Uppsala University. You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing!

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1 exchange application process You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! PREPARATION I was was prepared for a lot of work in the application process because I was warned about that, but in the end, it was really well doable as long as you keep an eye on all the deadlines. It was useful to have an overview/checklist of all the application tasks before starting. counselling & support at Utrecht University This was well done, with sufficient information meetings and presentations. The international office was always happy to answer questions and easily reachable during opening hours and through e mail. Still, they should obviously not be expected to look up everything for you; the best way is to do extensive research yourself and come to them if you really cannot find the answers you are looking for. Not necessary, because I had planned to follow two courses that were mainly considered with European Law. The basic European Law course(s) I followed at Utrecht University provided me with sufficient basic knowledge to follow the courses in Sweden without any problems. If I had chosen other courses, I think it would have been wise to catch up on the topic with some readings. Also, it can be useful to learn about essay writing in English if you do not have much experience with this. I was happy to have this experience already, because essay writing seemed to be more common in Uppsala than in Utrecht. Not necessary, because I was already satisfied with my level of English. It would have been nice to learn a little bit of Swedish beforehand, but I could easily survive without. Sweden is an expensive country and it is good to prepare for this. I worked and saved money well in advance and discussed the possibilities with my parents, because I knew beforehand that the Dutch study grant (studiefinanciering), public transport grant (ov vergoeding) and the Erasmus grant are really useful, but not enough if you want to have a comfortable life and enjoy the possibility to go on trips or other activities. study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD I received a course catalogue well in advance, that contained a number of interesting options. Since most of them were worth 15 ECTS, we were meant to choose two courses, one for each half of the semester. Registering for them needed to be done before arrival. We were informed about the process through e mail and it was fairly easy. When the courses had started, most of the information appeared on a specific website, called Studentportalen (some kind of BlackBoard), which we were introduced to during the first seminar. There was no need to buy books, just a small amount of money was asked to pay for a reader (though this may be different for other courses). The courses mainly existed of seminars and (guest)lectures by highly qualified teachers. The courses I chose were only examined by means of an essay of pages, though I know some of the other courses required both an exam and an essay. The seminars and lectures did not directly connect to the essay assigment, but there was plenty of time reserved to write the essay after the seminars and lectures finished. academic quality of education activities

2 The system was a little bit different than in Utrecht, but I enjoyed it. Before each seminar, we were expected to meet up with a studygroup of 4 6 people to discuss the seminar questions we had prepared. During the seminar itself, we had to present the answers we had found and discuss them with the rest of the class. The idea was that the class determined the content of the seminar and the teacher was only there to guide. This system required some form of indepency but this only made it easier to grasp the study material; it was really effective on an academic level. Also, the research questions for the for essays were challenging and required a lot of independent research. counselling & support at receiving university abroad Similar as in Utrecht. They were there when I needed them, but we were mainly expected to arrange everything ourselves. The only annoying thing was that their office was only open for one hour, three times a week. transfer of credits At the law faculty in Sweden, there were only three possible passing grades: B (lowest), BA and AB (highest). The procedure concerning my transfer of credits is still going on and I was unable to find how they will be converted to the Utrecht grade system. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE For the spring semester (the second semester) the information about the welcome/orientation programme appeared quite late, which was inconvenient because there was only one day scheduled to pick up keys and an information package (other arrival dates were possible, but it took a lot more effort to arrange this for yourself). The arrival day was well arranged though, because you received all kinds of information at once. In the week that followed, some orientation activities were organised at the different student associations (the "nations" that Uppsala is known for). Since the classes started at the same time, these activities were not attended by that many people. However, I heard from friends that attended the introduction week during the fall semester (the first semester) that the week was better organised, did not take place during classes and they met the majority of their friends during that time. As long as you're applying on time, the university is able to provide housing for you, even though they say they cannot guarantee it. I lived in the student area Flogsta during the entire semester and I can honestly say this is the best option. Even though the accomodation is quite far (15 min cycling) from the city centre and the buildings are quite old, most of the exchange students live here, meaning there is always someone to hang out with. Also, there are often parties organised. Just like everyone else, I lived on a corridor with 11 other people, whom I shared the kitchen with. Everyone had their own bathroom (toilet, sink and shower) which was very convenient. leisure & culture Uppsala has a wonderful student culture with its 13 student associations or "nations", that offer breakfast, lunch, pub and club nights for student prices. Also, they organise loads of other activities such as wine tastings and formal balls. They are very open to international students. Furthermore, Stockholm is less than an hour away by train and there is a lot of nature in the area. Choose Flogsta as your accomodation. Wander around in the nature reserve next to it and try to find the hidden barbecue spot. Go on a cruise to Helsinki, Talinn or Riga, which are super cheap (sometimes 10 for 3 days) if you keep an eye on the different prices. CONCLUSIONS

