The application
The application process for getting ERASMUS+ support from the University of Bremen was very easy. Any important information which is necessary for the application can be easily found at the homepage of the University of Bremen. Still I advise everyone to start with the application as soon as possible because a lot of documents are needed. Especially the documents that have to be filled in by the internship place abroad might take some time since a lot of detailed information is requested. Also the application letter itself and the CV should be done carefully. Once the application was done the processing was carried out very fast by the University of Bremen.

House hunting
Finding an affordable place in Stockholm is difficult, especially if you are not a student studying but doing an internship there. Still there are many ways to find an accommodation in Stockholm. I can advise you to join Facebook groups like “housing in Stockholm” since a lot of offers are posted there. Still you have to be careful and never ever transfer any money to a bank account before you have a contract – a friend of mine was fooled and lost a lot of money. Another possibility is to apply for a place at KI housing. They offer different accommodation options and you might be one of the lucky ones getting a place there. Since Sweden does have different renting laws than Germany there is no real website like “wg.gesucht” but still you might find some attractive offers at a website called “blocket” (nowadays also available as an app). It is very common that families or couples rent a room of their apartment, which is often not that expensive and you can get to know the Swedish style of living. Don’t be scared if the location of the house is fare away from the city centre. The public transport system in Stockholm is one of the best I’ve known so far. Usually all small villages around Stockholm are well connected to the city centre. I myself was very lucky to find a small apartment close to KI due to personal contacts. If you are lucky and find a place in Stockholm itself I can recommend to live in Vasastan or Södermalm – both are student quarters. If you start studying at Karolinska, then it is nice to live in Vasastan or Solna since they are the closest neighbourhoods to KI.

All in all I advise you to start the apartment hunt as soon as possible because this was one of the most difficult things for me and a lot of friends of mine since “cheap” (rent is about 4000-7000 SEK/month) accommodations in Stockholm are hunted like hell.

Karolinska Institute during winter time

Studying at Karolinska Institute
Performing my Lab-rotation (internship) at the famous Karolinska Institute was the best studying experience I had so far. I have learned so many new methods and techniques in a very short period of time and the content of my project was perfect for my interests in parasitology and neuroscience.

Swedish cinnamon buns for fika

But the greatest benefit was to get to know all those great researchers. The working atmosphere at KI is really great. People come from all over the world so I got to know a full flower bouquet ofcultures, religions and traditions which I myself enjoyed a lot. But also the Swedish way of living is implemented in daily life of KI. Never in my life had I drunk so much coffee than here since having a “fika” (Swedish coffee break) is THE thing in Sweden. But also Swedish festivities such as Santa Lucia and Christmas are celebrated at KI which contributes to the great atmosphere.

Santa Lucia day at KI (typical choir singing)

I enjoyed discussing research results during the fika but also getting to know the political system of Argentina and China was great. Since Sweden has less than 10 million inhabitants, English movies and soaps are not synchronized and every Swede is able to speak English very well. Studying at KI helped me a lot to improve my English language. But I also grew personally and my knowledge of science did so too thanks to my great professor and working group. If you want to do research at the cutting edge surrounded by great researchers then KI is the perfect place for you. The different working groups and departments offer a very broad catalogue of great biomedical research – every taste and interest is covered. I am very grateful for the opportunity to study at KI and being part of this fruitful and very dynamic research environment.

Björnö Naturreservatet

Life in Stockholm
Once I arrived in Stockholm I directly fell in love with this beautiful city. All the small islands surrounded by water and the beautiful woods make it a beautiful city to stay. There is no better thing than to explore the nature around Stockholm and the city itself which has so much to offer. If the weather is nice then there is no better thing than going out into Sweden’s beautiful nature like the skärgård close to Stockholm, which is the best place to stay during summer. Thanks to ERASMUS+ support I could see a lot of impressive places like Björnö Naturreservat where your soul can breathe and relax.

Stadsbibliotheket

The city itself has so many things to offer. There is the beautiful Gamla Stan (Old town) with all its beautiful old buildings painted in orange and yellow. Normmalm is busier than most of the other islands but still I loved the area around Vasastan. There is nothing better on a Sunday than having a coffee in one of the beautiful cosy coffee stores like Non Solo Bar or Pascal and hitting a second hand store in Vasastan or Södermalm. Also there is a beautiful forest which is very lovely for having a walk through the snow or going sledding during winter times. If you wanna study in a nice atmosphere during the weekend I can only recommend you the lovely Stadsbibliotheket also located in Vasastan.

Djurgården with its nice museums is always a good place to stay when weather is grey and of course it’s beautiful to go for a walk during summer time and maybe visit Skansen. My favourite museum is “Moderna museet” which is located on a very small island in the heart of Stockholm. Entrance is free and it has to offer a lot of nice exhibitions and talks and exploring the island is also worth it. If you wanna have a lovely summer evening than there is no better thing than going to Södermalm, buy a pizza close to Zinkensdamm and go up the hill at Skinnarviksberget and just enjoy the view and sunset over whole Stockholm. Södermalm itself is a very student-friendly area and is a good place to go out at weekend’s nights or just for a nice meal. Swedes themselves are very friendly and helpful persons and they all speak English very well, so language is no issue here.

I cannot think of any aspect in this town that is keeping you from staying here and loving it.

Gamla Stan

Conclusion
To put it in a nutshell I am so grateful for the support of ERASMUS+ during my stay in lovely Stockholm. It was one of the greatest experiences in my life so far and I do not regret any second of it. During my stay I grow both personally and also as scientist due to my wonderful time at KI and the best working group ever. I felt nothing but home during that time so I prolonged my stay here in Stockholm since I cannot say goodbye yet. Thank you ERASMUS+!