3. Exchange university California State University, Dominguez Hills. 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish autumn semester (HT)

Person 59 Basic Information 1. Name Lisa Stagnell Johansson 2. E-mail address: lisa.stagnell.johansson@hotmail.com 3. Exchange university California State University, Dominguez Hills 4. City Carson 5. Country USA 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish autumn semester (HT) 7. Academic year 2014/2015 8. What subject area/s did you study during your exchange? Kinesiology, Theatre, Communication, etc. 9. Level of studies at the exchange university Undergraduate 10. What are you studying at Uppsala University? Grundlärarprogrammet, F-3 11. How many years of study had you completed before going on exchange? 3 Studies 12. Tell us about your studies on your exchange. If you are stuck for ideas you can for exemple write about: The differences between Uppsala University and the exchange. What were the teachers like? What courses would you recommend (or not) for future exchange students? The relationship between teachers and students. The academic level and quality of your courses. Access to computers. Examinations... Det finns ganska många skillnader mellan att studera på ett svenskt- och ett amerikanskt universitet. För det första så får du välja dina kurser själv och planera ditt eget schema. Många studenter, mig inkluderat, valde tider och dagar på kurser så att en fick även fredagar lediga. Sök kurser så tidigt som du kan! De fylls upp väldigt fort! I många fall kan du ha tur att crasha kurser, men det beror helt på lärare. För det andra har alla lektioner obligatorisk närvaro, vilket skiljer sig från Uppsala där många föreläsningar är valfria. Lärare och deras utlärningsstil skiljer sig otroligt mycket från person till person. Lättast att hitta en lärare som passar en själv gör en genom att göra en snabb sökning på ratemyprofessor.com, oftast stämmer recensionerna väldigt bra! Vissa lärare kör med pop quizzes, andra med väldigt svåra midterms och finals, och vissa med sina prov och dyl. online. Ett hett tips är att prata med din professor och göra dig sedd, detta underlättar om du behöver hjälp eller ha kontakt med denne, då de oftast hellre tar tid till att hjälpa dem de känner till. Många av lärarna jag mötte var väldigt dedikerade till sina ämnen och brann för sitt yrke! Det gjorde min tid i Carson ännu bättre. Många visste vem en var och kunde t.o.m. sina elevers förnamn! Skillnad från Uppsala som är större i skala och blir då mer opersonlig. Det gäller verkligen att läsa de kapitel i litteraturen som är anvisad, annars hamnar en lätt efter och får det svårare med alla de hemläxor som ges ut. För hemläxor får en, vissa lärare ger ut fler än andra. Jag hade svårt att avgöra hur mycket jag var tvungen att studera inför midterms och finals, så jag tog tid till att göra just det, studera. Jag tog grundnivå-kurser, alltså runt 100-200 nivå kurser, och hade inga problem med att få bra betyg. Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 174 av 616

