Author: Julia Gustafson | Major: Exercise Science | Semester: Summer 2024

My name is Julia Gustafson and I am an exercise science student at the University of Arkansas. Recently I studied abroad with the Sweden Health Teams Abroad program for around three weeks in the summer. I chose to study abroad in Sweden because visiting the Nordic Countries has always been a dream of mine. Europe in general has a lot of values that I love, such as universal healthcare and free schooling, but the Nordic Countries are all so stunning and have a culture that I love and have always wanted to learn more about.

Me at the Swedish Royal Palace, one of the most beautiful places I saw

Sweden in particular was my top choice because a few years ago I wanted to start learning a new language and since my last name was Swedish I decided to learn that. After doing this I realized how much I loved Sweden. I love the cold weather, how much they care for the environment, how they prioritize rest, their love for nature, their public transport, their healthcare and schooling, the architecture, the geography, and so much more. Since then it has been the number one place I wanted to visit and I knew it would be important to stay there for a while to really see all the positives and negatives of life in Sweden.

I went during the summer for about 19 days. During this study abroad program we visited a lot of healthcare facilities in Sweden, and a few in the US. We also frequently had lectures to learn about how healthcare differs in Sweden and in the US. Also, we had a group project where we were given a fake case of a woman named Johanna who suffered from cerebral palsy and hearing loss. Our goal for the project was to examine her situation and determine how her healthcare experience would be different in the US and in Sweden, as well as use our knowledge from our specific career fields to decide how we could best support her in life. Through the lectures at Jonkoping University we were able to also see a little about how university is different in Sweden. One of the biggest differences is how most classes there use active learning. This is where a lot of the lecture involves the students discussing the concepts among groups and then discussing as a class. We also noticed how in Sweden the students felt comfortable telling their professors that they disagreed with them and did not blindly accept what the professor said as truth, rather they needed to understand why something was true.

Another big difference in classes and at the workplace is how much they prioritize having breaks. In Sweden they have fika, which is usually a 15 minute break involving coffee, time with friends, and not thinking about work or school. They have these multiple times depending on the length of the lecture. Even in hospital settings they make time for these breaks because they understand that if the employee is constantly working then the quality of their work will suffer, which is really dangerous in a healthcare setting. One of the places we visited even had
hour-long lunches and the employees said that they would never eat lunch at their workstation and they always get these lunches and breaks.

One of the most valuable lessons that I learned on this trip was to just do things, even if you do not fully want to. Two of my favorite things that I did on this trip were things that I almost did not go to or did not really want to do. The majority of the trip I decided to just say yes to things and to keep an open mind and it was always a good idea. Of course this does not mean to do things that you know you would hate or would put you in danger, but I learned that if something sounds kind of fun and it is with a good group of people then it is worth it to go along and enjoy the experience.

This experience absolutely changed my life and I am so grateful to the Honors College for offering me this Study Abroad Grant because it really helped make this experience even more enjoyable by not having to worry as much about the costs of the program. I was able to just fully enjoy everything I did and not have to feel guilty about spending money. I am so grateful to have had this experience in my life, I believe it is such an important experience to have and I hope everyone gets to study abroad or do something similar in their lives.