New Update and Information about Sweden

Hey Friends,

Hope all is well and things are going just peachy for everyone! :-)

Well, this past week has been busy but fulfilling. I started my new class "Forest Environment and Conservation." So far I'm enjoying the class. We started discussing forestry here in Sweden and conservation measures Swedish foresters, companies and the government take to conserve habitats, sensitive plant and animal species. These include leaving high stumps, protected forest patches and nature reserves. The one thing that I found interesting is that in Sweden clearcutting is permitted. In Germany where I'm from clearcuts are not permitted. We log by the selection system, cutting some trees and leaving the rest. I guess there are pros and cons to both the Swedish and German system. Otherwise things are well.

One thing that I would like to mention in this blog are food prices and costs of living in Sweden. As an international student, affordability and living expenses are something we need to focus on if we want to survive! :-) Some of us receive an ERASMUS or another form of government grant upon arrival here in Sweden. I will now mention some average expenses of common items and commodities you will need while on exchange. I calculate in Euros, and 10 Swedish Crowns = ~1€:

Rent at Gälbo campus housing/ off campus average costs:
350€ including internet and all utilities/ I've heard anywhere from 200€ - 500€. I guess off-campus housing can range in costs. It is really important to find housing early enough or have the housing department find you something. It is hard and unpleasant to arrive here without housing!!!

Healthcare (A really important topic!)
Generally it's best to have your own (private or public) healthcare. For SLU students, the university offers on-campus healthcare. I've never been there, but I've heard good things, and the average cost for a visit I've heard is around €50 per visit. So this is a pretty affordable solution.

Food & Clothing:
Overall, I think the food prices are good here in Sweden. Coming from Denmark where everything is really expensive, I think the prices are more like in Germany. 1.5 Litres of milk cost ca. 1€, bread costs around 2-3€ per loaf, pasta is pretty cheap (1-4€), and meat can get a little pricier (4-6€ per 1 Kg package, sometimes only a 500 g package, depending on where you shop). Overall I spend around 50€ on food every week. I eat alot as I'm a rower here and us athletes eat alot! Clothing can be found at affordable prices and good deals are always around!

For food I go to Willy's or ICA, for clothes I sometimes head out to Gränby Köpcentrum. The nice thing about Sweden is that the food stores stay open really late, until 21-22:00. Some stay open later!

Overall the costs of living are slightly higher than in other Western European countries, but they are generally fair for food, housing and clothing. Alcohol is really expensive here. A bottle of Vodka costs around 30-40€. So if you're planning on partying bring some from Germany or any other country than Sweden or Norway!!! :-D

Here are some basic figures for those of you who are contemplating studying abroad here in Sweden. Services are good here (just waaaayyy tooo much beaurocracy), good public transportation and fair prices. If you have any other questions about costs of specific commodities or services, please feel free to ask me!