Orientation and reception 13. Tell us about how it was to arrive and settle in. Vi blev inbjuden till en obligatorisk orientation som började en vecka innan skolan. Där fick vi träffa våra kontaktpersoner på skolan, campus-polisen var där, samt andra personer och organistationer som kunde vara användbara. Därefter hade några amerikanska studenter skrivit upp sig som faddrar, så tillsammans med dem åkte vi utbytesstudenter och åt lunch på en mexikanskt restaurang i närheten. Dagen efter träffades alla utbytesstudenter och vi blev visade runt på skolan. Jag kan inte kalla det mycket till orientation, men det var kul att de hade faddrar som ville visa oss runt. Jag och några till utbytesstudenter blev vän med några av dem och de hjälpte till otroligt mycket! Skjutsade runt oss till olika affärer så vi kunde köpa det nödvändiga till våra hem, mat osv. Så åkte vi till en strand eller två också. Accommodation 14. Describe your accommodation. What type of accommodation did you have, where you satisfied? Do you have any tips for future students? Jag bodde på universitetets housing i dorms, kändes som det säkraste då jag inte visste mycket om områdena runtom, samt att jag tänkte att det var ett bra sätt att lära känna folk. Jag trivdes otroligt bra! Människorna som bodde där var väldigt jordnära och det var en härlig stämning. Jag hittade bra och nära vänner väldigt fort, och om en ville så var det inte svårt att hitta nya bekantskaper. Det var inte så stort, men de hade två basket- och volleybollplaner. Det vanligaste var att bo i en 1 bedroom double, vilket betydde att en bodde i en lägenhet med 1 sovrum för 2 pers., eller en 3 bedroom double, vilket var att en bodde i en lägenhet med 3 sovrum med 2 pers i varje rum. Jag bodde min första termin i 1 bedroom double, men flyttade min andra termin till en 3 bedroom double. Jag trivdes mycket bättre med mitt boende min andra termin, men jag bodde då också med mina vänner. Om en vill hitta amerikanska vänner på ett enkelt sätt så rekomenderar jag 3 bedroom double. Ingen utav dormsen är nybyggda lyxlägenheter, men de är inte heller sunkiga. Tips är också att söka boende i tid, när en blir antagen får en länkar osv för att söka boende, de har begränsat med platser, så sök innan deadline. Ha i åtanke att Dominguez är en commuter school. Många studenter bor fortfarande hemma eller i egna lägenheter, samt att många åker hem till sina föräldrar på helgerna. Så ibland kunde det kännas ganska tomt. Det är inte helt öde, men troligtvis färre studenter än på andra campus. De har också nyligen blivit väldigt strikta med festande i dormsen, så det var inte alltid mycket hålligång. Your finances 15. Describe the cost of living. Did you find CSN adequate? How was the rent in comparison to your rent in Uppsala? Did you undertake part-time work in addition to your studies? Hyran är dyrare än i Uppsala, men en får också mer pengar av CSN än när en studerar i Sverige. Jag tyckte den summa jag fick av CSN räckte gott och väl. Jag reste inte mycket, åkte på småresor inom kalifornien och till Las Vegas några gånger, och för mig räckte det nästan och blev över. Att rekomendera är att ha sparpengar för säkerhetsskull, men Carson är inte dyrt att bo i överlag. Om en ville fanns det möjlighet att jobba på campus, men jag gjorde det ej. Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 175 av 616

Free time 16. What did you do in your free time? Did the university arrange any special activities? Where there any activities specifically for exchange students? Were you happy with what was on offer? Carson ligger beläget mittemellan downtown L.A och Long Beach vilket gör att det finns ett ganska stort utbud av saker att göra, bara en hyfsat kort resa bort. Kollektivtrafiken är inte den bästa, men det går relativt lätt att ta sig till olika platser med buss. Uber (kan liknas med taxi som körs av privatpersoner) är en tjänst som fungerar mycket bra och är ett alternativ. Universitetet och housing arrangerade olika event lite nu och då, inga i större skalor, men oftast vid hödtider firades det med mat och dyl. Olika organistationer fixade också gratis evenemang som exempelvis olika typer av träning på tisdagar, tävlingar, och annat. Under midterms och finals gavs det ofta ut gratis mat och snacks vissa tider på dagen under en vecka. De anordnade också exempelvis puppy parties där en fick mysa med hundvalpar för att lugna nerverna för en stund. Det anordnades inte mycket för utbytesstudenter. Det anordnades första terminen luncher för utbytesstudenter, dessa lades tyvärr på tider då jag hade lektion så jag hade aldrig möjlighet att närvara. Det fanns också ett mångkulturcentrum som en kunde engagera sig i, men det var det närmaste en kunde komma något som var specifikt för utbytesstudenter. Jag var nöjd med det utbyte som fanns, även om jag ibland kunde önska att det anordnades fler och mer storskaliga evenemang när jag hörde om vad som ibland anordnades på andra skolor. Men i efterhand så är jag nöjd då det ändå nästan varje vecka hände något speciellt. Your exchange on the whole 17. Please sum up your exchange experience. If you have any other tips for future exchange students, or any other comments feel free to include them here. Jag hade en helt fantastisk och underbar tid på Dominguez Hills! Det är en liten skola vilket gör det lättare att lära känna människor och känna igen folk. Kulturen är ganska urban, vilket passade mig som handen i handsken. Skolan är väldigt mångkulturell och det finns många olika kulturer och människor att ta del och lära av. Skräms inte av att skolan ligger nära Compton, jag var aldrig rädd när jag var i varken Carson eller Compton, en lär sig var det är bättre och sämre att röra sig. Människorna där var i min uppfattning väldigt varma! Viben i Carson är väldigt annorlunda från LA och Long Beach, men att bo i mitten gav mig chansen att få det bästa av alla världar. De vänner jag fann på Dominguez kommer jag behålla resten av livet. Eftersom det är ett låginkomst område så har inte många möjlighet att följa med en på resor, så letar en efter ressällskap att upptäcka Nordamerika med, kanske detta inte är skolan för dig, men har du andra intentioner kanske den passar dig bättre. Jag hoppas fler ser California State Univesity Dominguez Hills som ett alternativ när de söker till Cal State. I vilket fall som helst så är kalifornien helt underbart och har mycket att erbjuda! Har du möjlighet att åka på utbyte, gör det! Jag ångrar mig inte en sekund och hade inte ens hemlängtan en enda gång under mitt år på andra sidan världen. Kunde jag skulle jag ha stannat längre. Ett garanterat minne för livet som får en att växa på många olika plan. Approval 18. Your report will be available for future exchange students in printed form at the International Office and will be sent by email to individual students requesting it. Do you also approve the publishing of your exchange report on Uppsala University s website? Yes Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 176 av 616