3 would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain Definitely! You will not find a similar student life anywhere else in the world and Sweden is a lovely country with excellent academic standards. exchange application process You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! PREPARATION The application process really helped me to choose to which country I wanted to go. Because of the motivation letter and the other required documents you really have to think about your own motivation. This helps you to become sure of your choice. counselling & support at Utrecht University At Utrecht University you will get all the support needed in my opinion. I did not have any special The courses were in English, so again I did not have any special I started saving for my exchange half a year before I left for Sweden. study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD I followed the courses Law and Economics and European Private Law. There were no organisational issues. I knew this a long time before I went on exchange, so that was very nice. academic quality of education activities The quality is good, but the courses are really different than Dutch courses, so you have to get used to that. counselling & support at receiving university abroad The counseling and support was good. transfer of credits Fine. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE The orientation programme was organized by the different student nations. They give you a very warm welcome and you meet a lot of (exchange) students in the first couple of weeks because of this programme.

4 The accomodation was perfect for exchange students, because you easily meet new people, but I would not want to live there for longer than a year. I lived in Flogsta, a place that is known for the amount of parties and the fact that it is not the cleanest place to live. leisure & culture There is a lot to do in Uppsala in both Winter and Summer. A lot of spots to visit (castle, botanic gardens, the lakes etc.), but also some nice cafés for fika (swedish word for coffee with something sweet). Join a big student nation, this will help to increase your social life. CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain Yes, Uppsala is perfect for an exchange. They are very welcoming to echange students and you can be involved in almost everything as long as you want to. You can even work at the nations. Student life is really big in Uppsala and that makes it really easy to meet a lot of friends from both Sweden and other countries. It is the people I met that made my exchange an unforgettable a great experience. No. exchange application process You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing! PREPARATION The process started pretty early with a presentation from the international office about what it is like to go study abroad the Universities you could choose from and practical things you need to take care of. After the presentation i was pretty sure i wanted to go study abroad and I made a list of things I seeked for in a guest university. My Choice became Sweden and I wrote a motivational letter, financial plan, updated my CV, took care of the necessary autographs and uploaded everything at Osiris. counselling & support at Utrecht University This was very clear, structured and definitely helpful! For the Erasmus grant I had to do an English test, but that was all since everything would be in English at my guest university. I made a financlai plan as a part of my application, but you get a good overview of the costs when you arrive at your destination. I took a maximum loan and had an Erasmus grant. study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD

5 I loved the programme and how everything was organised. It was very clear and structured, everything I needed was posted on the Swedish Blackboard (called Studentenportalen). academic quality of education activities The first period I followed the course Democracy and Human Rights in European Context, I had to get used to the idea that it was a Masters Course and that it counted for 15 ECTS (!). Nevertheless, it was a very nice course with seminars and lectures that covered a wide area of topics. In the end I had to write a very large essay (on my own) which I dreaded at first, but I learned soooo much while writing it!! I'm very happy I choose a course with an Essay, because it was something I really wanted to learn. The second period I followed the Course European Criminal Law, it was the same as my previous course so it counted for 15 ECTS as well and it was also a Masters Course. This Course was divided in Seminars and Lectures, and I had to write an essay as well (which was way easier now since I had written an essay in the first course) and an exam. Loved the course and I would definitely recommend it! counselling & support at receiving university abroad VERY GOOD! they were always available for questions and replied very quickly! transfer of credits For now I applied for the TOC to be send to me and I'm still waiting for it to be delivered. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE Well structured and everything was in the centre of Uppsala, so it was nice to discover Uppsala this way. I received a lot of paper work from the university and about the town. Which was nice to read through. Loved my accomodation, I had my own large room with my own bathroom at Flogsta, Sernanders Vag. It was lovely and I would recommend it to anyone. The kitchen was shared with 11 others and it was cleaned every Monday by Heimstaden. leisure & culture Very nice open culture, very very kind people who would help you anytime. Doing Fika's with friends became a very regular thing and I had the best time doing it. Read what the students have to say about the place, contact people (Swedish people are kind and helpful) and dive into it because it can never be a bad experience! CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain Yes, definitely, everything was well structured and the University was very organised. Uppsala is the biggest student city in Sweden, parties on every corner and lovely nature around you. Stockholm is very close and beautiful as well! Become a member of a student nation and go to all the information gatherings because it is really helpful!

