Hello everybody and welcome to this new post. Today, I would like to share with you some tips and tricks to face the Swedish study system, which may happen to be very different from the one you are used to! Projects, presentations, laboratory work… sounds interesting? Then let’s get started and learn how to nail it.
Keep track of deadlines
I can’t stress this enough: find a way that makes it easy for you to keep track of deadlines! For example, you can use a calendar app or a paper calendar, as well as an agenda. Anything that allows you to keep an eye on the big picture is extremely valuable and should not be underestimated.
Back in my Bachelor years, I was used to only have an exam at the end of the course and maybe some minor presentations here and there, and I wasn’t used to having as many deadlines as I have now at KTH. I think that keeping track of them not only allows you to actually deliver in time (certainly not a bad thing, if you ask me), but also to organise your days and study periods more easily!
Schedule the week, not the single day
One thing I found very beneficial is to organise my study over the week, and not over the single day. This allows me to be much less stressed and to have more room for setbacks or unexpected commitments, without screwing my study programme up!
Try to set yourself a list of goals of the week, and then organise your week around that. I usually try to organise study/assignment time around the lecture hours, and then try to squeeze in my personal commitments (like going to the gym). I find this method to be beneficial as you don’t stress too much to organise the schedule of every single day and, at the same time, you never lose sight of the big picture. Again, a calendar app might help!
Don’t skip lectures
Study rhythms in Sweden can be quite high. One big advantage is that, since you only take a couple of course simultaneously, if you go to lectures and you do your assignments you will already be quite ready to take the final exam! Sure, you will still have to study, but I don’t think you’d be in great difficulty if you follow lectures regularly.
Remember that you usually have one or two weeks without lectures before the exam, in which you may also have to deliver some projects or give presentations. Therefore, being efficient with your study is critical!
That is all for today, As always, thank you for reading! Also, have you already started looking for accommodation in Stockholm? If so, don’t forget to read our blog post on how to find accommodation in Stockholm and some tips and tricks. Finally, why not check out Raygo’s last post on Spring time in Stockholm?
Thank you again, and have a great weekend!
// Lorenzo