Copyright

Disclaimer

Cookie Policy 🍪

Digital accessibility 

Sweden.se ↗️

Visitsweden.com ↗️

Swedenabroad.com ↗️

Join our newsletter 📧

Rome 4 March 2025

Prepare for Your Sweden Journey Livestream

Universities

Find study programmes

Higher education in Sweden

Degree programmes

How to apply

Scholarships

Fees &#038; costs

Study with a disability

Plan your studies

The Swedish Way

Permits &#038; visas

Accommodation &#038; budget

Health insurance

Learn Swedish

Day-to-day practicalities

Work &#038; internships

Moving to Sweden

All blog posts

Meet our ambassadors

Student blogs

Header Menu

Afghanistan

Åland Islands

Albania

Algeria

American Samoa

Andorra

Angola

Anguilla

Antarctica

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

Aruba

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Barbados

Belarus

Belgium

Belize

Benin

Bermuda

Bhutan

Bolivia, Plurinational State of

Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana

Bouvet Island

Brazil

British Indian Ocean Territory

Brunei Darussalam

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

Cape Verde

Cayman Islands

Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

Christmas Island

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Colombia

Comoros

Congo

Congo, the Democratic Republic of the

Cook Islands

Costa Rica

Côte d'Ivoire

Croatia

Cuba

Curaçao

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Djibouti

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Estonia

Ethiopia

European Union

Falkland Islands (Malvinas)

Faroe Islands

Fiji

Finland

France

French Guiana

French Polynesia

French Southern Territories

Gabon

Gambia

General

Georgia

Germany

Ghana

Gibraltar

Greece

Greenland

Grenada

Guadeloupe

Guam

Guatemala

Guernsey

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Haiti

Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Östgöta Nation Spex: Photo Credits, Tim and August and Spex crew, Östgöta Nation

Everyday life

Everyday life Archives - Study in Sweden

<p>Truth be told, even though I live in Sweden and am currently learning Swedish, I don’t need the language too much to get by on a daily basis so I don’t use it a lot in everyday life. (Note to self: this <em>must</em> change)</p>



<p>So, when the opportunity arose to watch a play entirely in Swedish, I was insecure but I went for it. The play was a Spex – amateur theatre that originated in Scandinavia centuries ago. They’re usually satirical musicals.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/03/IMG_2386.jpg"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/03/IMG_2386-902x676.jpg" alt="Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset" class="wp-image-3242"/></a></figure></div>



<p>The interesting part is that the audience plays a role too – it can decide whether a song should be replayed by clapping for a long time, thus not letting the actors continue. Then, the fun part is that the song being replayed cannot be the same: the lyrics stay the same but the music and the performance of the actor/actress must change.</p>



<p>A couple of my classmates and I decided to be brave enough to go and we were prepared – in case we didn’t understand the jokes, we were just going to laugh along and not draw attention to our poor Swedish language skills.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/03/IMG_2394.jpg"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/03/IMG_2394-902x1202.jpg" alt="Processed with VSCOcam with a5 preset" class="wp-image-3243"/></a></figure></div>



<p>Much to our amusement and excitement, the great pretending was largely unnecessary! We understood most of it and we had so much fun!</p>



<p>So, the Spex was about Napoleon and it was an all-women performance. I was astonished at the professionalism: the stage, costumes, the singing – everything was on a much higher level than we had expected from <em>amateur </em>theatre.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/03/IMG_2391.jpg"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/03/IMG_2391-902x676.jpg" alt="Processed with VSCOcam with hb1 preset" class="wp-image-3244"/></a></figure></div>



<p>Sorry for the iPhone photo quality, using the shutter on my DSLR would’ve been too noisy.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/03/IMG_2393.jpg"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/03/IMG_2393-902x676.jpg" alt="Processed with VSCOcam with hb1 preset" class="wp-image-3245"/></a></figure></div>

Attending a Spex - in Swedish

<p>And I am from the UK anyway, but Sweden took me back there for 10 days this summer! In this blog post I'm gonna talk about how getting active in student life - and Student Nation life more specifically because I live in Uppsala - can take you places! Both on paper, and actually out there in the world, neat huh!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="https://blogs.studyinsweden.se/2018/09/01/sweden-took-edinburgh/img_1413/" rel="attachment wp-att-23147"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2018/09/IMG_1413-1024x767.jpg" alt="Östgöta Nation Uppsala " class="wp-image-23147"/></a><figcaption>The Nation that helped it all happen, the last night of the performance in May! / Photo Credit: Emma</figcaption></figure>



<h2>Why did I go to Edinburgh?</h2>



<p>Back in the cold, dark month of January, I was elected by my nation, Östgöta Nation, to the position of Teatermästare (this translates to "Theatre Master" which, at the age of 24, is a BIG TITLE, but I will do my best). This means that for the duration of this calendar year, I am the director for the theatre productions which go on at the nation. (They also have a tradition in Swedish-language theatre called a "Spex", which is different but entirely fun and wonderful, and if you're in Lund or Uppsala definitely check them out! Incidentally, if you know Swedish or have Swedish-speaking friends, my Nation's Spex division <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/262964764335391/">have auditions now</a>! Anyway, I'm sidetracking). For the show which I put on in May, I decided to write the thing! Which was exciting and a joy. And I decided, along with my lovely cast, that we would take the show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August - the biggest theatre festival in the world! Very! Exciting! To! Us! (And I hope others too).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="https://blogs.studyinsweden.se/2018/09/01/sweden-took-edinburgh/goodthingspublicity/" rel="attachment wp-att-23141"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2018/09/GoodThingsPublicity-724x1024.png" alt="Green theatre poster " class="wp-image-23141"/></a><figcaption>Our poster in Edinburgh! / Photo Credit, Emma - Poster Credit - Emma, Sia and Greta</figcaption></figure>



<h2>How did the Nation help me/the play?</h2>



<p>From the beginning, the Nation were super supportive. After I pitched the idea to them thoroughly, said that we would call our theatre group "Östgöta Nation Teater" by means of promoting the Nation and Uppsala abroad, they kindly agreed to pay the upfront registration fees for the Festival. This was so important to us, as often this can be a falling block for many start-up companies. We were really lucky that we had the Nation behind us who believed in the work that we were doing, and were there to help promote us from the beginning. We also applied to a group called Studiefrämjandet in Uppsala (who have divisions across Sweden), for funding based on the extra-curricular activity we were investing our time in. You register a "study circle" with them and, depending on how many hours you spend on the extra-curricular activity as a group every week, they can allocate you a little bit of money. This helped with getting props for our show in Edinburgh!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="https://blogs.studyinsweden.se/2018/09/01/sweden-took-edinburgh/screen-shot-2018-04-24-at-16-22-40/" rel="attachment wp-att-23143"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-04-24-at-16.22.40-1024x679.png" alt="Three actors hugging!" class="wp-image-23143"/></a><figcaption>Me (the author, hiya) with two of my castmates in Uppsala! / Photo Credit: Sia</figcaption></figure>



<p>As the months went on (the process of Edinburgh began in around March), the Nation continued to be really generous with us not only in the initial financial backing they gave us, but also in the space in the nation. For the original play which we put on in Uppsala, we had wide access to room-rentals for rehearsals and for the performance, which we did in the beautiful Grand Hall. As part of our fundraising for other Edinburgh-related costs, we wanted to hold an Open Mic night. On my part, this was a bit last-minute organising, and the Nation were still really accommodating, and let us hold the night in their pub, Tages, with the "door" fee to come to the event being donated towards our fundraising efforts.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="https://blogs.studyinsweden.se/2018/09/01/sweden-took-edinburgh/img_6485/" rel="attachment wp-att-23148"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2018/09/IMG_6485-1024x768.jpg" alt="Arthur's Seat and cast " class="wp-image-23148"/></a><figcaption>Some of the cast in Edinburgh! / Photo Credit: Niall McDaid</figcaption></figure>



<p>The cast for the play was made up of both Swedes and internationals, and to be a part of the play it's not even required that you be a part of the Nation, which means access to this opportunity is wide-open (though, of course, being part of the Nation is favourable as after-rehearsal dinners and drinks was often a thing, and you need a Nation card to get in the pub). As a general point, getting involved in this part of Nation life has been probably the most rewarding thing I've gotten out of Uppsala. Not only did the Nation support the Edinburgh pursuit both logistically (in financial backing, ensuring we had Public Liability Insurance for Edinburgh, lots of administrative things like that), but they always promoted what we were doing, and gave me the creative freedom to put on the show that I wanted to. I had so much support from other Nation members (particular shouts outs to the Curators, Brian, Clément, Lotta, Simon, Dennis, Tim and Carin for amazing publicity/stage management/bartending) in putting this show on, as well as a fantastic, internationally diverse cast. For many of the cast, it was their first time acting, and their first time acting in English. To then be able to go on to take the play to Edinburgh and showcase what we had been doing was a dream!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="https://blogs.studyinsweden.se/2018/09/01/sweden-took-edinburgh/img_6369/" rel="attachment wp-att-23144"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2018/09/IMG_6369-1024x768.jpg" alt="A cast on-stage at Edinburgh" class="wp-image-23144"/></a><figcaption>The cast unprepared for a photo in our venue in Edinburgh!/ Photo Credit: Emma</figcaption></figure>



<h2>In Edinburgh</h2>



<p>When we were in Edinburgh itself, we went to Swedish-owned or themed venues to promote the play, and had a lot of support from them which was really touching. On the street, we flyered alongside other shows and ended up meeting other Swedes (!!) and people interested that our project was English-language but from Sweden. I think it gave us a unique selling-point too: people wondered why there was an English-language project coming out of Sweden. And that really is because the Nation have this space in their programme where they allow for the Theatre projects to be English-language - which they don't have to do! I think it's because there is such a large international population in Uppsala and Sweden more broadly, so they want to be able to accommodate to everyone.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="https://blogs.studyinsweden.se/2018/09/01/sweden-took-edinburgh/img_6147/" rel="attachment wp-att-23146"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2018/09/IMG_6147-1024x768.jpg" alt="Venue pass in Edinburgh! / Photo Credit: Emma " class="wp-image-23146"/></a><figcaption>Venue pass in Edinburgh! / Photo Credit: Emma</figcaption></figure>



<h2>Verdict</h2>



<p>All-in, it was such a wonderful experience! And if you're interested in Nation-life, it's not just positions like mine which are available. There are positions within their choirs, sports team, kitchen, bar - and if there is something you don't see represented yet, the Nations are usually very accommodating to you starting what you want to! Without the Nation, I wouldn't have been able to put my play on an international stage like Edinburgh, and learn all I did from the Festival. I think I speak on behalf of the cast when I say that the experience was extremely life-affirming and just all-round incredible - and it all started out on some cold winter evenings in our Student Nation!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="https://blogs.studyinsweden.se/2018/09/01/sweden-took-edinburgh/img_6170/" rel="attachment wp-att-23145"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2018/09/IMG_6170-819x1024.jpg" alt="Director with play promotional materials " class="wp-image-23145"/></a><figcaption>Emma with play promotional materials in Edinburgh! / Photo Credit: Emma</figcaption></figure>



<p>What are you looking forward to getting involved with at your Student Nation in Lund or Uppsala, or at your Student Union at other universities in Sweden? Comment below!</p>

Sweden took me to: Edinburgh!

<p>Swedish is an official language in Finland and a number of Finns speak it as their native language, however, I wasn’t one of them, yet I had to learn it. Finland was a part of Sweden hundreds of years ago and we still need to learn the language for at least three years, since it is considered a part of our culture.&nbsp;Before moving to Sweden I was able to read and understand Finnish-Swedish quite well. It took some weeks to get used to the accent of Swedish people, though there are regional differences and for instance people from Skåne region are more difficult to understand.</p>



<p>My university only offers Swedish courses on a basic level, so I’ve have to come up with creative ways to learn the language on my own. Here are my tips! &nbsp;Note, this works only&nbsp;if you know the basics already.</p>



<div><strong>1. Tinder</strong></div>



<div>
<p>Create a Tinder profile, but don't write there which country you come from. Start discussions with Swedes and see how long you are able to keep up with the language. They might end up&nbsp;being either impressed or confused.</p>
</div>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/10/IMG_5992.jpg"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/10/IMG_5992.jpg" alt="IMG_5992" class="wp-image-6103"/></a></figure>



<div></div>



<div>
<p><strong>2. &nbsp;Group work at school</strong></p>
<p>If you have group assignments at school, try to pair up with the Swedes and tell them that it's not necessary to take everything in English. I tried this and by the end of the course I understood a lot more Swedish than at the beginning of it.</p>
</div>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/10/sofia_sabel-students-2639.jpg"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/10/sofia_sabel-students-2639-902x601.jpg" alt="sofia_sabel-students-2639" class="wp-image-6107"/></a><figcaption>Sofia Sabel/imagebank.sweden.se.</figcaption></figure>



<div>
<p><strong>3. Gym</strong></p>
<p>If you go to gym, go to the group training classes and don't tell the instructor that you're a foreigner. So far I've been able to survive, unless someone comes to talk to me. I recommend to start with BodyPump for the beginning, since the instructions are simple and you do the exercises alone.</p>
<p></p></div>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/10/body_pump.jpg"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/10/body_pump.jpg" alt="Picture from: http://files.fitfashion.fi/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2014/11/body_pump.jpg" class="wp-image-6112"/></a><figcaption>Picture from: http://files.fitfashion.fi/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2014/11/body_pump.jpg</figcaption></figure>



<p><strong>4. Games (board games &amp; online)</strong></p>



<p>There are plenty of smartphone applications that can help you to learn Swedish, a really popular one is Duolingo. You can also try board games, for instance Trivial Pursuit in Swedish, though the questions are often related to Sweden and without extensive knowledge about Swedish politics, literature, etc. you're likely to lose, but that's the way to learn!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/10/Foto-2015.-10.-17.-오후-4-24-171.png"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/10/Foto-2015.-10.-17.-오후-4-24-171.png" alt="Foto 2015. 10. 17. 오후 4 24 17" class="wp-image-6101"/></a></figure>



<p><strong>5. Pay attention to signs</strong></p>



<p>Every time you see signs that have an English translation, read it and try to memorize.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/10/Foto-2015.-10.-31.-오전-11-55-26.jpg"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2015/10/Foto-2015.-10.-31.-오전-11-55-26-902x676.jpg" alt="Foto 2015. 10. 31. 오전 11 55 26" class="wp-image-6097"/></a></figure>



<p>I'm getting better and better with my Swedish, but speaking is still a challenge. Swedes often laugh when I speak because of my accent, though if a Swede tries to speak Finnish it makes me laugh too. Win-win, speaking different languages makes everyone happy! :)</p>

5 Ways to learn Swedish outside the classroom

<div style="width: 768px; margin: auto;">
<h3>The fasten seatbelt sign went off, I got up to hastily collected my luggage and proceed to exit the plane with a huge smile on my face, to finally take my first steps in the city that will be my new home for the next 2 years for my master studies. I was finally in Sweden, happier than a pig in mud, but it didn't take me too long to realize how unprepared I was.</h3>
<p>Let me give you some context, I'm currently studying in Malmö University in the south of Sweden, but originally I'm from Colombia and I've lived there all my life, a country that's warm and sunny all year round, there are no seasons. It's nice living there but there are many things I've missed out on, for example, I've never even seen snow, something unthinkable for some of the folks I've met here. I've had my fair share of travels, but I never had the chance to come to Europe, so Sweden is the only European country I've ever visited. Well, I had a connection in Madrid so I was counting Spain, but everyone keeps telling me that if it's a connection it doesn't count. This makes my arrival to study to Sweden even more special since this is my first encounter with the Swedish culture or any European culture whatsoever.</p>
<p>Now that you know a little more about me, you can surely imagine that I was in for a couple surprises when I arrived here. This is why I decided to make a list of the things I learned since I docked in the land of the Vikings two months ago, and I think you should know these if you're planning to come to Sweden.</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">Here are 7 essentials you should know if you're coming to Sweden:</h1>
<p style="text-align: center; border: none;">
</p><hr>
<figure><img class="aligncenter wp-image-24006 size-medium_large" src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2018/11/01-Fika-Essentials-if-you-are-coming-to-Sweden-768x432.jpg" alt="01 Fika - Essentials if you are coming to Sweden" width="768"></figure><p style="text-align: center; border: none;"></p>
<h2>1. Fika</h2>
<p>The first thing you should know if you’re coming to Sweden is about the Fika. This is something amazing in Swedish culture that will make your days more enjoyable. It’s basically a social coffee break, but they have these coffee breaks like all the time all over the day. You can have it both in the morning or in the afternoon, it’s just a nice way to decompress from studying or working while sharing a nice moment with the people you re with. Swedish culture can be a little reserved so fika is one of the best ways to get to know your classmates. Fika can come with coffee, cinnamon rolls, and other Swedish pastries, but there are no rules to what fika should be, you can mix it up with whatever you like. Enjoy your fika and take this opportunity to socialize and get to know now everyone.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<figure><img class="aligncenter wp-image-24007 size-medium_large" src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2018/11/02-Second-hand-Essentials-if-you-are-coming-to-Sweden-768x432.jpg" alt="02 Second hand - Essentials if you are coming to Sweden" width="768" height="432"></figure><p style="text-align: center; border: none;"></p>
<h2>2. Second-hand shopping</h2>
<p>In some cultures is not well seen to buy used things in a second-hand store, and let alone brag about it. In Sweden buying things in these places is pretty common and people do it all the time because you can get some really good things in great shape, sometimes it’s just new things that people buy and never use. Also, it’s a really good way to sell your things if you’re coming to sweet and make the most out of the secondhand culture.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<figure><img class="aligncenter wp-image-24008 size-medium_large" src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2018/11/03-Bicycles-Essentials-if-you-are-coming-to-Sweden-768x432.jpg" alt="03 Bicycles - Essentials if you are coming to Sweden" width="768" height="432"></figure><p style="text-align: center; border: none;"></p>
<h2>3. Bicycles</h2>
<p>Bike in Sweden are huge and for most people, it’s the preferred way to get around. But it’s not just a preference, Sweden is built for bikes. If you go out to the street you will see great bicycle lanes everywhere, stop lights for bike transit and places to park your bike everywhere you look. The infrastructure is there to make bikes the best way to go around. Additionally, they are not expensive and if you buy them from a second-hand store it’s gonna be even better. On top of that, you can rent a bike, it’s a yearly subscription and once you pay you can pick up a bike in any of the spots located all over the city.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p></p></div>



<div class="wp-block-image wp-image-24009 size-medium_large"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2018/11/04-Recycling-Essentials-if-you-are-coming-to-Sweden-768x432.jpg" alt="04 Recycling- Essentials if you are coming to Sweden" class="wp-image-24009"/><figcaption>Can with recycling graphics, Photo by Daniel</figcaption></figure></div>



<h2>4. Recycling</h2>



<p>This is important for the environment but also for your wallet because if you’re not doing it correctly you’re literally throwing your money away. This is what I learned, if you buy a beverage that comes in a plastic bottle or a can, you will see it on the back, there’s a funny little thing that tells you how much you’re being charged extra for the container. What you gotta do is take it with your bottles and cans to the grocery store and there you will see the recycling machines. These can be found everywhere in Swedish supermarkets and are pretty simple to use, you put that bottle and the cans inside and it’s going to give a receipt that’ll show you how much you’re saving in your next purchase. Hand it over to the cashier and that’s it, you will save a few extra Krona. Again if you’re not doing it correctly you’re throwing your money away, so save your bottles and cans.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone wp-image-24010 size-medium_large"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2018/11/05-Personal-Number-Essentials-if-you-are-coming-to-Sweden-768x432.jpg" alt="05 Personal Number - Essentials if you are coming to Sweden" class="wp-image-24010"/><figcaption>Source: skatteverket.se</figcaption></figure>



<h2>5. Personnummer</h2>



<p>Probably you’ve seen this on other websites, and there’s a reason why everybody talks about it, the Swedish personal number is the single most important thing in Sweden. This is your ID in the country and if you don’t have it you don’t have access to anything, ranging from bank accounts and healthcare to a simple gym subscription. Without it you can’t do much, that’s why it needs to be the first thing you get when you arrive. As soon as you get to Sweden or even Before you go to the tax agency website in there you will find the documents you need to present. Make sure to bring everything to the tax agency office to start the process as soon as possible, because it’s gonna take a while. For me, it took 4 weeks. It’s a painful procedure, but it can be much easier if you follow our advice.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone wp-image-24011 size-medium_large"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2018/11/06-Drinking-Essentials-if-you-are-coming-to-Sweden-768x432.jpg" alt="06 Drinking - Essentials if you are coming to Sweden" class="wp-image-24011"/><figcaption>Source: Wikimedia Commons</figcaption></figure>



<h2>6. Drinking on the weekends</h2>



<p>If you want to drink and Sweden you can go to the clubs or pubs but you will find the alcohol here is expensive, very expensive. Then you would think that it would be cheaper If you had a house party and drink at home, but if you go to the grocery shop you’ll find something interesting. Stores won't sell any alcoholic beverages over 3.5%, so if you want to get something stronger, what do you do? That’s where the Systembolaget comes in. This is the only place that sells real alcohol in Sweden, and if you want to go there on the weekend, you should go fast. This place closes at 3:00 pm, after that there’s no way to get alcohol in Sweden. Plan ahead if you're having a party on the weekend or be prepared to serve your guests some delightful non-alcoholic drinks.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image wp-image-24004 size-medium_large"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://cms.studyinsweden.se/app/uploads/2018/11/07-Being-Naked-Essentials-if-you-are-coming-to-Sweden-768x432.jpg" alt="07 Being Naked - Essentials if you are coming to Sweden" class="wp-image-24004"/><figcaption>Photo by: Cookie Studio. Licence: Adobe Stock</figcaption></figure></div>



<h2>7. Being Naked</h2>



<p>This was certainly new for me, the Swedes are very comfortable with their bodies, very, very comfortable. If you’re planning on going to a sauna or some regions of the beach, be prepared because if you walk there with a bathing suit it’s gonna be weird because everyone will be naked. This was a huge surprise for me but apparently is very normal to be wearing nothing but a smile in a sauna with your family, classmates, even your professors. So if you go to the sauna, beach or gym, you should expect this to happen, it’s perfectly normal and you need to get comfortable with it because that’s the culture.</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h2 class="has-text-align-left">That's it, you now know the basics for your next trip to Sweden!</h2>



<p>If you keep this in mind you will hit the ground running when you arrive. There are probably many things I will learn in the coming months, but that's part of the fun and I'll be sharing all of it with you right here in our blog.</p>



<p><strong>Do you feel ready to come to Sweden? Let me know in the comments!</strong></p>



<p>​</p>

7 Essentials If You're Coming to Sweden

A Spex is a kind of Swedish performance devised by students, for students, in such Swedish cities as Uppsala, Lund, Linköping and Göteborg. What else is particularly special about them?

What is a Spex?

What is a Spex? - Study in Sweden

https://cms.studyinsweden.se//app/uploads/2018/11/46217162_2287594394803859_467639195989442560_n.png

Home

Study in Sweden

My name is Emma and I'm from the UK 🇬🇧. I studied a Master's in Performance Studies at Stockholm University.

https://cms.studyinsweden.se//app/uploads/2019/10/DSC7370-96x96.jpg

Emma

What is a Spex?

What makes a Spex special? What about it is particularly Swedish?

How are the themes of a Spex particularly oriented towards students?

Are there many roles for international students?

Where in Sweden is this a tradition**?

When is Östgöta Nation’s Spex on?