6 exchange application process Uppsala University PREPARATION It was difficult to decide to which city I wanted to go to but I really wanted something different. I had never been in Scandinavia and I heard a lot of good stories from friends that went to Uppsala. So that is why I chose for Uppsala. The application process takes some time, so start early with getting al the signatures to avoid stress during your christmas break. There are quite a few documents that have to be submitted when you are selected and it takes some time to draft them or to get them signed so start on time! counselling & support at Utrecht University The international office gave some presentations for people who wanted to go abroad. Utrecht University gave lots of information about the destinations, scholarships and things you must not forget. They had an website, answered quickly by to my questions and you could visit them twice a week to ask some things or get signatures. I did not prepare myself in a specific academic way before going to Uppsala. I went in my third year to Uppsala and I thought that the academic standard in Utrecht is quite high compared to the standard in Uppsala. I did not really prepare myself because my English was already good enough. I finished English in high school with a high grade and English was not too hard at the university. I got some money from my parents, had the Erasmus scholarship, study grant and the public transportation grant. This was more than enough! study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD I followed the courses: "Comparative legal history and comtemporary jurisprudence" and ''Introduction to Swedish law''. I didn t had a lot of classes and the focus during the seminars were discussing the topic of the day. The teacher was passive during seminars and the students needed to discuss with each other and answer the questions. We had open book exams and papers, these were way easier than the exams in Utrecht. academic quality of education activities I had both courses a very low workload but the academic quality of the lectures and seminars were really good. We had qualified teachers; they were very open and enthustiatic and more informal than in the Netherlands. I learned a lot about the history, how to write legal papers and we presented a lot. counselling & support at receiving university abroad The counselling and support that I got was quite good. They respond very quickly to s. transfer of credits My course credits have been acknowledged by the bachelor exam committee. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE you will be picked up at the airport on the welcome day. In that week there is also an introduction week. you will get to know a lot of internationals this week and the university organises a lot of nice activities. You will

7 definitely discover the city and the wonderful nations! As a erasmus exchange student you are practically guaranteed to get housing from the university. During my stay I lived in one of the high buildings in Flogsta. Flogsta is really nice, corridors are often mixed with internationals and swedes which is a nice combination. I had a big room, with my own shower and toilet. The kitchen was shared with eleven other students from my corridor. You should definitely choose Flogsta because the most internations live over here and ofcourse all the corridor partys. leisure & culture The nations in Uppsala organise a lot of events, like parties and diners. You can become an active member at the nations with sports or in culture. Swedish people are very nice and polite, but not so straight forward as Dutch people. Definetly become a member of a nation, I had a great time at the nations. When you are member of a nation, you can go to every nation. Do the trips! The cheap cruises to Tallinn, Helsinki and Riga were a lot of fun. Go to St Petersburg with the organisation Openyourrussia. It is a great opportunity to discover Russia for a very cheap price and with Russian students. I also hired a car with some friends for a weekend and drove to the north of Sweden and Norway. I would definitely do that, the countries are so beautiful and al lot to discover. CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain YES!! I really had the best time of my life. At first I was really nervous but this was already gone five minutes after I arrived. There are a lot of internationals, swedish people are really nice and Scandinavia is something different. The university was really good and has some great teachers. No just go for the Erasmus experience! Report 1 exchange application process PREPARATION The application process went quite smooth. From the beginning I knew that I wanted to go to Sweden, so it was either Lund or Uppsala for me, as my faculty is a partner with both of these universities. Knowing where you want to go makes the following process easy, it is just filling out the required forms and hoping to get nominated by the international office. The phase after being nominated was similar, although collecting all the required signatures can take up some time. counselling & support at Utrecht University The international office of Utrecht University was really helpful when I had questions about the forms or process. Moreover, they kept me informed about certain deadlines, so that I did not miss one.

