What Julia says about the Bachelor's in Economy and Society
Introducing Julia
Hi! My name is Julia, and I'm the student ambassador for the Bachelor’s programme in Economy and Society. I am happy to answer any questions you might have about the programme, courses, student life, and life in Lund and Sweden via the Unibuddy Platform, where you can chat with me (see below). Please note that I cannot answer questions about the application process, scholarships, or residence permits.
About the programme and the teaching style
How did you find out about Lund University?
"I wanted to study in English because I really enjoy the language and I thought it would be nice to have an extra challenge besides just studying. At the time that I was doing some research for potential universities, I was volunteering in the UK and I initially thought of staying there to study. But it was quite expensive already before Brexit and especially afterwards. I started to consider alternatives outside Germany, as there were not so many English-taught programmes there. I started to look for places where I could study for free as an EU citizen and I came across Sweden! I started researching all the universities teaching in the field of Economics, History, Social Development and found this Bachelor’s programme in Economy and Society that sounded quite nice! It was also very new – I was only the second cohort since it started! I applied and put Lund as my first choice but I didn't think I would get it because it seemed very competitive! I was very happy to find out that they accepted me!"
Why did you choose this programme?
"I'm very interested in what is going on in the world. I like to listen to the news and am also interested in history. I did not want to only study History as I also wanted to know how it interacts with the world. I then found this programme with an Economics aspect as a nice way to combine what has happened, what will happen in the world, and how it is connected to the economy."
What do you think about your programme? Did it live up to your expectations?
"I would say it does! It is a learning experience focused on individual learning, but also on group work. It is not so much just about sitting and listening to a lecturer. It is quite a research-heavy and academic programme where you feel like you are learning from the Department about what they are researching, what is relevant now and how to connect this to more general theories. It also prepares us to the field of academic research which is quite interesting."
What is the best thing about your programme?
"The diversity of the programme is very enjoyable. You can go in multiple directions rather than just traditional economics. Everything is interconnected and we touch on aspects from a lot of different fields such as regional development and sustainability. Some people think it is perhaps too broad, but I think there is value in always learning by seeing connections before going deeper into a topic."
Why should prospective students choose this programme?
"If they are interested in research and learning, not just acquiring quantitative knowledge, but really going in-depth into a topic, this programme is for them! You will be placed among an international cohort, teachers are usually researchers in the field and they are passionate about what they are doing."
What is/was your favourite course and why?
"I really enjoyed the Demography course. It was interesting to learn how populations develop."
Have you been able to gain any practical experience during your studies?
"They gave us the opportunity to do an internship or an exchange. I picked an exchange and went with university courses in economy and development at Queens University in Kingston, Canada. I feel that this is a very academic programme and it is perhaps hard to find connections with theory visible in the real world during a field trip for example. But I enjoy the focus on academic research and putting things in perspective."
What do you think of the teaching style?
"I like it! I sometimes only had two-three lectures a week. At the very beginning, compared to high school, I was not expecting to do all the independent learning, but this is what makes you learn better. You focus on the things you're interested in while doing the readings on other topics. Then you get to pick a little bit from everywhere and build your knowledge with the support of the teachers. I personally enjoy it compared to what I know in Germany where you sit in the lecture and listen for eight hours!"
How “international” is your programme?
"I would say about half of the people were Swedish and half were international. There are so many people from so many different countries from all around the world and it was pretty cool!"
Thoughts on being an international student at Lund, spare time and advice for incoming students
What it is like to be an international student at Lund University?
"Since there are so many international programmes, you are surrounded by people from all around the world, not just from your programme but also in town more generally. Student life is also thankfully catered towards us international students, not just Swedes, which I very much like. For example, everywhere you go, people are willing to speak in English. Though sadly this is detrimental to my Swedish learning skills! In any case, you feel very welcome and you don't feel that there's a societal barrier to you arriving in this country."
What do you do in your spare time? Are you involved in any extracurricular activities?
"Last year I was part of the board of UPF, the Association of Foreign Affairs, and I worked in that Student Association as editor and chief of the web magazine. It was great also to meet a lot of international people and get some hands-on skills. I am quite sentimental about it now as it was a very great time to be part of student life like this! Otherwise, it’s mostly the classics: hanging around with friends, reading, exploring the nature of Skåne, which I very much enjoy."
What surprised you the most about Swedes?
"Before coming, I heard that they are quite reserved but in reality, they're all so kind! People would usually stick to their little social bubble and you might think that it is hard to get inside. But people are genuinely nice and relaxed, everyone is kind and tries to help. I think that was what pleasantly surprised me despite this idea that they only stay among themselves."
Do you have any advice for other students who are considering coming to Lund?
"My advice would be to start learning Swedish as soon as possible, try to not rest on the fact that everyone speaks English like I did for one and a half years. Rather, try to actively learn because as open and welcoming as Lund is, there is a definite benefit to being able to speak Swedish, especially if you start looking for a job at some point and it's very valuable to experience even more of Sweden. So that would be my main tip! Otherwise, be open and ready to meet a lot of exciting people from different backgrounds and learn about different cultures!"
Have more questions for Julia?
You can chat with her and other current students directly via Unibuddy by clicking the card below.