Pre-Departure Checklist

February 1, 2017

Moving to another country and an entirely different university can be a scary transition for anyone, so in this blog post I am going to talk about some travel and planning tips that I have for anyone who is considering a semester abroad.

Before you make your move abroad, there is of course a lot of preparation and planning that needs to be sorted out ahead of time. It is really good to have an adviser or contact person at the university you are heading to, because they will often be able to answer any questions you have or can find someone who knows the answer. Some of the important things to make sure your have settled before departing is where you will stay and the courses that you will take. When setting up my semester in Lund, I had to be aware of multiple deadlines for both my course applications and housing application.

As you are packing for your semester abroad, it is good to consider all of the items you might need for classes, weekend adventures, and really any activity that could happen! That being said, it is certainly easier and cheaper to just bring the essentials of what you think you will need and to count on doing additional shopping once you arrive. A good example of this is that I decided to bring a textbook and folder of coursework from one of my previous Northeastern classes with me, but waited until I had moved into my studio in Lund to go shopping for school supplies.

A specific recommendation that I have for students studying abroad is to pack a couple of small items that remind you of home and will help to make you feel more comfortable as you settle into an unfamiliar place. I brought with me a couple rolled up posters that made my new room more colorful and reminded me of friends and family back home. One friend of mine (from Canada) brought a couple tin cans of maple syrup, a perfect way to share the taste of her home country with the new friends that she was making in Sweden. Even though it may take up some space in your suitcase, it is a good way to ease your transition to a new country and university.

Jesse Morrow

Greetings! I am a Civil Engineering student in my 3rd year at Northeastern University, and my particular interest is the sustainable design of buildings and infrastructure, which it turns out Scandinavia does pretty well! After just finishing a co-op in San Francisco, working with the Building Technology group at an engineering firm called Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, my hope is to learn about sustainability and energy efficiency from the perspective of European engineers and designers. I was attracted to the exchange program at Lund University for 2 primary reasons- it is a very large research institution with many scientists and engineers working to solve any number of challenges, and the university is home to a large number of international students who are either studying abroad or completing graduate studies. As I will be living in student housing with all international students, I believe that I will be introduced to many cultures and ideas. Outside of my studies, I am a lover of the outdoors and spend much of my time hiking, skiing, biking, and rock climbing and I hope to find such adventures in the beautiful Swedish countryside.