8 I did not prepare myself in a specific academic way before going to Uppsala, however, I had already finished three years of studying law in Utrecht when I went to Uppsala. This was definitely sufficient for me. Before I went to Uppsala I took the 'Legal English for Academic Purposes' course to improve some of my legal English. Being able to speak english is the most important when you go to Sweden, since the vast majority of Swedes speak really good english. Knowing your swedish is good, but definitely not necessary. Sweden is not a cheap country, at least not compared to the Netherlands. Before I went to Sweden I saved some money which was good choice, because I probably would not have managed my stay with just the student grant and erasmus grant. study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD In Uppsala I took one law course, EU Commercial law and litigation, and a language course, basic swedish 1. academic quality of education activities The academic quality of the law course I took was really high. We had well qualified teachers on the content and a good programme, with different elements. I learned a lot in this course about EU law, but also on writing a pleading and to orally present it. The basic swedish course was a nice course to have next to my law course, however, it lacked challenges from time to time. counselling & support at receiving university abroad During my time in Uppsala I did not require much counselling or support, though, the few times I had contact with them they were very helpful and quick in responding. transfer of credits My course credits have been acknowledged by the bachelor exam committee. However, at the time of writing my credits have not officially been transferred. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE One week before my courses started an orientation week was organised. The orientation week is a great opportunity to get to know the city, the nations and other students. A lot of activities are organised, I recommend to participate in these to get a great start of your stay abroad. As a erasmus exchange student you are practically guaranteed to get housing from the university. During my stay I lived in one of the high buildings in Flogsta. Flogsta is really nice, corridors are often mixed with internationals and swedes which is a nice combination. I had a big room, with my own shower and toilet. The kitchen was shared with eleven other students from my corridor; the cleanliness could have been better, but this always depends on the people you live with in a corridor. The location of Flogsta was good too, it is about 20 minutes cycling to the city centre. leisure & culture The nations in Uppsala organise a lot of events, like parties and diners. In these nations you can also become active in a cultural or sport group. Various sports can be played in these groups, like football, floorball or basketball. Occasionally, bigger events are organised in the city of Uppsala, like a light festival or a short film festival. Moreover, Stockholm is close by Uppsala, where also a lot of leisure and cultural activities can be done.

9 Become a member of a nation, it will only benefit you. Also make sure to travel inside Sweden, Uppsala and Stockholm are really nice, but the rest of Sweden also has a lot to offer. CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain Uppsala is a really nice student city that gives you the opportunity to have the best time of your life. A lot of social and leisure activities are waiting for you to partake. The Swedes are a bit shy at first, but when you are past that, you really meet nice and friendly people. What is more, the education given at the university of Uppsala is of an excellent quality and exchanging thoughts with students from different countries gives you really nice insights. Report 2 exchange application process PREPARATION You have to make sure that you submit everything on time, I had to adopt my files one time. counselling & support at Utrecht University I've received adequate help of Utrecht University, although I m of the opinion that they could communicate better who has to sign what document. My learning agreement for example was signed initially by the wrong person, and had to be co signed by another person. Bachelor of law. Swedish people speak English very well. You don t need to speak Swedish. I received the Erasmus grant in addition to the ''studiefinanciering''. study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD Uppsala University, two courses namely, European Labour law and Comparative legal history and contemporary jurisprudence. Furthermore I did a course basic Swedish. academic quality of education activities The academic quality of the education was very high. Also they speak English very well. Although it would be better if the teacher elaborats more on the right answers during seminars. counselling & support at receiving university abroad The counselling and support that I got was quite good. They respond very quickly to s. transfer of credits

10 I transferred my credits as extra courses. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE The day that I first arrived, everything was orginised very well. I only had to stop by one building in order to receive all relevant material such as internet, simcard, keys etc. This was very convenient. I lived in Flogsta. This was a very nice accomodation. A quarter bike ride to the city, and most of my friends also lived at Flogstaso that was very convenient. leisure & culture Swedish people are very polite and kind. Make sure that you either have your accomdation at Flogsta or at Rackarbergstein. Those are very popular and from my experience the places where the most students want to live. CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain I would recommend Uppsala University to others. It's a very good university, there is a very nice student life with several nations that you can join. Uppsala is a nice and cute city. Report 3 exchange application process PREPARATION The exchange application was a huge process to go trough. First of all, you need to make a choice of destination which is quite hard, and afterwards you need to complete lots of documents, for which you need couple of signatures from both the sending as the receiving institution. So it takes some time. counselling & support at Utrecht University Utrecht University gave us lots of information about the destinations and possibilities. Sometimes it's still a bit vague though. You have to go to the student coordinator to double check everything and in my Erasmus application form, there was a fault which I discovered myself two days before the deadline. So extra checks trough Utrecht University is recommended. The is splendid. The academic standard in Utrecht is quite high compare to the standard in Uppsala, in my opinion. I had several courses in English at Utrecht University before I went on exchange, but that's of course totally different from the use of English all the time, even in social talk with your international classmates. I've learned a lot in that aspect.

