The Best Semester of My Life

Uppsala:
The student life at Uppsala University is the best in the world. The Nation System, organized around thirteen student nations that correspond to the traditional Swedish regions offers a fantastic combination of extra curricular activities such as cultural events and sports teams, as well as a plethora of special events. These events include pub crawls, nightly clubs, and traditional formal dinners. In addition to the student nations, there are also many professional and social organizations that are associated with different areas of study. Best among these is Uppbalaekonomerna, the economics and business students' association, which organizes an amazing seven week introduction program
The town itself is picturesque and extremely conducive to a comfortable student life. It is easy to bike everywhere and there are many old landmarks and a beautiful river that runs through the city center.

The University:
Uppsala University is an excellent university, with outstanding researchers in many fields. Classes for exchange students can be varied in difficulty, but in my experience the work load is not intense as compared with top american universities, while the majority of the classes are highly interesting.

The Program:
CIEE Uppsala provides an excellent balance of support and freedom. For students who wish to take advantage of it, the engaged program staff provide thorough and comprehensive support. On the other hand the program also allows students who wish to be more independent and embedded in Swedish student life the freedom to do so.

Things To Know:
To get the most out of the program a willingness to engage with local students and student organizations is a must. Uppsala is hands down the the best program for anyone who is interested in Swedish or Sweden. I have studied at universities in three countries and I would say that Uppsala offers such an amazing experience that extensive travel outside of Sweden is a waste of time. This is a program for those who want to get to know Sweden or truly engross themselves in a fantastic and unique university's student life. That said, travel from Uppsala is easy as Arlanda airport, Sweden's largest, is only 20-30 minutes away. Finally, some knowledge of Swedish or at least a thorough willingness to learn is a completely unnecessary but very beneficial plus.