Written by Inez
20 May 2018
It has been over eight months since I arrived in Stockholm to start my Master’s Degree here. And as my Study in Sweden ambassadorships will come to an end in a few weeks, and I’ll be leaving Stockholm for a little while to go on exchange, I figured it would be nice to review the (almost) year. It is going to be a series of three posts in total. First up, the university I’m going to: Stockholm School of Economics (SSE).
The school
The main school building is located in Vasastan, right next to a park and the Stockholm City Library. It’s a beautiful building with an even more beautiful entrance. The first time I had to go inside, I wasn’t sure whether this was actually the way to go in, just because the door was that big. Once inside, you see the huge atrium in which everyone is typing away and discussing group work. There are a number of small class rooms (which aren’t that pretty), bigger ones, and the aula (which is definitely very pretty). Not to mention the library, which is something out of a Harry Potter book.
The basement floor is completely dedicated to the school’s student association: SASSE. There are tons of committee rooms, and even more importantly: a pub and a (sort of) club. Loads of events are organised here. And some unforgettable parties.
The classes
I’m currently in my first year of my MSc in International Business/ CEMS Master in International Management. The first year, all classes are mandatory and you do not get to choose your own subjects. I was completely fine with that, both because I knew the courses were carefully selected and because it kept all the people in my class together. Some courses were about culture, behaviour, and ‘soft skills’, while other courses were more quantitative. All courses involve a lot of group work. This was definitely something I needed to get used to, especially because the groups were created for you. However, having to deal with different nationalities, languages, and personalities teaches you so much about how to perform well in group situations.
As you might have seen on the Instagram stories these past weeks, I’ve been busy writing my thesis now. In this course, you write one in pairs and you get to pick your own topic. While research is not necessarily my favourite thing to do (I like everything I can apply to real life situations immediately much more..), it’s been going quite well so far. Fingers crossed we’ll be done soon!
The atmosphere
Knowing this is going to sound very cheesy, I fell in love with this school the moment I stepped foot into the building. Not only because it’s quite a beautiful building, but because the atmosphere is amazing. People are working in the different corners of the atrium, having discussions on the balcony or grabbing coffee at the counter. It makes you want to work, learn.
The last eight months have only confirmed and made this feeling stronger. This is mostly because of the people that are part of the school though, both faculty and students. Faculty really tries their best to make you learn as much as possible, literally facilitating your learning as opposed to giving you the answers. The students are fun and helpful, and have really made my time here that much better. Sure it’s competitive, because everyone wants to perform well and get high grades. However, no one will pass on the opportunity to help someone else.
While I figured I would learn a lot here at Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), my expectations have been surpassed for sure. It’s been so much fun being here and I feel quite lucky every time I walk through that door in the morning. Next up for review: Stockholm!
