Getting a Taste of Europe: Student Profile

Studying in Sweden and France for the first and second year respectively of her MSc in Biology, Pianpian Wu is really getting a taste of Europe. 

The 26-year-old hails from China and loves studying in the European continent. After having worked for a biotechnology firm in China for almost four years, Pianpian felt a ‘little limited’ by her bachelor’s degree.

It was then that she decided to ‘take a step up’ and enrol in a master’s program. Her decision to undertake a degree from abroad rather than from her home country China was a conscious step towards gaining international exposure and studying in the homeland of her childhood role model Carl Linnaeus, the renowned Swedish botanist.

Easy to adjust

While in Sweden, where she spent her first year of the program, Pianpian was impressed by the affability of the Swedish people. “They were very friendly and accepting towards foreigners,” she says, adding that this helped her adjust easily in the new country.

She utilized the fika (Swedish for ‘coffee time’) to interact with the faculty and bond with her classmates in a casual and relaxed atmosphere. “Social life at Uppsala University has been absolutely fantastic. I had the opportunity to integrate with students from different parts of the world. The enthusiastic Swedish celebration of foreign festivals such as the Chinese New Year has been one of the most memorable for me,” she says.

However, what impressed her most was the dynamic classroom atmosphere, where students were encouraged to think independently and ask questions. It was something new for her and she refreshingly welcomed it. “Great ideas are encouraged to sparkle here. The inter-disciplinary approach has extended my knowledge in focus areas,” she says.

Specialist strengths

Pianpian is now in France, preparing to do her thesis at the Université Catholique De L'Ouest in Angers, as part of the student exchange program in the second year of her master's degree. She is also taking a course in French at the Centre International D'Études Françaises (CIDEF) to help her have a smooth stay in the country.

Although she finds the education systems of Sweden and France vastly different, there are things she hugely admires about the both of them. While Sweden revealed to her the vast scope of toxicology, she was amazed by France’s advanced knowledge in biomarkers.

Thus, being exposed to the Europe scientific strengths, she feels confident that the decision to do her master’s degree abroad has been the right one, and hopes to learn much from the whole experience. “It is a great learning experience for me as I’ve had a chance to work with people from various disciplines and cultural backgrounds and countries,” she says. 

Advice for others

Having lived in Sweden and France, Pianpian is happy to share with us some wisdom on being an international student. As advice for all Chinese students planning to study abroad, she suggests that applying for a visa well in advance is the best way to keep anxiety at bay.

“For Chinese students sometimes getting a visa can prove to be an annoying process. Applications for a new visa and extensions have to be sent months before your intended trip,” she observes.

She also feels that the popularity of a country and the course should not be the only selection criteria. “Studying abroad should not just be about classroom and lectures, but also living vividly and enjoying what the host country has to offer,” she says. She feels that befriending the locals is the first step towards enjoying your stay in a new country.

When living in France, especially if with a local family (like she is currently), she feels obliged to at least have a basic knowledge of French. As a tip for living in Sweden, Pianpian recommends prospective students to book their student rooms through local housing agencies, since most Swedish universities do not offer hostel facilities.

“France has more choices in student accommodation and allows us to stay with a local French family, on campus or in an apartment. However, it is much limited in Sweden where there is always a shortage of accommodation for students, especially for freshmen,” she says.