Written by Annamaria
16 Mar 2025
Are you a Finnish student thinking about studying in Sweden but feeling unsure about the challenges? I interviewed my friend Viivi, who spent three years in Sweden pursuing her bachelor’s degree in biomedicine, to share her experience and advice for others considering this opportunity. Viivi sheds light on how easy it was for her to adapt to Swedish life, despite a few surprises along the way. Viivi’s story might just be the push you need to take the leap! 😊
Was it hard to adapt to life in Sweden?
In general, Sweden is very similar to Finland, which is why I did not experience any major culture shock when I moved to Sweden. The way of life in the two countries is very similar, so I adapted well and quickly to living in Sweden. I come from a Finnish-speaking area, so the biggest difference for me was seeing and hearing Swedish everywhere (and with a different dialect than in Finland).
What were the biggest differences you noticed?
It was surprising to me how most students in Sweden bring their lunch to university since in Finland, that’s not common. I was also not familiar with the housing queuing system before moving to Sweden.
Then, there were some small differences in day-to-day life that I had to figure out in the beginning. For example, even though the grocery stores and their selection are very similar to the Finnish ones, there are some differences in the products. Thus, I did have to “learn” how to do my shopping with lactose intolerance.
How has studying in Sweden impacted your personal or academic growth?
My personal growth
Not to be too dramatic, but I would say that deciding to move abroad for my bachelor’s shaped me into the person I am today. I became way more outgoing and open during my time spent abroad and have a wider worldview now. I learned a lot about our neighbouring country, which was before studying in Sweden only familiar to me from short cruises to Stockholm (not Finlandskryssning like to Swedes but instead Sverigeskryssning).
My Swedish and English language skills also improved to a completely different level from what they were before. Earlier, I had only studied the mandatory level of Swedish in Finland and felt like I didn’t actually know the language well in practice. Now, after having lived in Sweden, I feel confident in my skills.
Academic growth
While studying biomedicine in Skövde, my academic life became very international, and I did all my studies in English. This is something I personally really liked and would say I built a good foundation for my academics in Sweden. Even though I have now moved back to Finland for my master’s in Turku, I could definitely see myself living in Sweden again in the future and do see the country as full of opportunities.
Are there any student events that you attended?
Especially in the beginning of my studies, I attended many student events. I was going to many ‘sittnings’, which I found a good way to get connected to Swedish student life. I also attended one student event in Linköping which was our yearly meet-up for biomedical students from across the country, Biobollen. Otherwise, I went to our Kårhuset quite regularly with my friends.
Did you get to meet some Finnish students in Sweden?
I did get to meet other Finnish students in Sweden! In my class, there was another student from Finland and I also met some other students at our university who were from Finland.
What advice would you give to Finnish students who want to study in Sweden?
In case you are Finnish-speaking, learn and try to practise your Swedish (and try to be brave with it and not too humble about your skills!). Learn more about easy ways to practice Swedish outside of class.
In general, don’t be afraid of going to Sweden for your studies! The country is similar to Finland which makes it easy to integrate into the Swedish society and university culture. Embrace the differences you notice in the countries and be open to experiencing new things! From my experience, after having lived in Sweden for 3 years, I needed some time to get used to some things in Finland again since I had gotten so used to Sweden. So, even if some things in Sweden feel strange at first, who knows, maybe in a couple of years, the Finnish way of doing these things will feel strange instead. 😄