11 Sweden is slightly more expensive than the Netherlands, which I knew on beforehand. But the 270 EUR Erasmus grant and the financial support of my parents made it doable for me. study programme (content and organisational issues) STUDY ABROAD PERIOD I have done two courses in Uppsala, first a general course in jurisprudence and law history, which was quite easy with a low workload. My second course, International Commercial Arbitration, was pretty intensive and interesting. I gained for sure some knowledge that could be helpful for my future career. academic quality of education activities As mentioned above, the first course was quite easy: very low workload and no impressive seminars or lectures. The second one on the other hand was quite hard and intensive but above all inspiring. counselling & support at receiving university abroad The counselling and support at Uppsala University was very good, there was always a contact person for all our questions and the teachers created the perfect atmosphere to get used to the new system. transfer of credits Actually, I don't really know how the transfer of credits works because that part is a bit vague and I don't need the credits anymore for my bachelors degree. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE Unfortunately, I missed the welcome and orientation week in Uppsala. But I've heard good stories about it. The accomodation was quite expensive, but I had lots of space and my own bathroom. Besides that, all my friends lived around the corner. So I was pretty satisfied. leisure & culture I've done many little trips to other parts of Scandinavia and the Baltic. I loved it, an absolute advantage of being on exchange. Maybe give the incoming students a little bit more information at the application form for their housing. I was lucky because I knew some people who had been in Uppsala before me, but otherwise it's gambling on an important matter. CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain Absolutely! I had one of the best times of my life studying abroad in Uppsala. Besides the fact that an Erasmus exchange is an unique and special experience anyway which I would recommend to everyone, Uppsala offers you a unique student life abroad. Everything is there for students and you live together with all your friends, go out to the nations where you can do lots of activities to meet everyone. Moreover, there is a lot of possibilities to do some travels around Scandinavia, the Baltic, Russia or the rest of Europe. I've made friends from all over the world and made memories that will last for a lifetime. It was definitely one of the best decisions of my life to go on exchange to Sweden.

12 Go to Uppsala! Report 4 exchange application process PREPARATION For the application proces I had to send a motivation letter, my Curriculum Vitae and a transcript of records. I also send a letter of recommendation along to increase the chance of being accepted. (Furthermore, I had to fill in several documents in order to receive the Erasmus grant.) counselling & support at Utrecht University Utrecht University has several presentations for people who want to go abroad. They also provide a very clear website. Furthermore, the staff is willing to help you with any questions you might still have. Therefore the counselling & support at Utrecht University is really great! I didn't do any specific acadamic preparation for my studies abroad. I was in the third year of my bachelor when I went abroad. I took the course Legal English for Acadamic Purposes at Utrecht University. I can really recommend this course to anyone who studies law and wants to go abroad. The course helped me to improve not only my general english skills, but specificlly my legal english skills. I think there is a big difference between normal english and legal english. Legal english is more complicated, since this is not a part of the english language you come across a lot. Therefore you have to develop legal english skills trough education. The LEAP course gives you a great oppurtinity to do this! To finance my studies in Uppsala I used the money I got from renting my apartment in Utrecht, my study grant, the public transportation grant and the Erasmus scholarship. To cover the additional costs, I got a loan from the government. exchange application process PREPARATION For the application proces I had to send a motivation letter, my Curriculum Vitae and a transcript of records. I also send a letter of recommendation along to increase the chance of being accepted. (Furthermore, I had to fill in several documents in order to receive the Erasmus grant.) counselling & support at Utrecht University Utrecht University has several presentations for people who want to go abroad. They also provide a very clear website. Furthermore, the staff is willing to help you with any questions you might still have. Therefore the counselling & support at Utrecht University is really great! I didn't do any specific acadamic preparation for my studies abroad. I was in the third year of my bachelor when I went abroad. I took the course Legal English for Acadamic Purposes at Utrecht University. I can really recommend this course