19. Do you have any photos you would like to upload and include in your exchange report? - 20. Please tell us a little bit about the picture/s. - 21. Publishing of pictures - Thank you for submitting your exchange report! Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 177 av 616

Person 132 Basic Information 1. Name Sandra Tran 2. E-mail address: saandratran@hotmail.com 3. Exchange university California State University 4. City Fullerton 5. Country USA 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish autumn semester (HT) 7. Academic year 2014/2015 8. What subject area/s did you study during your exchange? Environmental Engineering 9. Level of studies at the exchange university Undergraduate 10. What are you studying at Uppsala University? Energy systems engineering 11. How many years of study had you completed before going on exchange? 3 years Studies 12. Tell us about your studies on your exchange. If you are stuck for ideas you can for exemple write about: The differences between Uppsala University and the exchange. What were the teachers like? What courses would you recommend (or not) for future exchange students? The relationship between teachers and students. The academic level and quality of your courses. Access to computers. Examinations... CSUF har många slags kurser att erbjuda så det är inte svårt att hitta något som är intressant. Kurserna sträcker sig över en hel termin. Oftast hade man läxor varje vecka, 2-3 midterms (duggor) och en sluttenta i varje kurs. Det var även vanligt med grupparbeten och presentationer. Antalet studenter per kurs var oftast 15-20 personer. I ingenjörskurserna dock var det 60-80 personer per kurs. Eftersom antalet studenter är mindre i varje kurs så fick man en bra kontakt med lärarna. Lärarna jag hade var mycket hjälpsamma och duktiga. Det fanns gott om datorer och plats att studera om man behövde det. De flesta kurserna jag tog tyckte jag varit bra. Om man har ett stort intresse för miljö rekommenderar jag verkligen att läsa miljökurserna på filosofi- och/eller ingenjörsfakulteten. De har fokus på andra saker än vad vi har i Sverige. Kinesiology och women s studies kurserna var också mycket bra. Orientation and reception 13. Tell us about how it was to arrive and settle in. Vi hade endast en dag av orientation där alla utbytesstudenter samlades och fick information. Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 386 av 616

