My time at Lund University so far has been fun and productive thanks to the help of professors and staff at the school. I want to highlight how they have helped me and made my experience better even before I arrived in Sweden.
From the first steps of the study abroad application to working out any kinks in my class schedule after getting accepted, I owe a lot of thanks to the generous help I received from the Lund International Desk at the Faculty of Engineering. Because the university has so many international students that are studying abroad or in a master’s program, the administration of applying for courses and creating schedules is taken up by an International Student Desk at each faculty in the university. The counselors at the International Student Desk helped me select the appropriate courses to apply for back in the spring, and also provided assistance with rearranging my schedule when it became clear that I had 2 classes overlapping. The International Office as a whole is a great resource for information about finding housing and what to expect when students arrive here. Because there is not guaranteed university housing for all students, the International Office does the best that they can to assist international students with the process of applying for Lund Accommodation or finding an alternative housing option.
As I am only enrolled in 2 classes currently (a reminder that these courses last until the end of October when I start 2 different courses), I have gotten to know both of my professors very well. I think I have mentioned it before, but the courses are more informal here and students are expected to address their professors by name. The relaxed atmosphere of lectures and labs allows for the professors to engage students in presentations as well as discussions.
I find that my professor and instructors for my Solar Heating Technology course have lots of interesting information and opinions when it comes to the design and use of renewable technologies. Because this is an area of study that is mostly neglected in the US, I really enjoy learning from my professor about a more “worldly” view of the advancements in renewable energy. The nature of renewables as an emerging technology which is quickly improving and taking a share of the market also makes the knowledge and insight of my professors valuable.