13 to anyone who studies law and wants to go abroad. The course helped me to improve not only my general english skills, but specificlly my legal english skills. I think there is a big difference between normal english and legal english. Legal english is more complicated, since this is not a part of the english language you come across a lot. Therefore you have to develop legal english skills trough education. The LEAP course gives you a great oppurtinity to do this! To finance my studies in Uppsala I used the money I got from renting my apartment in Utrecht, my study grant, the public transportation grant and the Erasmus scholarship. To cover the additional costs, I got a loan from the government. welcome & orientation programme STUDENT LIFE Uppsala University hosts an entire welcome week. This is great, because in this week you get to know not only the student life of Uppsala, but also many new people. Most of my friends and acquaitances from Sweden are people I met during the orientation week. I had so much fun during this week. Uppsala has many (13) student nations and during the orientation week you have the opportunity to get to know something about every nation. This is useful because after the orientation week, you have to choose a nation to join. Even though you are still able to go visit all the nations after you made a choice, it's still useful to choose a nation that fits you best. This because it can really save you some money. There are some really good advantages for members, e.g. discount on lunch/brunch, clubs or even free entrance at clubs! It was really easy to get housing! THis is provided trough the university. You just have to apply in time and follow the instructions. I stayed at Rackarbergsgatan and I can really recommend this accomodation. It was great, because it was really close to the city center! You could even walk if you wanted to. I shared the kitchen, toilet and bathroom with 4 other people. leisure & culture I traveled to several places in Sweden with my friends. This is a really cool thing to do and I would recommend this to everyone. This is a great possibility to get to know Sweden and to make memories you will treasure. About the Swedish culture, to me, the following was really remarkable: The people are very calm and have a lot of faith in the government. Sweden has a very peaceful history and you can notice this in both the Swedish culture, people and Swedish law. Also the Swedish people really love to have ''fika''. Fika means; to have a cup of coffee or tea with a treat. You should really do this when you are in Sweden! Also, Sweden is really, really cold and dark in the winter. Even the Swedish people are obsessed with this. Many hate this. Because the weather is so remarkable in Sweden the Swedish people like to talk about the weather a lot. Apart from this, I can say that the Swedish culture is not that different from the Dutch culture. In Uppsala for example they also ride bicycles. There are not that many big differences. I have four tips. My first tip is that you really should consider the weather before you choose to go to Sweden. Not only is Sweden very cold but also very dark. In November it is dark at half past 3 in the afternoon. This is crazy and can be really shocking and depressing. However, for me it was not that big of a problem. Of course the cold and especially the darkness was very impleasent, but it didn't change my mind about Sweden. When the weather is terrible in Sweden you can just go to one of the many nations with your friends and have fun inside. This way you can survive Sweden and compensate for the lack of light and warmth with the light and warmth your friends and some fun brings you.

14 My second tip is that you should not underestimate the emotional impact of a stay abroad. When you leave your own country it can feel very scary, when you are living abroad you can really miss your friends and when you are back home you can have a really hard time with reintegrating back home. Also, just being abroad is a lot to process for your mind and this can be very exhausting. The same goes for the first period of time you come back home. I think this is an important thing to take into account. If you are prepared for all of this I think it will be easier to deal with. I really underestimated this and I would have liked it if someone told me this before I left. So this is some very important advice. My third tip is not to only hang out with people from your own country! I decided not to hang out with Dutch people at all and I think this was a great decision. I made friends from all over the world and learned so much about other cultures and languages. It is really fun to have international friends! You have all your life to hang out with people from your own nationality, but an exchange also gives you the opportunity to hang out with people from other cultures. I would really recommend everyone to take this chance! My last tip is that if you want to go abroad, you should really go! I was a little afraid to go and there were some obstacles that made me have second thoughts regarding wether I should stay or go. In the end I decided to go and it was one of the best decisions of my live. Everything turned out well and I made so much great memories and friends. I wouldn't want to have missed this for anything! So take the chance to go abroad and make it a great expierence! CONCLUSIONS would you recommend this university/destination abroad to others? please explain Yes, definitely! Uppsala is a great student city! There is so much to do for students and there are students studying at Uppsala University from all over the world. So you can also meet many people from different cultures! Also, Uppsala has some great teachers and staff. Everybody speaks english really well and everything is extremely well organised and this makes everything much easier for you! All of this makes Uppsala a great choice! No preparation exchange/placement application process I started a year before the exchange with research and also with applying for an exchange. I contacted the International Office of my home university and also my studyadvisor at the University of Leiden and the University of Utrecht. For the application, I had to write a motivation letter, hand in a list of my grades and I also handed in two references of Dutch teachers of the University of Leiden. After my application for the exchange to Uppsala. Uppsala University contacted me and I had to choose the course I wanted to attend there. There were a couple of courses to choose. I choose to attend the course European Labour Law for 15 ECTS. counselling/support at home university

