Sweden, where being queer is just. so. damn. normal. Before I came to study in Sweden, I had heard it was the world’s Gay mecca, and yes, that’s gay with a capital G. The place where the queers can come as they are and do as they please. I fantasized that Sweden paved its roads with rainbows and that everyday would feel like a Pride parade. However, now having lived and loved for a year as a queer woman in Sweden, in my experience, I have learned that Sweden is in fact the queer utopia I heard about, but not in all the ways I dreamed or imagined. The magic did not come from the overt, flamboya ..read more

I have been living in Sweden for more than a year. That is why I think it is time to do an analysis of my experience in a country so different from mine. Every change in life brings challenges and one of the biggest was overcoming some fears I had about Sweden. In this blog I will try to describe the fears I had and how I currently feel about them. Missing Family One of the biggest fears I had before moving to Sweden was missing my family. I am from Bolivia and a flight from Sweden to Bolivia is very expensive (1200 euros in cheap times). Also the trip with all the connections is really tiring ..read more

It’s no surprise that holiday time this year is different than usual. There are no Christmas markets, the sun hasn’t shown itself in Sweden in over a month, and the usual holiday cheer seems to be less. With border closures, increasing COVID cases, and expensive air travel, chances are that you are not going home to celebrate with family as usual. Even if you might be alone for the holidays you can still make this time memorable and fun. Here are some creative ways to have a memorable corona holiday Credits: Tina Stafrén/imagebank.sweden.se Treat yourself to a nice meal One fond memory I hav ..read more

Writing a motivation letter can be stressful and scary at times. How are you supposed to present yourself and your motivations in one letter and actually convince your reader that you are the right candidate? I remember being in your shoes one year ago and wishing to stumble upon the tips I’ll be sharing with you today. I hope this will be helpful and help you get into your dream program! Here are my five tips for writing a successful motivation letter: 1. Your letter has to be personal You are writing a letter about yourself, therefore it has to be unique and tell YOUR story. Wherever you are ..read more

When you think of Swedish cities, the usual suspects might come to mind like Stockholm, Malmö, Gothenburg or Lund. If you haven’t followed my posts so far, when I mention Borås, you might think “what” or “where”? Well Borås is the city where I’m currently studying! Borås is well known for a rich textile history, housing the Swedish School of Textiles and the river Viskan which was central to Sweden’s textile’s trade. Are you curious about why the University of Borås might be your ideal study destination? Read Angelina’s blog here!  Textiles and fashion aside, there’s another eye catching ..read more

I can’t really imagine anything more festive than my kitchen smelling like Christmas cookies. The mixture of nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom in the air click something in my brain, and I feel the urge to decorate every corner of the house. I hum the cheesiest holiday melodies, and I dance like the sugarplum fairies from the Nutcracker (Now rather please imagine a piglet in a tutu!).  I have to admit I am not really a sweet tooth person, however, any version of gingerbread and ” Christmas- flavored” cookies are exceptions! That is why I brought you not only one BUT 3 versions of the ..read more

Decorating your place is very important, especially if you will be spending a lot of time indoors. After thorough research on Scandinavian home decors, I found that they all have one thing in common: PLANTS. Think about it! There is nothing more lively and beautiful than having a piece of nature in your house. Not only do they add a touch of color to your space but they improve the air quality and humidity. I decided to try it in my own student room. Today I have 6 plants that are my best friends (not in a sad way). Without any further ado, here are 5 beautiful indoor plants that are low maint ..read more

Gearing up to move abroad, it was difficult to find resources in English on how to access mental health services in Sweden.  I even asked friends and acquaintances who lived in Sweden and didn’t know either. This was important for me to know as accessing mental health resources have been a huge part of my life. I had been seeing a psychologist and psychiatrist regularly for the past 7 years. Because I could not find this information easily in English, I thought I would talk about it here!. Mental health is incredibly important and is just as valuable as physical health. While everybodys e ..read more

Ah, Black Friday. The umpteenth “biggest sales event of the year” with super attractive discounts for a tight student budget. For real though? Black Friday can promote really unsustainable production and consumption. So if you’re a sustainability geek, read on to learn how to flip the script on the “Buy! Buy! Buy!” system. Sweden loves Sustainability You might be interested in Studying in Sweden because you care about sustainability. Maybe you’ve heard about the impressive range of sustainable and ethical initiatives in Sweden. I literally chose my masters program in Fashion Marketing and Mana ..read more

Studying for your English exam can be stressful, especially if your score is an admission requirement. BUT, with some determination and the right tools in hand, you are likely to succeed and get your desired score. Here is my self-study guide and the tools that I used to get to my target score. Before we start, it is important to understand that each and every one of us is at a different linguistic level. The first thing you should do is to take a practice test to assess your level. I personally needed two months for studying and succeeded the first time I took the exam. However, some of my fr ..read more