The courses I took were amazing. They were interesting topics and my professors were awesome! I took one course through the anthropology department called "culture in armed conflicts" that ended up being one of my favorite classes I've ever taken. I ended up liking that professor so much that I took a class from him during my second semester as well! Uppsala itself is a pretty sweet place. There's a lot to do there. There's plenty of hiking and camping spots nearby, and if that's not your thing the nations have club nights most days of the week. Originally when I first arrived to Uppsala the people I mainly hung out with were locals. Both the locals and the international students were super friendly to me! It was hard to go out at night without meeting at least a few new people. As an international student it can be hard to meet someone that is from the area because there are so many international students, but I was part of the buddy program and my buddy was from Stockholm, so she introduced me to a lot of other people from the area.

Sweden was the perfect break, at the perfect time. I'm not sure if it was because I was an international student, or if the Swedish education system tends to be less stressful than the U.S's, but the academics were much easier than here in Boulder. Speaking with some students (especially bio students), this wasn't always the case, but it was nevertheless a nice change of pace to be taking block classes that (for me) had nice breaks between them. Although I worked less for classes, I still learned a lot and enjoyed each of them. With more freedom in my schedule, I had more time to explore Uppsala, Sweden, and Europe. After visiting several big cities, I realized Uppsala was the perfect fit for me. With the student nations, there's always something going on, but it isn't overwhelming like in larger cities, and with the forests and open spaces nearby, Uppsala was beautiful and it was easy to connect with nature. I did a fair amount of hiking, walking, running, backpacking, camping, and bonfire-ing with local Swedes and other international students. Overall I got to know fewer Swedes than I expected, and it was largely a cultural difference (Scandinavian culture tends to be more reserved around strangers). Nevertheless, Swedes were always friendly and polite, and without fair, spoke with a mastery of English. There were a few cultural norms I had to pick up the first few weeks when interacting with Swedes (you don't say "hi" to strangers), but there weren't any stress-inducing differences. Instead of spending most of my time with Swedes, I met and interacted a lot more with other international students, primarily from the US and Europe. With several groups of friends, I managed to visit northern Sweden (the Laplands), the Czech Republic, and Italy. With potential gaps between block classes (and not having class everyday), it was easier to explore and travel, either regionally or internationally. To make a little money for traveling and to meet new people, I volunteered extensively at the student nations. The pay isn't stellar, but it's a great way to have fun and meet new Swedes and internationals. To me, I "volunteered" at the nations, never "worked." I'm so happy to have studied in Sweden in the spring rather than the fall. In spring, it may start off colder and darker, but then you gain the heat and the sun instead of losing it in the fall. November, I'm told, is the most depressing month, since you lose the most amount of sun that month and it's wet and dreary.

Uppsala is an awesome student town that is really safe. It has a lot of charm and is really beautiful especially when spring comes. It is quite different from central Europe and has it's own unique Scandinavian feel to it. The only down side in my opinion was that outside of the student nations, life is really expensive in Uppsala. So, it was hard to experience non-student life, for example a restaurant or a club because it was just too pricey for most of us students. You typically will have Swedes living in your corridor which was a great way to meet locals and you may have some in your classes depending on which you take.

Take swedish history while you are there if possible, get rackarsbergatan if possible, Swede's are wonderful so get to know them!!, try to say yes to everything travel wise with new people and friends

I loved my CEMUS classes! Having the opportunity to create, manage, and implement our projects (both in Project Management and Sustainable Design) was a great way to get hands-on experience and really help me to find out where my interests are. CEMUS also offered a lot of mentors to help me throughout my projects as well as in developing my career path. I wholeheartedly recommend Uppsala University to all Environmental Studies students interested in sustainable development. The hardest thing for me during the semester was making friends. I've always been slow to make friends, and I didn't really feel settled into Uppsala and part of a community until the last few weeks of the semester; of course then it was time to leave. Sweden was also much more expensive than I expected when I was planning my budget.

Courses in Uppsala were very different from at CU. Classes are usually longer, but much easier. The course work is minimal, rarely more than an end of course exam or paper. Uppsala is a fun, great city and close to Stockholm, which is convenient. Swedes are very reserved and shy, so meeting them can sometimes be difficult. But, once you do, they open up and are friendly and fun!

This program was an ideal study abroad program. It was organized well and Uppsala University is a great university to be associated with. My courses challenged me as well as allowed me to make a wonderful network of colleagues in my field. The location is fantastic because it is easily accessible to Stockholm and the airport. Also, Uppsala has a wild and unique student life. The locals are all very friendly people that for the most part speak English like a native! I would recommend this program to someone that wants to travel abroad but not be taken out of their comfort zone too much. You can find pretty much everything you want that would also be in Boulder. (except for easily accessible mountains)

The courses within this program was great! It was a different atmosphere to be in and it was nice to learn in a different environment. The courses weren't difficult at all and they're all taught in English. Uppsala University has different campuses throughout the city but if you have a bike, it'll be fairly easy to get around. Uppsala is fairly similar to Boulder but it's much greener! The area is very beautiful, especially during spring/ summer season. During the winter, it does get pretty cold and is fairly dark but you'll get used to it. There are a lot of forest areas which you can take a hike through or just go on a walk. The Swedes are very nice and helpful, however they're a little shy at first. As an exchange student, you're surrounded by mostly other exchange students which is nice because they come from all over the world! Through Uppsala University, there are student nations which I highly recommend that you join! They're a great way to be a part of the Swedish culture and to make friends!

I lived in Flogsta, which is similar to a dorm but you have a bedroom and bathroom to yourself which is nice. It was a good fit because that is where most of the students and international students lived so it was really convenient for making new friends. Local transportation is very reliable and easy to use however it is a little expensive. Even though Flogsta is farther from campus than other student housing I thought the walk to the city/campus was still doable and I walked a lot during the warmer months.

Uppsala is an awesome study abroad experience in every regard. It is a student town/city, and offers a great location to explore Sweden and Europe outside of that. I took Swedish Culture as well as Cryptology (a degree course not explicitly offered by CU). I was able to finish my core A&S degree requirements while learning about Swedish history, literature, etc. I found this super interesting while living there! The Crypto course was for my specific major, so I was able to take a major course as well, which kept me moving nicely towards my degree. It also is a unique class that most CU Comp Sci students will never have taken, so I feel like the scope of my degree has now expanded. I lived in Flogsta, the standard student apartments of Uppsala. It originally was not my first choice of places to live but I ended up being so glad I was put there. It is a hub of students from all over the world, including a ton of Swedish students. This was by far the biggest help when branching out and meeting new people. The student nations in Uppsala are also an incredible way to socialize and get involved. I was able to take a bunch of short trips across Europe and Scandinavia when my class schedule allowed (and it usually did allow for nice weekend trips to be easily planned, as well as the occasional longer one). In addition, I worked at a few of the student nations, not for pay, but for free food and a cool experience. I highly recommend taking advantage of that opportunity, scheduling travel, and being adventurous. You are bound to meet people who have your same interests and will help you make adventures out of anything!

Mentioned briefly above, but yes the welcome week (especially the Biology Orientation) were great chances to meet people and ask questions about setting up WiFi and where to buy a bike, etc. Also, the Buddy Program was a great help at the start. The "buddy" I was assigned to sent a super helpful email before we arrived that was a great "inside view," as well as meeting for dinner at a nation once where he answered lots of questions, and then we were able to ask questions after that that he was fantastic at answering.