Mälardalen University, 2010-2011

• When did you start the preparations? I only started preparing about 3-4 months in advance. Above all, a language course is recommended; mine lasted 11 weeks and was run by the language centre at the UAS.
• Does the host university require a language test? No.
• Do I have to pay fees at the host university? No.
• Did you receive a scholarship to finance your stay abroad? No.
• How do you recommend travelling to the host university? What are the approximate travelling costs? Train, car or flying. Travelling by land has the advantage that you can take more luggage with you. However, a flight is often cheaper and, above all, faster.
  Västerås is located approx. 1400 km north-north-east of Aachen. The fifth largest city in Sweden with a population of 100,000 has its own airport and railway station. Stockholm Västerås Airport serves the routes (Ryanair) London, Barcelona, Alicante and Malaga. Other airports are Stockholm Skavsta and Stockholm Arlanda.
  Arlanda can be reached by direct bus from Västerås in just over an hour and costs around SEK 140 (Swedish kronor). The connection to Skavsta is a little more difficult, the easiest way is to take the bus offered by Ryanair to the centre of Stockholm and from there the train directly to Västerås (bus approx. 10€, train approx. 120 SEK). I also chose this route. I flew from Düsseldorf Weeze to Stockholm Skavsta (Ryanair incl. 15kg luggage around €50). Then, as described, I travelled by bus to Stockholm and from there by train to Västerås. I sent approx. 30 kg of luggage to the International Department (ID, responsible for the exchange) beforehand, they are happy to keep the first packages and hand them over on the first day.
  For the first night you should either have a few hotel addresses ready (in case the journey doesn't go smoothly and you arrive too late) or talk to the ID beforehand, they will be happy to help and can also hand over keys after business hours if necessary.
• Did you have to take out additional health insurance? Yes. If you are abroad for more than 47 days at a time, additional insurance is generally recommended. After this period, normal travel insurance no longer applies. However, there is rudimentary insurance cover via the statutory health insurance funds.

• What formalities have to be completed after arrival? Make a student ID card and register with the local authorities. The university provides both forms and assistance here.
• Accommodation and living: Bostad Västerås AB is responsible for student accommodation in Västerås. You can apply for a flat online and find all the information you need on their website.
  I lived in the "Junior" student residence, which is directly opposite the university and only a five-minute walk from the city centre. There are 57 rooms for rent on five floors. There are rooms with private bathrooms and rooms with shared bathrooms. The kitchens are shared per corridor. A room is between 15 and 22 m² in size. The kitchens are therefore shared with around 11 people. My room was on the second corridor (the largest corridor). Our kitchen was shared with 15 or more people. Sometimes more people lived there due to visits from friends.
  There are free washing and drying machines in the basement. There is also a bicycle storage room and a balcony, which is ideal for socialising in the summer. However, there is no common lounge, the corridors offer enough space but are only suitable to a limited extent.
  Junior is purely an exchange student residence, so contact with fellow Swedish students takes place at the university.
• How high are the average accommodation costs? Generally speaking, you could say that Sweden is about 10% more expensive than Germany.
• What are the shopping facilities like? Good, you can get everything you need.
• When you arrive during your first week, you will receive a warm welcome from the International Committee (IC) at the university. Here you can collect your keys, sign tenancy agreements and get all the information you need. What's particularly good is that you are personally taken to your accommodation. Before the semester starts, there is an Introduction Week, which you should definitely take part in. For city tours and pub crawls, you are divided into groups, so-called "Fadder" groups. The fadders are the contact persons for the group at all times, even after the introduction week. Many of the events are very good for making new contacts. There is a trip to IKEA if there is anything missing in the flat, as well as welcome parties where you can meet lots of students. Every month there is a theme party where a country is presented, with traditional music and traditional food.
  The university also provides you with a tutor. Basically, all professors and staff are always approachable and easy to reach. The atmosphere is very informal, as everyone and everything is on first-name terms in Sweden (except for the royal family).

• Does the host university require a language test? No.
• Language(s) of instruction? Swedish, English
• Is there a special preparatory language course before the start of the regular courses? Yes (Swedish).
• Course content, dates, costs, enrolment Necessary, participation recommended? There is a basic Swedish course which starts 2.5 weeks before the start of the semester. The course is highly recommended, the teacher is competent, funny and motivating. The course is worth 7.5 credits. I received an information email from the host university. Unfortunately, the cabins at the campsite are not yet available at this time, but there is the option of staying in a hostel for around 200 euros for a fortnight (room for two). As the Swedes have a very high level of English and most of the courses are in English, you don't have to take part in the course. However, I think it is very important from a cultural point of view to learn the language a little.
• Are there language courses for visiting students during the lecture period, at the university or outside? In addition to the 2.5-week Swedish crash course, there are also Swedish courses during the semester. These are usually very full.

The cost of living is relatively high in Sweden. Meat and alcohol in particular (which can only be bought in state-run shops ("System Bloaget") are almost twice as expensive. Admission to pubs is always free, but most clubs charge around SEK 100.

It is best to bring your own food to the university and heat it up in one of the many microwaves available. Otherwise, there are a total of four restaurants and cafés at the university. None of them have a dining hall (Mensa) character like in Germany. They are nicely furnished and expensive (a normal meal costs around SEK 70). The Kåren (student pub) is also open during the day and offers sandwiches for SEK 20. The cheapest way to buy food is at Lidl or in large shops a little further out. The shops in the city centre only have a limited range and are generally a little more expensive.

