Go Yankees !

Go Yankees!

Well, to my delight (and surprise), Uppsala is full of people showing allegiance to my favorite sports team of all time… you got it.. THE YANKEES. I don’t have much to say about the phenomenon other than I see many people walking around with Yankees hats and bags (no t-shirts because Swedish people are notably fancier than that) and WHAT A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. I can come out of hiding in fear of the Boston scrutiny for supporting a team other than ... well.... you know! GO YANKEES!

Props to all the International students out there

Things continue to go well here, with new opportunities to socialize and learn all while managing the anxiety of balancing the two. Anyone who’s been in grad school knows this anxiety well… am I allowed to have fun? The answer is yes, but you definitely have to get used to the nagging and self-populating to-do list that stays on in the background of your actions and folly. As an exchange student in my last semester of grad school, the stakes feel different for me than those I perceive for my classmates. For example, while these classes will be intense and rewarding, my main academic priority this semester is writing my master’s paper. It feels like a lot to balance- a culminating academic exercise, an intense course load and figuring out how to live in a new country and find/make the time to explore. It’s a lot to come along in one semester.

That being said, I want to take a second to recognize all the international students at my home university (The Heller School) who have been (for the most part) sailing brilliantly through school and figuring this all out just the same. While I have always recognized and admired your resourcefulness as well as your natural ability to make connections and foster friendships, I am now in your shoes and wanted to take this brief second to highlight in this blog (that many people will not even read) to emphasize the intricacies of studying in another country. While sometimes, this combination of so many educational cultures creates tension in the classroom (especially when mismanaged), it is important to note the myriad of personal transformations and explorations that occur just by being in this situation. Back home, as a domestic student in an international program, I think I already mentioned the relative ease I had adjusting to studnet life, of socializing and living because I was in a place where I’d previously lived, surrounded by friends, familiarities and was a 2 hour drive from home. What a privilege and opportunity it has been to be in a school that is 50% international students (Heller) and now become an international student, if only for a short time. These relationships and connections, I truly believe, are how we make the most personal growth.

One aspect of student life

Today I just student nation Södermanlands-Nerikes. Here at Uppsala, nations are student-run and organized groups that date back to the 17th century. There are 13 nations, each representing a different region in Sweden. Originally, students were to join the nation respective to their home town so that they would feel comfortable and immediately connected to a community upon beginning studies at Uppsala. Now, they function more or less to the same goal- to encourage everyone to become a part of something from the very beginning of university and to have a place to go to feel welcomed and at home. The nation I joined (and I learned that I have joined for life and will always be welcomed there) is the oldest nation at Uppsala and is known as a gathering place for international students. I visited a few of the nations, could tell no real difference between them (other than the kinds of lunch specials they might offer) and so I joined. At first, the concept felt a little like American Greek life, but rest assured, this is not the same situation. Nations are an integral part of student life and socializing here, but they are not founded upon the stereotypical principles people often think of when they think of American fraternities/sororities. It’s difficult to explain because it’s difficult to imagine, but the concept and the culture is something, from where I sit, purely positive.

Well, that’s enough blabberings for today. Enjoy your day wherever in the world you may be!

Xoxo

Swedish Jamie