Lukas: Looking back on two years in Örebro

Seasons

I remember first arriving in Örebro in late August with perfect weather. The sun was shining, I could walk around in shorts, and my very first impression of Sweden matched the idyllic version I became acquainted with as a child watching Pippi Longstocking: colored wooden houses, green nature, blue lakes, and peace and quiet. But there exists more than just one Sweden. A few months later, when winter had arrived, I got to experience Sweden #2, the one full of darkness and freezing temperatures. Despite its harshness, though, winter season isn’t that bad at all. There is snow, winter activities (ice skating, cross-country skiing), festivities (e.g. Santa Lucia), seasonal food (pastries, julbord), and with some luck the northern lights. So, in the end I have learned to appreciate Sweden’s dichotomous nature.

Everyday life

As tempting as it may be to only write about special experiences, everyday life consists mostly of mundane things, which therefore deserve a little section of their own in my opinion. Grocery shopping, for example, has been a lifechanging experience. Well not actually, but I found it interesting that the average supermarket here has very royal opening hours, and honestly a wide variety of items. Especially “godis” (candy), they love that stuff here. Some intel I gathered after two years: check out Ali Baba for specific Middle Eastern groceries and New China Trading for Asian ones.

Living, like actual living in an apartment, has luckily been pretty nice in Örebro. The city currently does not face the student housing problem that bigger cities like Stockholm do, and finding housing has not been difficult, even without a personal number. Rent is also quite affordable. I still live at the place I initially moved into, and I haven’t felt the need to move this entire period.

The way in which I spend my leisure time has overall not changed all that much compared to back home: there are plenty of places to go out and the city is loaded with different sports clubs. A (very welcome) change in my life after moving here, though, has been the drastic increase in access to nature. There are forests and nature reserves all throughout and around Örebro, and exploring them has truly been addicting.

Moving around the city has also been a pretty smooth experience. Before buying a bicycle I was dependent on walking or taking a bus to go around, and both of these options work just fine as the bus connections are good and the city is small enough to go by foot if you’re not in a rush. But in my opinion, biking is the best option as there are dedicated cycling paths everywhere in Örebro. Alternatively, you can rent an escooter, like a true Swede.

Talking about Swedes… Swedes make up the largest part of the population in Sweden, and I promise that you will definitely encounter them too in everyday life. My first impression of Swedes was arguably their friendliness. They are quite willing to help you out when you can’t figure something out, and the fact that they all speak English (even though they often humbly deny this) makes the entire process even easier. On the flipside, Swedes are also as reserved as they are friendly, and most internationals experience an almost visible barrier between the Swedes and themselves. Learning Swedish helps to find common ground, but I suspect that another secret ingredient is required to really dissolve the barrier. Alternatively, you can keep your eyes peeled for internationally oriented natives, which has lead to me becoming the proud owner of a real Swedish friend!

Working

To cut to the chase right away: finding a job in Örebro is not easy. It’s not just internationals who struggle with it, the job market is not easy for the Swedes themselves either. Moreover, Swedish students can usually receive study finance from the government, so most of them don’t really need a job to support themselves, which in turn has led to there not being a student job culture in Örebro like there typically is in other student cities in Europe. For me personally, I eventually did manage to find a job as a personal trainer at a gym. Later I also became a student ambassador, and by accident I became an amanuensis (employed student) at a research group at ORU. Still, despite my three jobs, I rely largely on my savings from the few years of working back home before coming here. Therefore, I’d say it’s best to not try to wing it financially, and to make sure to have a solid plan before coming to study here.

Friendships

As I mentioned before, my stock of Swedish friends is limited, but internationals are plenty. The introduction program helped a lot in meeting fellow international students, and on top of that I became good friends with my classmates. Eventually I also met a friend in SFI (Swedish language course), and in this way my social circle has slowly expanded throughout my two years here. Overall, I’m happy to say that it hasn’t been difficult to make friends in Örebro.

Studying

And as a student, how could I possibly finish this two-year recap without talking about studying. The program itself has been interesting, including different topics related to sports physiology and scientific research. The thesis forms 45 ECTS, allowing you to do a proper scientific research project. What has stood out to me was the informality of education. There is little formality at Dutch universities, but here it felt even more pronounced. As students we were also quite free to explore, use, and test the equipment in our lab facilities, which helped with learning things. I did have some difficulties with the fact that from January onwards it felt like there was no extended break as there is no dedicated holiday period for students, and at the end of the academic year I was really in need for a break. Luckily, the semester ends at the beginning of June, so summer holidays last almost three months.

What's next

Now that I’ve been time-warped into the end of my studies, it’s time to think about the next step. My goal with the master’s was to go and do a PhD after, and I’m currently trying to find one. I will probably stay in Örebro for the time being, and with the summer coming up it’ll be a good opportunity to experience the idyllic Pippi Longstocking Sweden again as I did during my first days here.