The first few weeks in Sweden have been more than I could have asked for. Everything turned out to be better than I expected, except for the weather of course. That turned out to be a little colder than I thought.
Travel
Traveling to Sweden took me three days all together. It shouldn't have; but it seemed like Murphy's Law was in effect and everything that could go wrong, did. My first flight was delayed seven hours due to weather conditions. This delay caused me to miss my connecting flight to Germany, then the flight to Sweden, then the two trains in Sweden, and so since I was not on the train, I I was not at the station when the university came to pick me up. It was pretty much the worst domino effect one could experience while traveling. Anyway, after three days of traveling I finally made it to Jönköping, Sweden....in the middle of a storm. The storm consisted snow, freezing rain, and almost no sunlight for a week. I had the worst travel experience, and the worst timing, but after making it through the bad weather, I absolutely love it here.
Kick off and the Life of a Zero
My first week in Sweden was spent trying to keep up with all of the activities the university planned for us during Kick Off. Kick Off is a week of school orientation and social activities that actually turns out to be the most exhausting seven days of your life. We spent our mornings signing up for classes and listening to presentations from the career center and various student associations. Then, our evenings were filled with activities with our kick off group. When new students arrive they are deemed a Zero and are put in a group with other students and Swedish fadders or "fathers." (I assume we are called zeros because we have attended the university for zero years...but I never figured this out.)
I was put into the group called the 90's and I couldn't have formed a better group of people if I tried. Our group was one of those rare instances where everyone got along and everyone liked each other. We had students from America, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Thailand. I learned some Australian slang words that I'm not sure I will ever be able to work into a casual conversation, but it was a valuable experience nonetheless.
Throughout the week we toured the city and the university. We also had some team building exercises like games and a night mission to get to know each other. How can you refuse to be friends with someone after running all over the city looking for marshmallows and a 7 Eleven napkin needed to complete your night mission?
The people in these pictures definitely made my first week in Sweden one of the best experiences I have ever had.
Travel
Traveling to Sweden took me three days all together. It shouldn't have; but it seemed like Murphy's Law was in effect and everything that could go wrong, did. My first flight was delayed seven hours due to weather conditions. This delay caused me to miss my connecting flight to Germany, then the flight to Sweden, then the two trains in Sweden, and so since I was not on the train, I I was not at the station when the university came to pick me up. It was pretty much the worst domino effect one could experience while traveling. Anyway, after three days of traveling I finally made it to Jönköping, Sweden....in the middle of a storm. The storm consisted snow, freezing rain, and almost no sunlight for a week. I had the worst travel experience, and the worst timing, but after making it through the bad weather, I absolutely love it here.
Kick off and the Life of a Zero
My first week in Sweden was spent trying to keep up with all of the activities the university planned for us during Kick Off. Kick Off is a week of school orientation and social activities that actually turns out to be the most exhausting seven days of your life. We spent our mornings signing up for classes and listening to presentations from the career center and various student associations. Then, our evenings were filled with activities with our kick off group. When new students arrive they are deemed a Zero and are put in a group with other students and Swedish fadders or "fathers." (I assume we are called zeros because we have attended the university for zero years...but I never figured this out.)
I was put into the group called the 90's and I couldn't have formed a better group of people if I tried. Our group was one of those rare instances where everyone got along and everyone liked each other. We had students from America, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Thailand. I learned some Australian slang words that I'm not sure I will ever be able to work into a casual conversation, but it was a valuable experience nonetheless.
Throughout the week we toured the city and the university. We also had some team building exercises like games and a night mission to get to know each other. How can you refuse to be friends with someone after running all over the city looking for marshmallows and a 7 Eleven napkin needed to complete your night mission?
The people in these pictures definitely made my first week in Sweden one of the best experiences I have ever had.
University
So the real reason I'm here is to study. I'll be studying at the Jönköping International Business School, or JIBS. The university really is as international as they claim. It's one of the most diverse universities in Sweden and attracts students from all over the globe. Around 1/3 of the students and faculty have an international background. Classes are taught in English which makes it different from most Swedish universities. It was started in 1994 so it's relatively young. However, the university's young age provides an advantage. The classes are taught with the most innovative ways of thinking and the entrepreneurial focus of the school is something every business major can appreciate.
So the real reason I'm here is to study. I'll be studying at the Jönköping International Business School, or JIBS. The university really is as international as they claim. It's one of the most diverse universities in Sweden and attracts students from all over the globe. Around 1/3 of the students and faculty have an international background. Classes are taught in English which makes it different from most Swedish universities. It was started in 1994 so it's relatively young. However, the university's young age provides an advantage. The classes are taught with the most innovative ways of thinking and the entrepreneurial focus of the school is something every business major can appreciate.