Raincoast

Having returned from my exchange in Uppsala Sweden, I am filled with the desire to return. As mentioned previously, Uppsala has been a university town for over 500 years, meaning that it is has evolved into something quite special and truly unique.

There is a unique tradition at Uppsala in the form of the student “Nations”, half fraternity (without the sleazy connotations) half student club, half inspiration for immensely popular fictional wizard novels. The Nations combine libraries, pubs, sport-clubs, club-nights all under one roof (a roof constructed in the 1800’s for some). Nearly 400 years ago, the Nations began as a place where students from each province of Sweden could meet, get to know one another and show off to the other 12 rival provinces how superior they were. While this tradition still continues, students are no longer relegated to joining  the nation of their home province.

Uppsala University itself is physically beautiful and the education is a style all its own. While most courses do have a dedicated professor leading coursework, guest lecturers are brought in nearly every class to add professional and specific knowledge that no single professor could ever posses. As a teaching method, this was extremely refreshing as we could always look forward to new and interesting topics every class, and most importantly, taught from a different perspective. The CEMUS program as a whole was a great experience, but definitely left some things to be desired. I felt, as many of us did, that the different courses within the program were disconnected, either teaching the same thing or teaching something counter-intuitive having learned it the week before from someone else.

Uppsala as a city is to me the perfect combination of old and new. Cobblestone streets, magnificent castles and cathedrals while containing all the modern shops, and transportation. But best of all, it’s all within walking distance. There is absolutely no need for a car when living in Uppsala, just a trustworthy bicycle (and a pair of gloves) making commuting to school and finding your way back home after a night on the town an easy and enjoyable experience. It was truly liberating to not worry about car maintenance, insurance and parking. In addition, I don’t think I have ever been as fit as I was after walking and biking every day!

All told, I would live there in a heartbeat, if I didn’t live here in Vancouver!

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