Accommodation 14. Describe your accommodation. What type of accommodation did you have, where you satisfied? Do you have any tips for future students? Jag hittade boende när jag var på plats men det var svårt eftersom de flesta bostäderna på/nära campus var fyllda vid skolstart. Det bästa är därför att hitta boende innan man åker iväg. Den lägenheten jag bodde i låg 10 min gångavstånd till campus. Jag hade många håltimmar i mitt schema så det var skönt att ha möjligheten att gå hem mellan lektionerna. Your finances 15. Describe the cost of living. Did you find CSN adequate? How was the rent in comparison to your rent in Uppsala? Did you undertake part-time work in addition to your studies? Jag spenderade mer under året än vad jag normalt gör i Uppsala men det var på grund av att jag reste mycket när jag var där. Csn räckte ändå till. Free time 16. What did you do in your free time? Did the university arrange any special activities? Where there any activities specifically for exchange students? Were you happy with what was on offer? Det var många student clubs/organizations som anordnade mycket aktiviteter så gå med i en sådan om du känner att du har tiden för det. Det fanns även event som var öppna för alla studenter men det fanns inga specialla event för utbytesstudenter som jag visste om. Utöver det reste jag runt mycket i USA. Det finns mycket roligt att se och göra så passa på! Your exchange on the whole 17. Please sum up your exchange experience. If you have any other tips for future exchange students, or any other comments feel free to include them here. Utbytesåret var en fantastisk och lärorik upplevelse! Jag rekommenderar alla att åka på utbyte. Approval 18. Your report will be available for future exchange students in printed form at the International Office and will be sent by email to individual students requesting it. Do you also approve the publishing of your exchange report on Uppsala University s website? Yes 19. Do you have any photos you would like to upload and include in your exchange report? - 20. Please tell us a little bit about the picture/s. - 21. Publishing of pictures I approve of my pictures being published and used in Uppsala University s marketing of international exchanges Thank you for submitting your exchange report! Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 387 av 616

Person 52 Basic Information 1. Name Per 2. E-mail address: per-englund@hotmail.com 3. Exchange university California State University 4. City Long Beach 5. Country United States 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish autumn semester (HT) 7. Academic year 2014/2015 8. What subject area/s did you study during your exchange? Mainly related to business 9. Level of studies at the exchange university Undergraduate 10. What are you studying at Uppsala University? Masters of Law 11. How many years of study had you completed before going on exchange? 4 years Studies 12. Tell us about your studies on your exchange. If you are stuck for ideas you can for exemple write about: The differences between Uppsala University and the exchange. What were the teachers like? What courses would you recommend (or not) for future exchange students? The relationship between teachers and students. The academic level and quality of your courses. Access to computers. Examinations... STUDYING AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY LONG BEACH First of all it must be said that studying abroad is fantastic and I would recommend it to everyone, but before you apply you have to figure out what you want to achieve during your exchange. You can adjust your schedule depending on how much spare time you want to have and how much academic skills you want to gain from this year. How do I apply for classes and how many do I need? You are excpected to study at least 12 units a semester while studying abroad. A normal class is 3 units, while sports classes (see below) usually are 1 unit. From what I know 12 units are enough to cover the requirements from CSN, but in case you have a scholarship etc. you might have to check with your Swedish departments if you have to study 15 units or not. You probably wanna take as difficult classes as possible don t be scared of the level. If you want classes on equivalent level of your Swedish studies you might have to sneak into a grad-class. This is not included in our exchange program but the international office at Long Beach are really flexible and might be able to help you. The most difficult part of this process is to 1. understand what classes you wanna have, and 2. to get those classes. Since you have to apply before you arrive you might wanna do as much research online as possible. A good way to find the perfect classes might be to e-mail the sutiable departments and ask. Their helpfulness may vary. Another VERY IMPORTANT tool will be WWW.RATEMYPROFESSOR.COM. This site tells you a lot about the professors, their classes and how much you will learn. Remember that one factor at the site is how EASY Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 150 av 616