Local transport in the city centre is relatively expensive at around SEK 20 (no matter where you want to go), as you can also reach everything in 20 minutes by bike, the bus is often slower. Long-distance transport, on the other hand, is cheap for students and young people compared to Germany. The cheapest option is almost always the bus, which also runs throughout the country. However, if you book your ticket early, the train can sometimes be booked at half price.

From November to February, there are special offers for students on www.sj.se (SEK 150 throughout Sweden). You need a "code word", which is announced on posters and in adverts at the university. Almost everything is paid for by credit card, including chewing gum. Anyone travelling to Sweden should therefore have a good and free credit card. You can get one free of charge at www.dkb.de.

Compared to Germany, you will spend relatively little time at university. A lot of emphasis is placed on group work and homework. You usually have to write a report every week. However, many courses are without a final exam and only assess these reports. The lecturers are often not at the same didactic level as in Germany, so you tend to follow the topics and read everything yourself. Also be careful with the written examinations or "home exams" - often the material taught in class is not nearly enough to pass them! It is therefore absolutely necessary to bring good basic knowledge with you or to familiarise yourself better with the topics with the help of many books. The library is very spacious and has many workstations, but there are only three or four copies of most books available, so you often have to wait.

1. Course attended: Solar Cells and Solar Collectors (wer036)
   Course duration & scope, teaching format: 40 LECTURE HOURS
   Course description keywords: The course will give basic knowledge in construction and operation of different solar cell- and solar collector systems and also the current situation and level of development for these. Topics covered are:
   - Heat transfer such as conduction, convection and radiation.
   - Fluid mechanics including incompressible flow, the continuity equation and Bernoulli's equation with the loss term.
   - Pump systems and pump characteristics.
   - Radiation physics.
   - Different types of solar collectors and accumulators.
   - Theory about the working principle of solar cells.
   - Different semiconductor materials with advantages and disadvantages.
   - Solar cell- and solar collector systems.
   Form of assessment: Project works, Written and/or oral examination
2. Course attended: Windpower and Hydropower (wer034)
   Course duration & scope, teaching format: 40 LECTURE HOURS
   Keywords for course description: The course will give deeper knowledge about design of wind power stations and hydro power stations, including economics and environmental issues. Topics covered are:
   - Design and construction of wind power plant.
   - Aerodynamics around the wind turbine.
   - Statistical analysis of wind data.
   - Different steps in a wind power plant project including economics, legislation and environmental impacts.
   - Design and construction of hydro power plants, conditions for expansions and the environmental consequences.
   Form of assessment: Project works, Written and/or oral examination
3. Course attended: Sustainable Energy Systems (wer003)
   Course duration & scope, teaching format: 40 LECTURE HOURS
   Keywords for the course description: The main purpose of the course is to give the participants a comprehensive view of how sustainable energy systems can be used together. The course illustrates how these affect the whole energy system in Sweden and worldwide, concerning both power- and energy consumption. Studies are performed on the resources that are available in Sweden and worldwide, and how the energy consumption pattern looks like for individuals and for the societies.
   Form of assessment: Project, Examination
4. Course attended: Project in intelligent embedded systems (dva409)
   Course duration & scope, teaching format: 20 LECTURE HOURS
   Keywords for course description: The students will work with industrially based projects in groups of 4-6. Students will be able to work practically with skills obtained from their theoretical education and the projects will cover hardware construction as well as software construction and implementation of the both in embedded systems. Groups will be created where students with different skills are grouped to suit the selected project.
   Form of assessment: Oral and/or written examinations

As the study system is divided into four periods per year, you should find enough time to go on excursions in Sweden. Stockholm is only about an hour away and is worth a visit at any time, whether for shopping, culture, museums or concerts. However, the trains back to Västerås don't run that long and hostels are quite expensive. However, this is not usually a problem, as all pubs and clubs in Sweden close at two o'clock in the morning, with the exception of some student towns.
Lake Mälardalen offers good opportunities for canoeing and cycling tours. If you come by car, you can visit many small castles and old mines in the neighbourhood. You should definitely hike across the lake in winter. It is accessible from January to March. You should also not miss the chance to drive across the Arctic Circle and possibly see the Northern Lights. A sled dog race could round off the whole experience. Very popular are the "Student Cruises" where ferries travel from Stockholm to Helsinki, Riga or Tallinn. There are lots of students from all over Sweden on board. The boats also offer other good opportunities for travelling around the Baltic region at low cost.
Västerås Airport can be reached by bike and you shouldn't miss out on a trip to London, as there are often flights for less than €10. Neighbouring Norway can be reached by car in a good 5 hours or by bus in 7. There are many fjords to see besides Oslo. The university's hiking club can help you plan trips.

If you fancy a long, cold (-25°C) and dark winter, Sweden is the right place for you. ERASMUS is a great way to get to know other cultures and people while continuing your studies.

Although you won't learn super English, you will understand pretty much every English accent after a year, as with around 200 exchange students, many different nations are represented in Västerås. A hall of residence like Junior will give you an insight into different cultures and life in Sweden will change your perspective.

No matter how the semester abroad turns out, it will definitely be a special and unique experience for everyone!