Alve: What Makes Studying in Sweden Different? An International Student’s Experience

By the way, hi — I’m Alve. I spent almost 16 years studying in the same education system in Bangladesh: ten years of school, two years of college, and four years completing my bachelor’s degree at university. After being part of one system for so long, I never imagined that the education system in another country could feel so different. I also never realised that a well-designed education structure could actually reduce pressure on students’ minds.

During my bachelor’s degree in Bangladesh, we usually studied four courses at the same time in one semester. Each course had its own assignments, classes, and exams running in parallel. While this system teaches discipline, it also adds significant mental pressure. You are constantly thinking about multiple subjects at once, which can be stressful.

Now, as a master’s student in Information Security Management in Sweden, I also study four courses per semester. So what’s the difference? The biggest difference is how the courses are scheduled, especially here at Örebro University.

Instead of taking all four courses at the same time, we study one course at a time. In a five-month semester, we complete four courses sequentially. This allows students to fully focus on one subject without worrying about deadlines or exams from other courses. Personally, this approach has helped me reduce stress and focus better on learning.

This structure also gives students time for other important parts of life, such as part-time jobs, social activities, and personal development — without feeling constantly overwhelmed.

Another aspect I truly appreciate is how approachable and supportive the teachers are. They never make students feel unwelcome, and feedback is always given in a constructive and encouraging way — even when performance is not perfect.

What stands out most is how failure is treated. If you fail an exam or receive a revision on an assignment, it is not seen as a personal failure. Instead, it is treated as part of the learning process. Teachers often share stories from their own student lives to remind us that mistakes are normal and necessary for growth.

One moment that really inspired me was a conversation with my course manager, Marcus Gerdin, when I received a small revision on an assignment. He said something that stayed with me: “We learn from our mistake & we make it work the next time, and then we forget we ever made that mistake.”