The Student life in Sweden

In my summer in Sweden  I learnt a lot of new things  . Out of the many wonderful  things I have learnt from the people and the culture of Sweden the  most important  value I have learnt is the importance to maintain a balance in your life . I have learnt that my life shouldn’t just revolve around my studies but instead I should have an active social life too.

The student life of Sweden reflects that value ..After attending classes with the Swedes I have concluded that the student life in Sweden is much easier and less stressful  compared to the one lead by us students in Goa .The swedish students who were a part of the exchange programme were in higher secondary,  I remember the time when I was so stressed in my 12^th standard  , I was nearly on my toes all the time ,but even though unlike us the grades they get now  insure their entry into a college ,the Swedes  are in no pressure whatsoever , they all seem to possess a chilled out  attitude ,which helps them to concentrate more on their studies and less on the worrying for their future .Their higher secondary generally is of three years where in the portion is evenly distributed , plus they can choose whichever subjects or  field they want to be in , they generally enter college at the age of 19 or 20 .

Another  remarkable thing I have observed is how independent the students are from  a very young age ,they get up early in the morning by themselves ,prepare their own breakfast since they have working parents ,get ready and they are out of their homes in time .Swedes in general are very punctual , they treasure time .After that they travel to their schools with the help of a very efficient public transport ,which is always on time too and start their lectures with a smile on their faces .

Right from the higher secondary level they are given the choice to choose their desired stream ,their streams are Business study programme ,Care and treatment programme ,and Natural science programme .So they are qualified enough to get a job immediately after their graduation .Every subject is chosen willingly and the medium of instruction up to high secondary level is Swedish ,proving that they value their national language and mind you majority of them can speak fluent English . Every subject Is chosen by the student  willingly and as per their interest  and so the so they enjoy every minute of their school life .

Another aspect of their school life  in Sweden I envy is the excellent rapport  shared by the students with their teachers .Their teachers are the students best friends  in school  ,there is so much positivity and humor in their daily classes , the students and the teachers  are on   first name bases and the share everything with their teachers the teachers have no qualms in sharing their life experiences with their students ,which strengthens the bond between the student  and the teacher .

As I said earlier the Swedes believe in giving equal importance to educational and extracurricular activities .Their school ends by 2 or 3  in the afternoon after that they indulge either into their favorite sport or just go into the city and hang out with friends in a café, in their weekends instead of lazing around they indulge into activities such as hiking or skiing or,skating .

Another thing I learnt about the student life in Sweden is that ,as an individual’s they don’t compete against each other in class instead they compete against their own self ,Each time they get their grades they compare these grades to their previous grades and try to improve accordingly Nobody has the desire to stand first instead they all desire the overall progress of the entire class ,Such an attitude has lead the Swedes to  have a friendly environment in class, and develop unity among each other.

I hope some day Goa too can try to develop these values in their educational systems, I would definitely like to take the initiative so that our school life can be even better . Nevertheless I am so grateful to my college Smt. Parvatibai Chowgule College of Arts and Science for giving me this once in a life time opportunity. Every step of this journey has been a learning experience. I will always cherish these memories.

                                                  Leonie   Fernandes

SyBsc