Friday, December 15, 2006

Must know if you want to study Sweden

Before i came to Sweden , I knew little about the educational system and standards. The only thing i knew about education in Sweden was that it was free for all immigrant students. That really boasted my willingness to further my studies in Sweden .I started asking myself who pays for our education? The answer was simple and it is the tax payers money. Sweden has one of the highest income tax in the world and that is why you as a foreign student can study in Sweden and only buy your books and pay you student association fee.

It is very interesting to see that in many universities in Sweden the programs are professionally oriented and on graduation you know where and what kind of job to look for.
I am saying this because i do not see why one should study a subject like history, geography, literature etc. in a university. Back in my country the single subject programs a very many in the universities and students graduate and cannot answer a simple question of what is your profession?

I am very impressed with the Swedish program anyway that is why they are amongst the top in the world when it comes to literacy and quality of life. I think students from developing countries who do not have the means to study in USA or England should apply to Sweden universities. If you have read this article and you are interested to study in Sweden ,you should consider the following things:-
  • The truth is, it is free but it is not really cheap to live in Sweden.
  • You have to really prepare yourself financially and do not think you can get a job to support your studies. That is far-fetch in Sweden as a foreign student. You can be lucky to get some shit job that the swedes do not want to do.
  • You have the right to work in Sweden when you are a student. If your stay is more than one year you will can get a social security number at the tax office (Skatteverket). Otherwise you will get a temporal number you can use to apply for jobs.
  • Scholarships are far fetched for immigrant students and if you are studying for a doctorate program you can get financial aid for your research if you apply
  • Student loans and allowance are only for Swedish students and immigrants that have a permanent resident permit in Sweden you fall in this category then, you can have the right to about 7000 to 8000 Swedish kronor a month.
  • You will always get a place to stay if you got money . Try to contact somebody from your home country or friend who lives in that town you are to go to.
  • The University authorities will always help you and you have to ask the right questions to get the right help.
  • Take advantage of open days in the university or company presentation days and make some good contacts and learn more.
  • Take the beginners Swedish language course. It is going to be helpful for you.

Here is a follow up of this post on the .Oppptunities after studying in Sweden