Written by Raghuraman
27 Mar 2015
Sweden is probably one of the best countries in the world. My friend recently congratulated a teacher saying that he should be proud of this well functioning society. I, like most of my friends, am grateful to be able to study here. But the nitpicking critic that I am, I do see some flaws. These are just my personal opinions and experiences.
Teachers are TOO nice: What I noticed in my class is that most teachers never say the golden words ‘you are wrong’ in class. AT ALL. NEVER. even if I say something absolutely ridiculous, completely wrong that makes no sense whatsoever. Okay exaggerating a lil bit here, but the general idea is this: Creativity is valued and nurtured, which also means ideas are never shot down.
So my teachers will generally indulge a discussion. Most teachers are very good at taking a ‘wrong’ answer molding it into the path of the lecture and making something sensible out of it. But I feel the real world is harsher. There are people who will shoot you down (you will probably call her or him boss). I like being told I am wrong, sometimes. And having some ‘strict’ teachers in school may actually be helpful with dealing with realities.
Dark Winters : The cold was absolutely not a problem. I really enjoyed the cold, it made me feel fresh every time I walked outside. The temperatures never went below -10 C in Stockholm. New York and Canada are way colder! But, I like I have written before, the darkness got to me. Coming from the Indian Subcontinent, I am used to the sun. The hot, humid summers, that’s where I’ve grown up. November had 2 hours of sun, but that wasn’t a problem for me. November and December cruised by. January was hard, February was better. March has been great so far. But yes, this darkness will take some time getting used to.
To be honest, both these problems are not ‘real’ problems. Problems of someone who is privileged, whose basic needs are well met. It is more of nitpicking, as sign of abundance and indulgence. As someone who hasn’t always had opportunities such as this to study in an international university, I can already see how valuable this experience has been. Maybe I am just missing things from home now 😉
