Let’s talk about Corona! I’m sure that’s what everyone is wondering about, considering Sweden's Corona-strategy which contrasted that of most of the world’s country.
Sweden during Corona looked very different than New England. There were indeed fewer Corona restrictions (just which limited the size of indoor gatherings) and recommendations (such as shopping alone or wearing masks on public transport during rush hour). Most people didn’t wear masks and there were still many student parties. During the winter, some businesses started to limit how many guests they had inside, and most museums and theatres were closed. To get a COVID test would be quite difficult if you don’t have a personalnummer (government ID number), and I have heard several stories of exchange students who had potentially been exposed to an infected individual but could not be tested since they didn’t have symptoms. In terms of vaccinations, Skåne is planning to give every 18+ individual who wants it the first dose by August but has a very high percentage of vaccinated at-risk individuals.
I find that this approach fits very well into Swedish culture and lifestyle. Swedes are generally respectful and levelheaded. They naturally (not only during a pandemic) leave space between themselves and strangers, keep extra distance from those who are wearing masks, and limit interactions with strangers. I spend most of my time in Lund around Swedes, and I can say that they are significantly more COVID-conscious than many of the Erasmus students, many of which had COVID during February or March. None of my Swedish friends or I had COVID (so far that we know) during the past 6 months.
Studying in Sweden during the pandemic had many benefits (such as allowing me to get closer to Swedish culture), but there were also challenges attributed with limiting how many people I was able to meet. In particular, the winter was quite tough, as I came to Sweden during the darkest and coldest part of the year knowing no one and with limited ability to meet people. As I was living with Swedes who visited their families often, we would avoid parties with exchange students who were eager to meet new people, and the few hours of light each day and cold temperatures made hanging outside challenging. Nevertheless, the first few months gave me the ability to get closer to my roommates and other Swedes as well as several exchange students, primarily from Germany and France. Overall, I will say that the most unfortunate occurrence of my stay in Skåne is that the semester ended now that COVID cases are at their lowest and the days are almost always light, the weather is lagom-warm, and the parks, beaches, and all greenspaces are filled with happy people. I will be leaving Sweden in two weeks, but I look forward to living in this beautiful country sometime in the future!
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