Why to go abroad when studying abroad already
It takes a certain adventurism to move to Stockholm from abroad in order to study at Karolinska Institutet. Like many of my classmates, I had always been fond of travelling, and moving away from Germany before I came here. However, in my two years here in Sweden, I had become quite comfortable with my life in Stockholm. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, it felt like everyone learned to appreciate their cozy, familiar apartments more then usual. When applications for an exchange semester started opening up, I was suddenly really unsure whether I should apply or rather stay in my comfort zone including my boyfriend, friends, and the student union Medicinska Föreningen.
The Decision to go to Denmark
My final decision to apply for an exchanged was not based on the countries of choice. I decided to apply for an exchange, because I knew that this would enable me to write my bachelor's thesis at a research unit which I had been following for quite some time. For me, the research that my prospective supervisor at the University of Southern Denmark was doing convinced me to study abroad. Next to that, Denmark, a neighbouring country both to Sweden and my home country Germany seemed like it would both be a bit familiar but would also introduce me to new foods, habits, and a second nordic language. My university of choice was a bit surprising for most of my classmates. At Karolinska Institutet, most people were reporting about exchanges to Copenhagen, and I never met anyone who studied in Odense, the city which I was about to move to. However, information on Erasmus+ and all required steps was very detailed and helpful.
One problem that arose before the exchange was that my supervisor was working for the Faculty of Health Science, but Karolinska Institutet only had an active exchange agreement with the Faculty of Science. After a bit of a scare, the international coordinators and I were able to work out that I could do the exchange as a Erasmus+ traineeship there instead, and everything was prepared for my departure. Since Denmark is so similar to Sweden, I was not required to get any special vaccinations. However, I had to take a quick COVID-19 test before entering the country.