ORU International Student Blog
Welcome to Örebro University's international student blog! Throughout the 2025/26 academic year, you can follow the everyday adventures of our four student ambassadors - and get a glimpse of the student life here in Sweden!
- Kyra Laan from the Netherlands
Master's Programme in Sports Physiology and Medicine - Henrique Paulino Da Silva from Brazil
Master's Programme in Musicology - Music and Human Beings - Lukas Dekker from the Netherlands
Master's Programme in Sports Physiology and Medicine - Sheikh Mahmud Alve from Bangladesh
Master's Programme in Information Systems - Information Security Management
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Henrique: Boardgames, Potlucks or Movie session - all the excuses you need to meet your new friends
It may be lonely to be by yourself stuck in your little academic world, so let's make something about it!
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Alve: What Makes Studying in Sweden Different? An International Student’s Experience
The Swedish education system is often recognised for its focus on independent learning, trust, and balance. Rather than placing constant pressure on students, it encourages critical thinking, responsibility, and personal growth. This approach creates an...
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Kyra: Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Master’s in Sweden
I am from the Netherlands, so I thought, how different could it really be? Finding an apartment was relatively easy, I took a Swedish course before moving, so what could go wrong? Well, nothing went wrong but there were definitely some challenges I was...
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Lukas: Nature spots around Örebro
Around the world, Sweden is known for many things: IKEA, Spotify, Avicii, Pippi Longstocking, and of course… nature! Örebro is not the largest city in Sweden, but this does come with the benefit of having easy access to a lot of this nature around the...
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Alve: The Unseen Side of Studying Abroad — and How We Learn to Cope
Mental health can be a significant aspect of the international student experience, particularly for those who travel thousands of kilometres from their home countries to pursue higher education. Studying abroad involves more than adapting to a new...
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Henrique: Winter in Sweden - there is no bad weather
The autumn and winter here in Sweden have mostly two moods: “Oh no, it is raining” and “Oh no, my bicycle lock is frozen”. 🌧️❄️
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Kyra: Weekend Escapes and Travels from Örebro
Studying abroad gives you the perfect opportunity to explore not only the city you are studying in, but also the rest of the country.
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Lukas: The Northern Lights
It’s 10.30 PM and you get a notification on your phone: “If the sky is clear, there is a chance of seeing the aurora in your area”. You’re skeptical and were about to go to bed, but decide to go outside and have a look anyway. You walk to a nearby little...
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Henrique: Learning Swedish. Hallå!
How is it to learn such a different language? Is it the same as learning English? How to say “sju”?! Please help me with this one...
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Alve: A Country Away, But Not Alone - The Friends I Never Knew I Needed
After finally settling into my new home, the next challenge was finding my place among new people — the ones I could someday call friends, because human beings are social creatures, and we cannot live without each other.
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Kyra: Light during darker days - Santa Lucia
On the 13th of December Lucia is celebrated in Sweden. It is an old Christian holiday commemorating the martyr Lucia who symbolises light and hope during the darkest time of the year.
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Lukas: Buying your first bike in Örebro
Örebro is a city with great bike infrastructure, and cycling can be both a cost and time friendly mode of transport. But you may be unsure where the best place is to look for a bike, and what to pay attention to when getting one. Lucky for you (sadly for...
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Alve: Finding Home Away from Home
Moving to Sweden to start my studies at Örebro University has been one of the biggest adventures of my life. Everything felt new — the people, the culture, even the weather.
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Kyra: Örebro in Four Seasons
Whether you are in Örebro for only 6 months, a year, or 2, you will encounter different seasons. Different seasons mean different activities and holidays. In this post I will tell you all about what to do in Örebro during the four seasons.
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Lukas: Ice skating in Örebro (with the help of Fritidsbanken)
All students need a break from studying every now and then. Especially during the Swedish winter months, when sunlight is scarce and the days are spent mostly inside, it’s important to incorporate some leisurely play into your life. One possibility of...
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Henrique: Is Sweden that different?
I think many consider swedes (and other scandinavian countries) colder due to their famous personal distance and the non-greeting of people in the streets. After a year living in Örebro (Sweden), I realized that this concept is related to a culture that...
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