Exchange report - incoming students
Home university: Griffith University
Study programme: Public Health Sciences (Master's)
Exchange programme: INK
Semester: Autumn and spring semester 2013/2014
Name: Ella Horton
Email address: ella.horton@hotmail.com

Arrival and registration

I arrived in November, as I completed my exchange semester during the summer semester in Australia. I was therefore unable to make use of the arrival arrangements and introduction day organised by KI.
Välkommen till Dunedin

Acommendation

I was unable to secure student housing in time for my arrival, and had to contact friends in order to find private accommodation. While this was very central and of a high quality, the cost was far more than I had budgeted for. As I had no other option, I had to take the private apartment and felt quite financially restricted as a result. I also felt quite isolated from the other students, as I was living in my own private residence. I imagine it would have helped me get to know my fellow students if I had been living in student accommodation, and I really do regret the fact that I was unable to find any. Overall, I am glad that I found somewhere to stay, as I am aware of the ever-increasing accommodation shortage in Stockholm. 
The Catlins (se fritid och sociala aktiviteter)

Leisure time and social activities

I made good friends with students in my class, however did not have the opportunity to meet other exchange students due to the time of my arrival. I did not feel that there was a great deal of social activities available, however the fact that I arrive right before Christmas may explain this. I would have liked to have met more local students, but due to the short length of my exchange (3 months) and that fact that I was living in private accommodation made it quite challenging. 
Sandfly Bay, populär strand i Otago Peninsula

Pre-departure

I had wanted to go on exchange for a long time, but never quite got everything in order until my Masters degree. I am so glad I waited, as my studies at KI have been such an incredible learning experience. I chose KI because of its wonderful reputation as a progressive and forward-thinking institution, and also because of my desire to live in Sweden. I had lived in a small town on the west coast of Sweden when I was 18, and absolutely fell in love with the people, culture, environment and way of life. I also learnt to speak Swedish, and an exchange semester at KI provided me with the most wonderful opportunity to practice!

The exchange information provided to me by KI before departure was very thorough, and I felt completely at ease with the entire process. I received documentation well before I was due to leave Australia, and was able to print them out just in case I needed to confirm anything when going through immigration on my journey over. 

I was not required to receive any vaccinations, and due to the reciprocal healthcare agreement between Australia and Sweden I was also not required to arrange any health insurance. 
"Sjukhuskläder och en fot på en persisk matta"

Courses during the exchange period

4FH042 : EP-Epidemiological methods for studying derminants of health
I enjoyed this course, as I felt everything that was taught was practical and highly relevant to contemporary public health. The group was very welcoming and the assessment and course requirements were communicated very clearly. The lectures were highly informative and the assessment methods encouraged critical thinking and inquiry. I feel that I have developed a very high level of understanding of the subject, although the readings were focused on European research.
4FH051 : HEPM-Health systems and policy
This course was really fantastic. I was welcomed warmly into the group and made to feel at home from the very first lesson. The teaching quality was very high, as we were not simply delivered lectures, but were engaged in interactive learning exercises. The variety of instructors and lecturers was also great, as we heard from people with different passions, and areas of expertise. This really made it a pleasure to attend class each day, and made me excited about the subject. The course content was very relevant to my degree, and I really appreciated the global context of the course (as opposed to being limited to a European perspective).
"okej, hur styr man den här..." (notera finbyxorna, det var ju trots allt mottagningsdag!)

Summary

Overall, I had an absolute blast on exchange. While I would have liked more opportunities to meet more students and staff at KI, I was very satisfied with the standard of education. I have learnt a great deal about public health, and have enriched my Masters degree so very much!
"I must go over to New Zeeland some day!" - Stewart Islander

Language and Culture

No, I did not participate in any language courses. 
Wanaka (se fritid och sociala aktiviteter)

Studies in general

The courses I took at KI were wonderful! I thoroughly enjoyed the style of delivery, which was highly interactive and focused on the learning experience. I also thought that the assessment methods were of a high standard, as they encouraged deep engagement with the content and really enriched my overall learning experience. In Australia, courses are delivered concurrently and class sizes are very large. This was very different to what I experienced at KI, as I studied each course on its own and was in a fairly small class. I felt that this enabled me to focus my energy and attention on just one area, which in turn allowed me to study the subject in more depth. The small class size was also great, as I got to know my fellow class members and interact with them during class.  
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