the professor is, this is not necessarily a good thing since it may be an indication that the class is useless for your education. Even if you only want to study 4 classes you should find more, maybe 8-10 classes. When you arrive they will see you as a freshman, which is a person without academic experience. In other words you don t have any prerequisites to show them and this will limit your options extremely. The good part of the story is that you in fact are educated and super smart. What you have to do is to contact the international office and tell them/convince them (I just told them I m used to study) that you have the skills required (which you of course have). They will than contact the concerned departments and tell them that you are skilled. This process will most certainly take more time than you think is convenient and many of your classes might be full before you get a confirmation. This is the reason why you need to add many classes to your enrollment shopping cart. Hopefully you will be happy with what you get. During your first two weeks (or something like that) you will have the opportunity to swop classes if seats are free. Use this opportunity to get useful, fun classes with good professors. If you wanna improve your english language I reccommend you to take a class or two at the English Department. Basically all my examinations were multiple-choice instead of papers and I wish I had the opportunity to practice my writing skills more. What about me? During the first semester my classes were mostly at a very low level 100-200. But during the 2nd semester they were all on 300 level (which is regarded more difficult - about a C-class in Sweden I think). Outside logic my 2nd semester was the easier one. This was both because the studies included subjects I know since before but also because the difficulty is so depending on the specific professor. Most of my classes were within the field of Business. Constructing the perfect schedule Most classes include two lectures a week á 75 min or one lecture with double length. They will be scheduled the same hours through the whole semester which gives you a lot of control over the schedule (when you choose your classes). During my second semester I only had classes Tuesdays and Thursdays which gave me really long weekend. Depending on how time consuming the classes are this was a winning concept since my two days of school were really compact and gave me a lot of time for excercise, fun and studying (if needed). Kineseology Like other universities Cal. State has Kin-classes (which is sports classes). They are free and will give you the opportunity to practice sports in school. I had both a soccer and a golf class that I dropped. If you are comfortable and used to the sport you will probably find the level a bit to simple and I therefore reccommend that you pick new sport, dance, or activity if you want to take this kind of class. Surfing is popular but expensive since you need to equip yourself. The education system The variation may be severe between your classes but most professors I had used the same concept in every classes. Some professors require that you attend the classes while others don t give a damn. Some classes are small and the professor involve the students a lot in the conversation while others just lecture without asking questions. A lot of this information may be find at RATEMYPROFESSOR. Also the exams may vary. As I mentioned basically all mine were multiple-choice which Scandinavians complain a lot about, both because we are awsome with analysis (which is irrelevant in these exams) but also because it feels less serious than other examinations. Information about the examinations may be found at CSULB.EDU or at RATEMYPROFESSOR.COM. How are the professors? Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 151 av 616

This can, of course, vary a lot. My main impression is that they are a bit scared of RATE- MYPROFESSOR. Most of the professors actually mentioned the site at least once. This is both good and bad. Basically all my professors tried to be cool, fun and to communicate well. All of them took their time to help individual students when requested and they were good listeners. On the other hand they usually get popular by giving good grades which might be bad and affect the level of learning. All in all the students respect the professors at the same time as most professors are really cool and communicates well. About the CSULB Campus California State University, Long Beach is a solid school with a modern campus located closer to the beach than any Cal. State. The facilities with newly renovated classroomes, restaurants, free physical health services (including pools and jacuzzi) etc. were superb. Unfortunately the internet at school was crappy. Usually sufficient but most of the time anoyingly bad. Summin up Take your time to get classes that you think will be both useful and fun. You wil probably have time for both education and travelling anyway. Your main lesson from this year will probably not be from the University anyway. Orientation and reception 13. Tell us about how it was to arrive and settle in. If travelling to LAX take the Blue Shuttle Bus to your location in Long Beach. When school starts they will arrange some activites at school. I barely went to these since I was busy with other stuff, but I reccommend you to go. You will meet friends and get good information. Do it! Getting a place to stay will be your main stress. See below. Accommodation 14. Describe your accommodation. What type of accommodation did you have, where you satisfied? Do you have any tips for future students? I stayed at two different residences. Both of them were in Belmont Shore close to the beach. I stayed with german students only during the first semester and with english students the 2nd semester. During the 2nd the landlord was also living in the house but we had our own flat. I ve been super satisfied even as it was a bit too pricy. How to find accommodation? For some reason a lot of the international students in Long Beach went there because they want to live near the beach. I was one of them and this choice creates a conflict where you wanna live 1. close to school, and 2. closer to the beach. Try to combine these interests if possible. A problem is that the Long Beach-beach (Belmont Shore) is not a splendid California Beach, I only used it for runs and beach walks (sometimes tanning). If you wanna do good surfing, spy on hotties, and be in the nicest waters you will go south to Seal Beach, HUNTINGTON BEACH, Newport beach or Laguna Beach. With a or car it s not far, but it will be a bit far if you wanna live closer to the beach than school. I got the perfect solution by living at Belmont Shore so I could see and use the beach anytime, only living 3km from school and still just have 15-30 min to all the main beaches (where you will wanna spend your beach time). Living close to Belmont Shore is usually quite pricy and it may be difficult to find, but in my case it was worth the troubles. The best way to find a place is probably to walk around the neigbourhood and knock on doors or call the given number when you see a Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 152 av 616

