I spend almost 7 months in Stockholm at the Karolinska Institute to perform experiments for my master’s thesis.

Even though my lab group was based at the Karolinska Campus in Flemingsberg I chose to live in Solna in the student residency. I can recommend doing that! I needed to take the commuter bus provided by Karolinska to my work place, which took 30 -50 min depending on traffic (public transport would take a bit over an hour), but Solna is way more lively and nicer to live than Flemingsberg.

In the student residency at Fogdevreten 13, I had my own room with private bathroom and shared a kitchen with all people (around 20) on my floor. I easily found a group of friends and you meet people every day in the kitchen. I was also a bit scared beforehand about sharing the kitchen with 20 people, but it was super clean and, as we all had different schedules, a maximum of 5 people would cook at the same time.
The residency itself is very clean and new. I felt safe and comfortable.

Solna is a small city, that is located right next to Stockholm and there is no city boarder visible, so it just seems as if you would live in Stockholm city.
By foot you can reach St. Eriksplan or Odenplan in around 20 – 25 min. Both are nice areas with a lot of Cafés, restaurants and bars around. In general, Stockholm offers a lot of cafés and restaurants. Of course, it is a bit more expensive than what most of us are used to in Berlin, but it is definitely worth to enjoy your time, while you are there.

Personally, the Erasmus grant was not able to cover my whole expenses but it helped a lot. Rent was between 530 – 590 €. In total, I spent around 1500 € every month. I did not live a very luxurious life but I still went for brunch or fika on the weekends so I think this is a pretty normal amount of money to spend per month in Stockholm.

I can recommend everyone to join the student union “medicinska föreningen”. You have to pay around 16 € per semester but get reduced tickets for public transport and student discounts in a lot of places so it is worth even after one month already. If you are a member, there is even the possibility to attend free Swedish classes and join a book club, for example.
Also, it is generally not necessary to have Swedish kronor in cash with you. In most places, it is possible to pay by card and many places don’t even accept cash. Only if you want to buy something at a fleamarket, for example, it is good to have cash.

I also went to Kiruna, in the north of Sweden, for a weekend and took a trip to Helsinki by ferry with my friends. I can recommend doing that as both were very fun and unique experiences! The nature in Kiruna was extremely beautiful (see picture). I have never seen so much snow in one spot. If you are lucky, you can even see moose or the northern lights!

All in all, I had a wonderful time during my 7-month Erasmus stay in Stockholm. I met so many nice people and fell in love with the city and country. I am utterly thankful for the opportunity to go there and will keep all my experiences dear to my heart!

Tipps für andere Praktikant:innen

Vorbereitung

Not much preparation needed; maybe check your bank’s rates to pay in a different currency beforehand.

Beantragung Visum

For Germans/EU citizens not necessary.

Praktikumssuche

I approached 4 labs and found my spot. Don’t give up and also check with them after no initial answer.

Wohnungssuche

Apply as soon as possible (minimum 2 months in advance) to KI housing. It can get tough to find a spot when you start at the beginning of Swedish semesters.

Versicherung

Check in advance. I got a credit card that provided health insurance abroad, that was handy.

Sonstiges

Don’t pack too much. Stockholm has a lot of nice second hand shops (with good prices even) so it can be fun to go shopping.

Formalitäten vor Ort

Telefon-/Internetanschluss

Wifi is provided by KI housing.

Bank/Kontoeröffnung

Only possible if you stay in Sweden for longer and receive a citizen number.

Ausgehmöglichkeiten

A lot of bars, cafés, restaurants. I particularly enjoyed the club “Under Bron” (free entry before 11 pm, lots of free water stations and security that throws out people that get too drunk or make you feel uncomfortable)