you will be navigating buildings with names and layouts that are likely very different from those in your home country.

Kindness Is Different Across Every Culture

It is likely you are coming into Sweden already being exposed to opinions and content from social media or other sources. Maybe you have heard differing opinions about the difficulty of making friends in Sweden, or about the culture at large and whether it is friendly or not. Social media often speaks in generalizations about people and the places they come from, and I would strongly encourage you to avoid social media for opinions about these things.

Every culture expresses respect, kindness, and friendliness differently. If you treat all people with respect, they will, in turn, treat you the same. In my short time in Sweden, I have been met with over-and-above kindness and hospitality from strangers. I have found you can walk up to almost anyone and ask for help, and you will be met with an abundance of care and concern.

Come into a new culture without expectations, be willing to learn new ways of communicating, and be open to receiving kindness from strangers in ways you may not expect. My best advice

when entering a new culture is to assume positive intent. Don’t automatically assume someone is being rude if they are being reserved; that may just be a way one culture actually expresses kindness. Be kind, and be yourself. Making friends is only difficult if you don’t put yourself out of your comfort zone. Say hi first, and always be the one willing to help others.

Embrace Who You Are

You are in a new culture, and while that is a beautiful way to learn and grow in cultural competency, it is important that you don’t lose who you are. As you make new friends, you will have the opportunity to share parts of your culture and background, and I hope you embrace that. You being here makes Uppsala University a better place because it becomes a more diverse place.

While I suggest you try new things, you don’t have to conform to every aspect of a new culture. You don’t have to stop embracing and practicing the comforts and traditions of home. What I mean is this: try Swedish food, but don’t stop making your mother’s recipes. Watch Swedish media, but don’t stop listening to music in your native language. You are unique, and you don’t have to change who you are to fit in. Be kind, be willing to embrace people of all backgrounds, and you will find those who embrace you right back.

Don’t Be Alarmed When It Is Hard

If things feel hard, and they will at times, remember that is sort of the whole point. You picked an ultimately harder road to become an international student, but it is likely because you knew how rewarding it would be at the end of the journey. You picked Uppsala University because of its outstanding reputation internationally, and you made the brave decision to leave what was familiar in pursuit of something different and excellent.

Things are going to happen. Hard things. At times, you will feel lost, confused, and maybe even misunderstood due to linguistic or cultural barriers; however, hard does not mean you made a mistake. Hard does not mean pack up and go home; it means you have started the growth process. Not every day will be hard, of course. There will be lots of joy along the way, and when you find those moments, keep them in mind. But when you feel it’s hard, let those moments teach you something. Let the experience make you more resilient, more cultured, and more educated. But don’t let it make you give up on yourself.

You can do hard things. That is how you got here to begin with.

I hope you enjoy your time at Uppsala University. I hope you know we are all rooting for you! Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team with any questions via our Instagram: @Studyatuu. We are here to support you.