Voitkun Mariuš (EF): KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

KTH is one of Europe‘s top technical universities, offering high-quality education. The learning environment is friendly and inclusive, and professors are approachable. Courses often include group projects that are focused on solving real-world, practical problems. The university is very international – there are students from all over the world (not only exchange students). Master‘s-level courses are probably all taught in English. Stockholm is also very English-friendly – almost everyone speaks English, so it's easy to communicate without knowing Swedish. The student union (THS) organized a lot of events and activities throughout the semester, and there were also many special welcome events and activities for new exchange students during the first few weeks.

I really enjoyed my “Erasmus+” journey! At KTH, I studied alongside students from all over the world – the environment was very international. The courses were interesting, and most of them included group projects focused on solving real-world problems. For example, in the “Urban Development and City Planning” course, we had to design a new district next to Stockholm, centred around a metro station that is currently under construction. The projects were sometimes challenging, but working in a group made them much easier to manage. The teachers were also supportive and ready to help when needed. During the first weeks of the exchange, the student union organized many events specifically for new exchange students. These activities helped us get used to the new environment and were a great opportunity to meet other students and make new friends. I adapted quickly, thanks to this welcoming atmosphere. Throughout the semester, there were also many other events and activities organized either by the student union or by ESN Stockholm. My favourite ones were the hikes near Stockholm and board game nights. ESN Stockholm also organized several trips – I joined the one to Gotland. Many students went on a trip to Lapland in February or March, where they could enjoy the northern lights, dog-sledding, and other winter activities. They described the experience as truly amazing and very special. Unfortunately, I didn’t go with them during the winter season. Instead, I visited Lapland on my own in June after the semester ended, and that was also a wonderful experience, especially because I got to enjoy the midnight sun. As for the city itself, I liked it a lot. Stockholm is one of the most sustainable capital cities in the world, spread across 14 islands. 

The surrounding nature is beautiful, and there are lots of islands between the city and the Baltic Sea. I liked travelling between them by ferries – some of which are included in Stockholm’s public transport system. I also really liked Stockholm’s unique metro stations, often called “the world’s longest art gallery.” The city is very English-friendly – almost everyone speaks English. Although I took a Swedish course at the university, I rarely needed to use the language outside the classroom, as it was easy to communicate in English almost everywhere. However, I have to admit that the city is quite expensive.