Remo Hohler

Interview with Remo Hohler

Field of study: MSc Chemistry
Stay abroad: Double Degree
Host institution: Linköping University
Semester: Fall 2021

What made you decide, what motivated you to go abroad?
There were two major reasons why I decided to go abroad for one semester and attend the “Double Degree” program at the University of Linköping in Sweden. Firstly, the “Double Degree” in general is a great program to get a second Master’s degree from a university which can be important for further career steps, for example to do a PhD or go into education. The second reason was the experience itself. Living in a different country where you don’t know anyone in the beginning is really exciting and during your stay abroad you will meet so many new friends which you will have contact a long time afterwards. Additionally, it is a great opportunity to improve your English language skills since the majority of the Swedes speak English excellently. I have never doubted my decision to go to Linköping and would do it again anytime!

Why did you choose your host institution/country?
The decision for Linköping University was easy for me. The north has always appealed to me, and the chemistry modules were more interesting and closer to my field of study than at the university in Prague.

What is your everyday life like? What does a typical day at the host institution look like?
Compared to the FHNW, you have fewer lectures in the classroom during the week. Instead, you have to work more independently on assignments and prepare for practice sessions, which is quite time-consuming. So a normal day started with a lecture, since I had most of them in the morning. During the lunch break, I usually met up with other international students at the "Studenthuset" to have lunch and work on my assignments a bit in the library in the afternoon. Depending on how much we had to do for the university, we made small trips to nearby lakes or just to the city center of Linköping or Norrköping in the afternoon. In the evenings, we usually cooked together and spent a relaxing evening in the student dorms or went to a bar in the city center.

What surprised you the most about your stay abroad?
The Swedes are quite introverted and it takes a while to break the ice. However, my experience has been that you are most likely to connect with other international students because they are in the same situation as you and are open to making new friends. Also, during the welcome period, the International Student Association (ISA) and the European Student Network (ESN) organize daily activities where you only meet other international students. A second surprise was the number of bikes in the city! Everyone is on a bike and Linköping has bike lanes throughout the city. So get a bike (second-hand) in the first few days after your arrival and you will be faster than using public transportation. However, all new students are looking for bikes in the first few weeks, so don't wait too long to get one.

What tips would you give to future exchange students?
Get a bike as soon as possible. You can find a decent bike for 80-100 CHF and sell it back at the end of your stay.
Sign up on student housing websites as soon as you think about going to Linköping. Swedish students sign up years in advance, and you get one queue point for each day. The more queue points you have, the more likely you are to find housing a few weeks before you leave for Sweden. Some websites for student housing are "Studentbostäder" or "Heimstaden". There is also the possibility to get accommodation through the university, but the number of rooms is limited and the date you submit your application will determine your place in the queue.

Other special experiences you would like to share.
Sweden is a beautiful country with so much to discover. Very close to Linköping there are beautiful lakes and nature reserves. I would also recommend taking a few city trips on the weekends, for example to Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, etc. One trip I would recommend is to go to Stockholm on a Friday and take the ferry to Helsinki on Friday night. Helsinki is different than the Swedish cities because of the Russian influence and worth a visit.
Also, the two student associations for international students plan group trips to different destinations during the semester, so follow them on Facebook and Instagram to get the information you need!

Ab ins Ausland?

Unsere Studierenden profitieren von der internationalen Vernetzung der Hochschule für Life Sciences. Ein Auslandsaufenthalt bei unseren Partnerschulen ist bei Bachelor- wie auch Master-Studierenden sehr begehrt. Nicht nur, um den persönlichen Horizont zu erweitern, sondern auch, um neue soziale und kulturelle Kompetenzen zu erwerben.

Im Rahmen unseres Masterprogramms können ausgewählte Studierende durch ein zusätzliches Semester an einer unserer Partnerschulen, zwei Diplome erhalten. Das Double-Degree Programm ist besonders attraktiv für Masterstudierende, die anschliessend eine Promotion anstreben. Weitere Details zum Double-Degree-Programm finden Sie im hier.