Yeung Hoi Ching
Year 2 Student
BA (Hons) Linguistics and Translation

In the previous semester, I have been to the Linköping University in Sweden for my exchange program and studied under the Art and Science Faculty. Linköping is a southern region in Sweden, 3 hours bus away from Stockholm. Although it is not a big city like Stockholm, Linköping is surrounded by nature such as forests, canals and mountain.

Studying as an exchange student in Sweden was a wonderful experience. The student accommodation in Sweden was very spacious, even sharing the kitchen with other 7 people, it never felt crowded. This was my first time living in a dormitory, and it was a great opportunity for me to meet people around the world. I am the only Hong Konger in my dorm, which I found really nice. My roommates came from different countries including India, Canada, Sweden, Singapore, Mainland China, Portugal and America. I could totally immerse myself in diverse cultures, we cooked dinner and shared a lot about our own cultures. Moreover, I still remember when I first arrived, I was not confident with speaking in English. But after communicating with different people in English every day, I think I am not afraid of making mistakes anymore. English proficiency is high among the Swedish population, through engaging with the community, communicating with people in English and immersing myself in an English-speaking environment, I think my English speaking improved significantly.

Furthermore, the Sweden education system is totally different from Hong Kong, I experienced a different mode of learning compared to Hong Kong. Although lectures are not compulsory at the host university, people are willing to go to classes and they love to raise questions about the topics. I could feel their enthusiasm to learning. The Swedish education system advocates experimental learning, always providing opportunities for student to engage hands-on. Nordic culture and Outdoor Education are two courses which impressed me most during my study at the Linköping University. During these classes, we had cooking labs, live-in seminars and sometimes we even met outdoor instead of in a classroom. These types of courses allowed me to experience being a real “Swede”. As in the living -in seminar, we were living in a cabin with no bathroom and no running water, and we had to cook in the forest just like how the Swedes love to do during their holidays. These are the things that I have never tried in Hong Kong before. Sweden is a country obsessed with outdoor activities. In the lessons, I had many “first times”, such as cross-country skiing, canoeing, and kayaking. I felt like I had definitely stepped out of my comfort zone compared to my life in Hong Kong. I kept falling down and getting up, tried my best to master the skills. Swedish professors are very friendly, they always showed encouragement to me but did not help me directly since they believe students should grow from failure.

Apart from study, I also travelled to various countries, the scenery I saw was astonishing, beyond words. When I travelled to Iceland, there were different geographic landscapes such as glaciers, ice caves and waterfalls with double rainbows. Besides, I also visited Italy and Vatican, immersing myself in their artistic and historical heritage by exploring museums, churches and galleries. Apart from Italy, Vatican and Iceland, I also travelled to Croatia. In Croatia, I joined a boat tour. During the tour, I have learned the importance of ocean conservation and the correlation between ocean and the economy of the country through the visit of several islands and snorkeling in the sea.

Apart from gaining academic and cultural insights, I also achieved personal growth during my exchange journey. I became more independent as I was not living with my family, I could only rely on myself. Cooking is a skill that I mastered during this period since eating at restaurants was expensive. Living alone has also enhanced my self-management, problem-solving and adaptability skills.

Living in a Scandinavian country for a semester placed a great financial burden on me and my family, especially when we learnt taht some of the courses’ compulsory seminars required additional fees. Due to the high quality of living, expenses were quite high. I am very honored to be one of the recipients of the Sin Wai Kin Chinese Humanities Exchange Scholarship 2023/24, which covered a part of my expenses. The scholarship empowered me to explore the culture of other countries with less burden. My parents didn’t earn much, but they always did their best to support my dreams and aspirations. Therefore, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the donor of the Sin Wai Kin Chinese Humanities Exchange Scholarship for their generosity in supporting part of my exchange program expenses.