Vivien Hollenstein

Vivien took the opportunity to do a double degree in Sweden and spent an extra semester at Linköping University.

Field of study: MSc in Life Sciences, specialisation Analytical Chemistry
Stay abroad: Double Degree
Host institution: Linköping University
Semester: Autumn 2024

What made you decide, what motivated you to go abroad?
As soon as I heard of the opportunity of a semester abroad, I was interested. I liked the thought of getting to know another country and their culture, as well as getting to speak more English and practice it daily. Added to this, the opportunity to meet new people from all over the world and broaden my horizon and study chemistry at a different university was all the motivation I needed to register for the program. The added master’s degree from a university was a bonus.

Why did you choose your host institution/country?
I was interested in the double degree opportunity for Chemistry, which is only available in Linköping, Sweden. Therefore, I didn’t really have a choice of country, but I was very happy with Sweden, as I love nature and their more relaxed way of life.

What does a typical day at the host institution look like?
I rode my bike to university every morning and usually had lectures mainly in the morning. For lunch, I met friends at the Studenthuset (a university building with places to eat, study, and the library). In the afternoon, if I had no lectures, I either stayed in the library with friends to study together, went for a walk in the beautiful nature, cycled to a nearby lake to swim and enjoy the sun when it was still warm, or simply went for coffee and delicious kanelbullar (cinnamon rolls). In the evenings, I sometimes cooked with friends, went to the sauna, or attended one of the many weekly events.

What surprised you the most about your stay abroad?
I was surprised that the studies involved much more group work and presentations compared to what I was used to. I felt that overall, the environment was more relaxed – whereas here in Switzerland it often seems more stressful and nobody has time. Swedes love their FIKA (coffee/tea breaks with sweets) and take them multiple times a day, which also adds to the less stressed atmosphere. I was also surprised that no matter the weather, people would always spend time outdoors on weekends – going for walks, picnics, or simply enjoying nature.

What tip would you like to give to future exchange students.
There is a trip organized by an international student group to Lapland, which is truly amazing. However, if you plan to participate, it’s important to pack warm clothes, gloves, good shoes, and everything else you might need for snow and temperatures below -10°C. What also really helped me was following ESN, ISA, and other student groups on social media, so I could already get some important information before arriving.

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 hier.