Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[galanoss]

Hi everyone!

I need some information about Sweden.
I've just got my Bachelors degree in engineering.
And, now, I'm thinking to study in a master program in Sweden.
But I don't know much about this country.
I want to learn about the people, life, climate, etc.
Is there anyone who live there, or who have lived there before?
If you help me, it will be cool!

[flying_pig319]

I don't live in Sweden, but I know it was voted (tied with Switzerland) for the highest standard of living for any nation.
I don't know if that matters to you at all, but there it is

[galanoss]

[saratheswede]

[saratheswede]

Here are two web sites about the night life in Stockholm:

www.stureplan.se

http://www.sthlmsfinest.com/index.php

Too bad they are both in Swedish. Just please don't think all Swedes look and behave like those on the photos...there are normal people in Sweden also.

[asterix]

Sweden, like Canada, has 8 months winter, 3 months, bad weather and a 3 day summer in August. It rains the rest of the time.
But I'd still prefer to live in either country if I could speak Swedish.

[Ducky]

I've been to Sweden. Most people there speak enough English to understand you and their McDonalds are really clean, so other than the weather its a pretty cool place.

[galanoss]

Thank you all, my friends! The informations you gave about Sweden are very useful for me. And, I�m sorry I couldn�t reply your messages sooner. But, I was really busy all the week!

I could clearly understand that the weather can be a problem for the foreigners, especially for the people coming from sunny countries, like Turkey. But, I guess I can cope with this problem.

I especially want to learn about the universities, and the cities which they lie in. I found some swedish universities from the internet which are suitable for my major, engineering. But, I don�t know much about these universities. One question is, which one is better than the others? Another question is, how are the campus lives, and social conditions in these universities?

I�m also curious about the cities which these universities lie in. How is the social life in these cities? Which one is more suitable for a university student to live in? Are there part-time job opportunities for students? I hope you can answer my questions.

The universities that I want to study, and their locations are;
�Chalmers University of Technology - G�teborg
�H�gskolan Dalarna University � Framtidsdalen / Borl�nge
�J�nk�ping University - J�nk�ping
�Link�ping University - Link�ping
�The Royal Institute of Technology - Stockholm
�Blekinge Institute of Technology � Karlskrona / Blekinge
�University West - Trollh�ttan
�University of Sk�vde - Sk�vde

I know, I should reduce the number of options! And, at this point, I need your help!

[Kukove]

Yes for fan, sweden is a great country with a good climate.

We got alot of good football teams, and alot of things to do in your sparetime.
I allso think that studying here is a very good choice.
We got alot of great teachers here, all oppurtunitys for succes!

Thats all you have to know, and it would be nice with some diffrent cultures in the schools.
Have a great time and good luck.

[ElinaSofie]

I thought I could help you with your culture-question. I live in Sweden, and it's a very nice country.
In the summer its very hot, and even rainy somedays, and in the winter we have alot of snow, and the temperature is very cold -15-25 celcius.
The people here are nice and friendly, and I think you're making a very good chioce studying in Sweden. We got very good schools here with exellent education.
Good luck f�rfan!

[Emilio]

Hello! a can help you wid you problem.

we have a wery colt on the Winter and hot on the summer.
in the spring its predy wet and a litel cold.
and in the fall is it bad wather.

The people are kind and stresst.

we have many good team in fotball and ishockey.

and in stockholm amusement park called gr�nalund.


"hej hop och v�lkommen till sverige. lycka till "

[E&P]

Hello
We are 2 girls from sweden and we want to help you.
in sweden it�s hot in summer and it�s cold in winter. the people are nice and friendly.
in stockholm there are many people and stores. There is a amusement park called Gr�nalund.

Good luck.

[judearsle]

Hello

Sweden is a very beautiful country. The people is very kind to everyone. The most popular sport in sweden are Football. The climate is very good, 8 months summer and 3 months winter. i have more info righ under this text. good luck and have fun.




Sweden (Sverige): The lands of the Svear.
Capital: Stockholm (about 1,5 million inhabitants).
Official language: Swedish.
Official name: Konungariket Sverige (Kingdom of Sweden).
Constitution: Monarchy (from 1975 King Carl XVI Gustav).
Government: the prime minister (today Goran Persson), parliament (Riksdag) with 349 members (Socialists Democratic Party role since 1998, next election in 2002) who are elected to four-year terms. The whole country is devided in 24 counties with their own local government. All Swedish citizens at least 18 years old may vote.
Area: 449,964 sq. km. (279,655 sq. miles) Greatest distances-north-south, 1,572 km (980 miles); east-west, 499 km. (311 miles) Coastline-7,564 km (4701 miles).
Elevation: Highest-Mount Kebnekaise, 2,111 m (6926 feet) above sea level. Lowest- sea level along the coast










The People
Sweden has a population of 8.8 million, with about 85% living in the southern half of the country. Around 90% belong to the Church of Sweden, which is Lutheran. Swedish is a Germanic language.

Like other industrialized countries, Sweden has a low birth rate. It rose during the 1980s and early 1990s but is now in decline again. Life expectancy is high�about 76 years for men and 81 for women. Since the 1940s, immigration�mostly from neighboring Scandinavian countries but also from elsewhere in the world�has accounted for over 40% of the population growth. Sweden has two minority groups of native inhabitants in the north: the Finnish-speaking people of the northeast and the Sami (Lapp) population



CLIMATE:
Sweden has a typically continental climate with a moderate to large range in temperatures between summer and winter. Most of the Norrland has a long winter of seven months with cold temperatures and a hot summer of less than three months while Sk�ne in the south has a cold winter of two months and a summer of more than four months. Average annual precipitation is heaviest in the southwest at 580 mm (23 inches) while the average for Lappland in the northwest is only 300 mm (12 inches) and most rainfall north of Stockholm is snow. Average temperature ranges in Stockholm are from -5 to -1 degrees Celsius (23 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit) in February to 4 to 22 degrees Celsius (57 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit) in July.


Birthday
This is the day when you lie in bed and pretend to be asleep even though you've
been awake for ages. And you wonder whether the family is ever going to come
with your birthday cake and presents.

Valborg (Walpurgis night)
When the darkness falls on the last day of April, people in most parts of Sweden
light bonfires. They celebrate the return of the sun and the warm weather with
speeches and songs. Traditionally this is a particularly festive time for students.
Birgitta Nilsson

Easter
At Easter children dress up like old witches with brooms. They go from house
to house collecting some coins or sweets. This custom goes back to the days
when people believed that there were witches who rode on broomsticks to Blakulla
mountain to meet the Devil.

GOOD LUCK AND TRY TO CALL ME FOR MORE INFO!

[karima1]

Hi my name�is karima and i live in Swedan and I want to give you litel infermatin about Swedan. Swedan is a democratic country and it snows in the winter and I think it's nice when it snows

[CP]

Galanos,

I think it says a lot for Sweden that so many people answered with so much information -- and so many of them are first-time posters. They are Swedes who want to help a stranger learn about their beautiful country.

In my experience, Skandinavian people are rather reserved but kind and friendly at heart, and usually wise and good. They are sensible and practical for the most part, and some of the nicest looking people you can find.

What's not to like? (OK, the weather is cold. Wear a wool scarf and a coat.)
_________________
You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb