Class in Sweden at LNU

Class in Sweden is very similar to Canada, but there are some very distinct differences in attitudes and the way the credit system works.

The credit system is 30 credits which can be divided in many different ways. Unlike Canada where you take 3–5 courses, in Sweden it depends on the course. You can take three 10 credit courses, or you can take a single 30 credit course, or the most common 4 7.5 credit courses.

The semesters are split into four parts and courses can range from one block to 4 blocks. In addition there are different intensities of courses, ranging from 33%, 66%, or 100%. It determines the study pace of the course, and how long the course will last.

Some courses will last only one block at 100% study pace. Others will be 3 blocks at 33%, or two blocks at 66%. It varies from course to course.

There is also a very different attitude toward lectures and classes in general in Sweden. Classes tend to start 15 minutes after the official start time and last from 2 to 3 hours. They range from one class a week to two. Every class will have a “fika” break where people can get coffee, tea or a snack. Then after 15 minutes class resumes. Lectures are also completely optional. I missed a lecture and emailed the professor, he told me not worry as the lectures are optional. Some of my classes are actually at the same time so I have to choose what course to go to on the day, it is not a big deal however. The class size is pretty small overall for international students ranging from 6 to 30 people. All the international classes are in English.

One strange difference from Canada is that class locations change from week to week. This threw me off and annoyed me initially, but I got used to it. The university is easy to navigate.

Overall my experience with the classes here has been very positive.