15 The International Office and the student advisor of the University of Utrecht helped me with my application for Uppsala and helped me planning when the exchange would fit the best in my master(s). They were a great help. I did not do any. The course I attended was 15 ECTS and was for my subject of chose for my master in Utrecht. The classes were in English and not in Swedish. My English was already good enough so I did not need to attend a English language course. Some courses in Utrecht are in English and therefore I had enough practice before I went to Sweden. The level of English at the University Uppsala was fine. I applied for the Erasmusbeurs and Curatorenfonds in order to pay for all the costs. Sweden is a very expensive country (for instead food and alcohol is very expensive). In needed the scholarships in order to pay for the exchange. Besides the scholarships, I also saved almost 3000 euro's myself. study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues) I attended one course at the Uppsala University, which was from mid January till the end of March Besides that, I also wrote a big part of my two mastertheses in Uppsala. Before I went on a exchange I collected a lot of information for my thesises. I also had some meetings with a professor of Uppsala University to talk about European Law and competition law which was very interesting. academic quality of education/placement activities The lectures were held at different buildings over the city. The books we had to buy were quite expensive, but were very good. Also the same for the compendia the University made for the course. We also made a trip to the ministery of employment in Stockholm as studytrip. This was really interesting. The University paid for our travelcosts to Stockholm. counselling/support at host institution/organisation There was not really a support from Uppsala University, but if you had any questions you could go to the international office, or teachers or even Swedish students were very helpful and really wanted to help you. I also had some meetings with a professor of Uppsala University to talk about European Law and competition law which was very interesting. transfer of credits Before I left Sweden I asked for a transcript of records which I could pick up at the student office of the law faculty. The grades in Sweden are not the same as in the Netherlands. So they have to be transferred.

16 student life welcome/orientation programme The International Committee welcomed us in the weekend of 18 th of January. At one of the nations I had to pick up my key and got information about Uppsala en the nations. They provided us with the most important information about living in Uppsala as a student. It really made me feel welcome. One of the girls of the committee was a Dutch girl, and we became very good friends there. I lived at a campus (Kantorsgatan) in Uppsala. I shared a kitchen with four other people in my corridor. There is a washing facility on the campus with about 14 washing machines and 5 dryers. I lived in a really nice room, which was recently renovated and cost about 400 euros a month. In the corridor I lived with Swedish students who were very nice. leisure/culture Sweden is famous for their fika (coffee/tea and something sweet like biscuits), which is a perfect opportunity to have a break with friends or people from your study. Also the nations are a big part of student life. What I noticed when I came to Sweden, is that the Sweeds are a bit more distanced than Dutch people. It is called the 'Scandinavion coldness', but you used to it easily though. The reason they are like this is because they respect others privacy and it is not very polite to look at other people and start talking to others. Start in time with arranging your exchange. And also ask for student discounts at the shops in Uppsala. Also, I advise you to become a member of one of the nations. Besides that, add yourself on the Facebook page of Uppsala Erasmus exchange. You can make friends or ask questions about things you want to know or want to do. When you arrive in Uppsala and you want to buy or sell things, you so like the page on Facebook called buy and sell items Uppsala. Very helpful. conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain Yes. The faculty is very nice and the courses are quite good. Also the teachers and the students are very nice. Uppsala is a studentfriendly city. Although the weather might not be really great (not really hot), but it is really a great destination. Swedens landscape is very beautifull and the city Uppsala it really great. But you should keep in mind that it is not the cheapest country. However, there are a lot of discounts specially for students. Uppsala is famous of their student nations. You need to attend a nation in order to have a social life. You study at a nation (they have libraries), you can have lunch, fika (coffee or tea with something sweet) and dinner. Also they have club nights and game nights. If you go to Uppsala for an exchange, I advice you to become a member.

