Name : Wakana Harada
English Education Course (Undergraduate)
Study Abroad Period : January 2025 - January 2026
Host University : Uppsala University, Sweden

Uppsala University

Why do you want to study abroad? Why are you interested in studying in Sweden?
While I was in Sweden, I was often asked, "Why did you choose Uppsala University in Sweden?" "To improve your English?" "To meet new people?" Whatever the reasons may be, it is important to be clear about your motivation when taking on such a big challenge.
At first, my reasons were quite general. I wanted to interact with people from different countries and broaden my perspective. Of course, I also wanted to improve my English, as I hope to become an English teacher. These goals, however, could have been achieved in many countries.
So why Sweden? Why Uppsala University?
What drew me there was its uniquely international environment. Uppsala University has many international students from all over the world, which creates a truly diverse and stimulating place to learn. In addition, I was particularly interested in the Swedish education system, which is known for its flexibility and student-centered approach. I wanted to study education in such an environment together with international students.
During my time there, I built friendships with people from around the world and shared our cultures and languages, which was a wonderful experience. I also discovered Sweden's diversity and its flexible education system which I would not have gained if I had stayed in Japan.

CoursesI took

I took all my courses in the Department of Education. In general, the classes were structured around lectures where professors delivered the main content, and seminars where students actively discussed topics or academic papers. Students were required to read academic articles in advance to prepare for each class. During the seminars, we shared our opinions and experiences based on our different cultural backgrounds.
The two courses that stood out to me the most were "Leadership in the Classroom" and "Education and Teaching."
In "Leadership in the Classroom", I learned how teachers should present themselves in front of students. Body postures, voice, eye contact are essential elements of effective teaching. As part of the course, we conducted short teaching demonstrations, and the instructor carefully observed our behavior and provided detailed feedback. I had never received such specific feedback on my posture before, so I found it particularly insightful!
In "Education and Teaching", we were given the opportunity to complete a three-week internship at a local school. I did my internship at a primary school, and I observed classes and taught Japanese culture in English. I noticed that the classrooms were highly multicultural, and students and teachers accepted each other's backgrounds. This experience gave me a deeper understanding of inclusive education in practice.

My life in Sweden

My life in Sweden was quite different from my daily life in Japan. In Japan, I attended university, worked part-time jobs and spent time with my friends, which kept me busy every day. However, during my stay in Sweden, I had much more time to relax and go out with my friends, even while attending classes and studying. I felt that people in Sweden tend to live at a slower pace and take time to reflect on how to make their lives more meaningful. To be honest, I had never really thought about what makes my life meaningful before. However, during my stay in Sweden, I had the opportunity to reflect on myself and reconsider how I want to live my life in the future.

I often spent time with my friends, talking at cafés, studying together, traveling, walking, and cooking. Since I lived in a dormitory, it was easy to hang out with my friends and dormmates. They helped me a lot throughout the year, and their presence made my experience in Sweden even more meaningful.

What I gained

　I was greatly inspired by my friends and host family that I met in Sweden, which encouraged me to grow both personally and academically. They all had different backgrounds and values; however, they were able to connect simply by spending time together and sharing their thoughts.
During my summer vacation, I stayed with a Swedish host family for one and half months. I spent most of my time with the children and my host mother. For her, I was the first Asian girl she had ever hosted, and for me they were my first host family.
During the first week, I experienced some difficulties due to cultural differences in daily life. I felt confused at first and held myself back because I didn't want to be a burden. However, my host mother told me, "Just talk to me; otherwise I won't know what you want or what you are thinking." After hearing this, my mindset changed, and I began to express myself more openly.
Through this experience, I came to understand that genuine connection and mutual understanding cannot be achieved without a willingness to engage with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Furthermore, I realized that the depth of such understanding depends largely on the extent to which we are willing to make an effort to understand one another. For instance, my host mother took the initiative to learn about Japan on her own, and her effort made me feel truly understood. This, in turn, encouraged me to open up and communicate more honestly.

Advice

Start to prepare immediately!!!
Studying abroad requires more time and effort than you might expect. Don't miss such a valuable opportunity due to lack of preparation. I strongly encourage you to start preparing for English tests such as IELTS or TOEFL. It is also important to talk to your family, teachers and senior students about your plans to study abroad. I would not have been able to achieve my goals without everyone's support throughout my journey.

I have a blog (on note) where I share my experiences in greater detail, so please try searching for it.I hope it will be helpful for those who are considering studying abroad.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who supported me and to all the people I met during my time in Sweden. This experience would not have been possible without them, and I will always cherish the connections I made.