Sweden

Uppsala universitet, Uppsala

Uppsala University was founded in 1477, making it the oldest university still in existence in Scandinavia. The university is one of the largest in Scandinavia and regularly occupies top positions in rankings. Globally, the university has consistently ranked among the top 100 universities for years.

The university experienced considerable growth when Sweden became a great power at the end of the 16th century. This was followed by a period of prosperity in the 17th century under King Gustav Adolph.

The Faculty of Law is the oldest in Northern Europe and already existed before the university was founded.

Student life in Uppsala mostly takes place in the Nations. The Nations are a kind of student fraternity. However, they are non-denominational and non-political. Until June 2010, every student had to be a member of a nation. All kinds of activities in the Nations, from parties to sports to choirs, are organized by the members. The nations are located in very old city mansions, similar to German fraternities, and are a kind of "embassy" of the individual areas in Sweden.

Uppsala is a large city and the fourth largest city in the country in terms of population after Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.

Uppsala is one of Sweden's main tourist magnets. Located around 70 km north of Stockholm, Uppsala has been the ecclesiastical center of Sweden since 1164. Uppsala is both the seat of the archbishop and the location of the largest cathedral in Scandinavia, Uppsala Cathedral.

Thanks to its central location, Uppsala is an ideal starting point for trips to other parts of Sweden. The two major cities of Stockholm and Gothenburg in particular are ideal for a trip. But Sweden's nature is also worth a trip, both the far north with the untouched Lapland at the northern tip and the south of Sweden, which is particularly well-known from Astrid Lindgren's children's books.

"The six months I spent in Sweden were the most exciting and lively of my life. I would choose Uppsala again at any time: It's just a cute little student city and especially the Nations make Uppsala something unique in the world! So, Uppsala is highly recommended! Don't be put off by fears, such as that it might be difficult to study in English or that you might not meet enough nice people. After two weeks at the latest, it will be perfectly normal to speak only English. Both the small talk and the interactive courses at the university have greatly improved my confidence in speaking. You also meet friends for life from all over the world. There is definitely no shortage of nice people, nobody is lonely here! It may be true that you have to familiarize yourself with the German legal system again when you return. But at the same time, I now have a completely new perspective on our legal system and have also learned a lot about myself. Apart from that, Erasmus is a unique opportunity to escape the daily grind and do something completely different for six months. So let's go!"

Lilian D.

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