17 In that way you will also make new friends. Besides the nations, you also should attend the buddy programme. It is also a very good way to meet new people and make friends. Also you should buy a bike in Uppsala. Everything is quite closeby with a bike preparation exchange/placement application process Even if you choose to go on exchange the second semester, the application process begins a year full year in advance. In my case this meant December 2012 in which going abroad still feels ages away. There are quite a few documents that have to be submitted and it takes time to draft them or get them signed so starting on time is recommended if you want to avoid stressed moments during the Christmas holiday. My choice for Uppsala was because I heard great stories about the welcoming student life and the international vibe this university town has. The fact that the offered European law courses was also an persuasive argument. counselling/support at home university All the different application requirements can be a bit complicated but every time I wasn t sure about a form or deadline I could always walk in at International Office to ask questions and get instructions. Uppsala University is well organised and the international coordinator there is also really helpful if something is unclear. As always though, it is your responsibility and nobody is going to do it for you.. I did not do any as my courses where at a comparable level as in the Netherlands. I took the course Legal English for Academic Purposes which is interesting and a nice extra contribution to your ECTS but it I cannot say it was extremely helpful for your studies abroad. The English is comprehensible and the biggest improvement in your English will come after your arrival by talking to other people. In comparison to the Netherlands Sweden is horrendously expensive. Things as public transport, restaurants, cafes and just the average costs of living are a lot higher than in Utrecht. In order to finance this trip, I had an Erasmus grant, my normal monthly student finance and an extra 100 euros per month as a public transport compensation. Since working in Uppsala for these 5 months is not really realistic if you don t speak Swedish, the rest of your have to come from your own resources. I got money from my parents and the two months before my departure I worked a lot to earn some money. study/placement abroad period

18 study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues) In Uppsala you can take courses of 15 or 30 ects. This means that you either do two 15 ects courses or one big 30 points course during your semester there. I took Economic Foundations of Private Law first and during the other half of my exchange I was enrolled in the World Trade Organisation Law course. These two courses both contained an average of two seminars a week of 2 hours, comparable with a working group session in Utrecht. There were no lectures. Exams are mostly open book and take pretty long or students are required to write papers. academic quality of education/placement activities Even though the courses are worth more ects and they are classified as master courses, the work load is highly comparable to your studies in Utrecht. counselling/support at host institution/organisation The host institution organised a welcome speech where they explained the basics of studying in Uppsala. Before my departure I already had received an from my teacher with the course information and the time and location of the first seminar. The only inconvenience was the fact that I had no account for the internet in my room which you have to obtain by going to a university in the outskirts of the city. I was luckily able to use the Wifi of my Swedish neighbour. If you are able to get these log in data in advance, I highly recommend it. transfer of credits No transfer yet student life welcome/orientation programme The first day we had to go to the welcome centre at one of the student unions in town. You can walk there from central station and your arrival you will get information and receive the keys of your room. From there I was taken to Flogsta (the student neighbourhood I lived in) with a shuttle bus. There is a buddy system which is handy and fun if you want to meet a Swedish student who shows you around. You have to sign up beforehand I you would like to participate. There is an orientation week which contains several activities at different student unions. You can choose for yourself which one you would like to attend. I lived in Flogsta which is a notorious student neighbourhood in the outskirts of Uppsala. A mix of international and Swedish students life in more than 1000 rooms. It feels like a little village full of students from all over the world. There are corridor parties and every night at 10 pm the traditional Flogsta scream (see youtube). You will get a big room with your own bathroom. The kitchen is shared with the other 11 people on your corridor. leisure/culture The student culture in Uppsala consists out of the student nations which are student unions. Almost every

19 Swede is member of one or even of multiple. Even exchange students can join them by paying a small fee. There is no hazing and there is an abundance of different unions to choose from. These nations provide a platform to have lunch with your friend or go to their pubs. Almost every day of the week one of the big nations have their party night. If you are a member of that particular nation entrance is free. These student unions are surely the axis of Uppsala student life. The darkness of the winter months is something that can really affect your mood. You should consider if this could be a problem for you. My semester felt perfect because each day the sun set was 4 minutes later and at the end of my stay in June it was only dark two hours per night. You certainly learn to appreciate the sun living there! conclusions would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? please explain Exchange in Uppsala is a wonderful experience. Maybe Sweden doesn t feel like far away but there are so many exchange kids from all over the world that you have the feeling of living in an international bubble for five months. The education and organisation of the university is perfect and the atmosphere in the city is great.