Student exchange programmes: what you need to know

Travelling is a worthwhile experience for most people – especially for young people in their prime. Globalisation continues to offer more opportunities and is one of the main catalysts of internationalisation in academia.

In March 2018, I got the chance to take on a global development hub research project (human-centred design thinking) at the Stockholm School of Economics and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, from August 2018 to January 2019.

I was interested in this creative approach to problem-solving that starts with the people who need the designs and ends with solutions tailor-made to suit human needs.

The approach is centred on building deep empathy with people, generating multiple ideas, building multiple prototypes and sharing the outcome with the users.

It can be used across sectors to overcome challenges like product and service design, and space and systems design. The modules are closely tied to sustainable development goals and innovation and impact.

Like any other student, I was exhilarated but at the same time anxious. I was born in Kenya, lived here, went to school here, made friends and did internships here. This is home; almost 90% of my networks are here. Everything I undertake, I do in the Kenyan way.

Getting ready to leave your home country

I submitted my application with all the requisite documentation: motivation letter, transcripts and the courses I was signing up for as per the credits scorecard I had received. I went through an oral interview at my local university, after which I was cleared to apply for my residence permit.

My visa application was accompanied by a consideration letter addressed to the Swedish embassy in Kenya given that it was June and I needed to travel in August to begin my semester on time.

Within two weeks, I got an appointment at the embassy. I had a lot of support during this application phase and the visa application went smoothly.

I had just enrolled for a masters degree in commerce at Strathmore University in Nairobi and started classes in May, 2018. August was the exam window for the first semester exams.

This made my exit plan slightly problematic because I had to miss out on orientation in Sweden (which later came back to haunt me, especially when I needed to locate venues on campus), but I needed to leave Kenya having completed at least 90% of my exams.

For students taking up such an opportunity, it is prudent to plan according to your school calendar. Notably, you may need to travel with cash; I had a 15-hour lay-over in Qatar (this was the shortest I could get, based on flight schedules), but the airport had comfortable, quiet rooms and conveniences, so I did not incur extra costs at a hotel.

I had to convert my dollars to Qatari rial to shop in several stores at the airport as I waited to board the connecting flight.

What I wish I had known from the onset

The highs and lows of being a student in a foreign country:

• Having missed orientation, I had to fully rely on buddies and Google maps as a complementary tool.

• I was attending two different schools at the same time (Stockholm School of Economics and KTH). Luckily, we travelled as a team of four and I met two students from Botswana, making the support structure firm. The buddy system helped with payment systems, medical facilities, transport systems, accommodation, and the general school environment.

• I got lost many times at the train stations, although the routes were clear. The language, washing machines, train cues, public instructions and notices were in Swedish. Google translator became my friend – for instance, I needed to get my laundry done and board the right train.

• Looking back, I suggest you make sure the courses you sign up for are offered in English if you do not speak Swedish.

• The culture is interesting and the learning structure diverse. I made friends from China, Spain, Finland, Sweden and Italy. The weather was a bit hostile, with temperatures below freezing for about three months and long hours of darkness.

• If you do plan on going to Sweden, take care not to miss out on amazing student discounts at various stores and FCMGs (fast-moving consumer goods) such as the Swedish fika.

Reintegrating back home

For your return trip, make sure your luggage is not too heavy, and that you arrive at the airport early and check in on time.

When my flight landed back home, I was eager to meet my people.

It was such an exciting period; however, I was a working student and had been away from work for more than five months from the onset of my contract, so I had to report back almost immediately.

I joined a new intake, and it was rather difficult settling in again, since most graduate students already knew each other and had established relationships in the first semester.

It took some time to get to know people in my masters of commerce cohort. However, what worked in my favour was the familiar environment, since I worked and studied at the same university.

Everyone wanted to hear about my experience. It was a busy season at work and I had extra units to take, including pending special exams.

The next year of my academic life was frustrating, but I managed to hold my head above water by working extra hours to meet my targets, coming to school over the weekends to finish assignments and compensating for the extra units I was taking by directly seeking support from the respective lecturers. Within a year, I was on a par with the rest.

In hindsight, it was a worthwhile experience that I would be willing to take on again – especially now that I know what to expect.

Lavender Awino Okore, 25, is a December 2020 graduate with a masters in commerce in international business management at Strathmore University in Kenya. She is a former academic executive of the Strathmore Student Council and winner of the University’s Chancellor’s Award in 2018. She is passionate about adaptive leadership, social entrepreneurship and the human-centred design thinking approach. Related projects she has been involved in include social integration in Jordbro, a settlement in Stockholm City: Haninge Municipality.