Exchange report - incoming students
Home university: Makerere University
Study programme: Midwifery
Exchange programme: Linnaeus-Palme
Semester: Spring semester 2010/2011
Name: Fredrick Opolot
Email address: opolotbaigereza@yahoo.com

Arrival and registration

At first I was skeptical about the arrival arrangements but fortunately they went on as we had planned.

The introduction day was perfectly organised. I was welcomed warmly and treated like a king.i had not received such in a long time. I really commend the international student coordinators.

Contact with the student health center was also good. Communication was given to us on how to get there and the procedures to be done. The staff there are so professional. The results were also delivered confidentially and very soon than I had expected. 

Acommendation

I am happy to say that I was very pleased with the housing arrangements.I applied for housing through the UAC.

Jagargatan where I stayed was a very nice hostel. It is near the city and was always clean. Although to me it was a bit expensive it was worthy the amount I paid.

Leisure time and social activities

Yes, I participated in some of the social activities and I would say that they were very nice. Information about social activites was always sent to me by mail.

Yes, I made some swedish friends but it was not easy at all. The swedish people are not so social compared to other people. 

Pre-departure

I chose to go on exchange because I knew it was an opportunity for me to experince a completely different environment and most importantly to acquire knew knowledge and skills.

I did not choose KI but rather it was because of the partnership between KI and our home university. This opportunity comes once every year and students who are given this opportunity benefit immensly.

The information conveyed to me by KI and my home university was adequate.

The study abroad-information given was not detailed. The home university only pointed out that it was a great learning experience. KI tried their level best to elaborate on the study information although it was not done exhaustively. Much of the information was conveyed to us while at the institution. 

Neither was I required to be vaccinated nor bring any certificates.    

Courses during the exchange period

2EE091 : Sexual and Reproductive Health in a Global Perspective
I am very proud to have participated in this course. I would sincerely say that this course has changed my perception of sexual and reproductive health. It has also helped me to chose a path to my career. The content of this course was very relevant to the global situation. The examination format was commendable.It encouraged us to do in depth studies in search of literature relevant to our study topic. Although challenging, this taught me how to prepare a poster presentation. The teaching/ supervision was done so well. The teachers were knowledgeable and experienced in the topics that they were teaching.
2EE089 : Antenatal care including fertility control, delivery, neonatal and postnatal care, theory and clinical education
This course was very informative. The content of this course was very relevant to my degree. This course gave me the opportunity to appreciate some of the theoretical knowledge I had received at my home university as I had to integrate it in to the clinical /practical context. For example I learnt how to use cardiotocogaphy while monitoring a mother in labour. I would like to say that all my supervisors were very kind and ready at all times to teach me. It is important to say that my knowledge and skills as pertains this course will always be very good after attending this course.

Summary

My exchange period at KI was the best thing that has ever happened to my career. During this time every thing about me was well. I did not only enjoy the academics but I also went touring and exploring. May be I would suggest that a boat trip be organised specially for the exchange students next time. 

Language and Culture

Yes, I participated in the swedish language course and it was a very good and exciting experience for me since I was learning something completely knew. I would recommend this course for all exchange students. The swedish language is very interesting as well. 

Studies in general

Studying at KI provided me with the best academic atmosphere every student would need to achieve their dreams. imagine studying in a very confortable environment with peace of mind, excellence would be inevitable.

The teacher/ supervisor and student relationship is what suprised me. This closeness between the student and teacher is rare in our university.

It was very easy for me to comprehend the theory and the practical or clinical education. since sweden is a high income country most of the time i was able to integrate what was tought theoretically with what was done in the hospitals. Most of the times at home we don't get to see some procedures that we learn theoretically. This deserves appreciation. 

There is remarkable difference between my home university and KI. First of all the learning environment is so appealing and this facilitates the learning process of students. The infrastructure is worthwhile noting. I noted that there was enough room for the students at there various departments. Although I appreciated almost every thing about KI,I did not like the fact that undergraduate studies were conducted in Swedish.

I can't really document what I learnt because I will require a whole page for this. At the moment I would like to say that I am overwhelmed with the knowledge both theory and clinical that I came back with from KI.