for rental sign (and they are everywhere). Tell them that you are a student from Sweden and that we get government funding for our studyies to increase your chances. Another option is to apply for accommodation at the student dorms. I never even visited the dorms but the rumor whispers that they are a bit pricy, people are very young and alcohol is prohibited. Instead most of my international friends stayed at a complex called Beverly Plaza, this will probably be your easiest pick. Team up with other internationals to lower the rent (from what I can recall the rent can be between 400-900 dollar depending on how many you are sharing with). BP is a good place for you who like a good party (since most parties will be here, even though the guards usually complain several times a night). More than that there are several pools and jacuzzis for the residents. NOTE: I ve heard that the reviews tell about cockroaches etc. You have to remember that this is not Sweden, you will see cockroaces probably wherever you stay. Just make sure to get the proper CR-defence and you ll be fine. Concerning accommodation you have to have in mind that Los Angeles and Long Beach are infested with crimes like no other place. There are many spots you wanna avoid to be on the safe side. My advice to people is usually to live between the ocean and 7th street but not to close to downtown. The closer to the ocean the nicer. Beverly Plaza and dorms are safe. Everything in Orange County and Naples is safe. Don t be scared about this, common sense will keep you dry and I never got in trouble. Your finances 15. Describe the cost of living. Did you find CSN adequate? How was the rent in comparison to your rent in Uppsala? Did you undertake part-time work in addition to your studies? This is, of course, highly depedent on the currency exchange rate. From the beginning it was all cheap for me but in the end it was tough. It is expensive to live in California. You can get a lower rent if sharing a room but if you want your own door to close you have to expect paying about 650 + dollar a month. Of course there are cheaper neighbourhoods but you should stay safe and close to school and beach (see below). Food is about the prices as in Sweden. Gas is cheaper than at home even though California is more expensive than most states. This makes having a car an even better idea. Get a phone plan with friends in the beginning. Walk into T-mobile at the Traffic Cirle and sign up during your first days. For about 25 dollar a month you ll get a decent phone plan. Shopping is cheaper than at home. My student funding was not sufficient even though I had the maximum amount. But I did everything I wanted to, never cooked my own food etc. If you just added a bit of brain to my behaviour the funding will be sufficient. Free time 16. What did you do in your free time? Did the university arrange any special activities? Where there any activities specifically for exchange students? Were you happy with what was on offer? Where to party? LA is huge and all kinds of clubs and bars are to be found. It will take about 30-40 minutes to go to LA with car if the traffic is decent. So within that range you get everything. IF you have a driver you HAVE TO go to Good Times at Davey Waynes in Hollywood. This speak-easy bar is super cool (if you like more hipster-ish). A lot of other clubs will be in Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 153 av 616

Hollywood as well. Other places (that I have not been) with good reputation is the Bungalow in Santa Monica and the Avalon. If you want a good bar all the southern beach cities are good options ( Seal, Huntington, Newport, Laguna). If you wanna go clubbing the Long Beach Party Bus can be a good option to. You will hear about this among the internationals since its a big event. A bus will take you from Beverly Plaza to a Hollywood club and than back. The bus is a big dancefloor and the ride is a lot of fun. Usually the ride is better than the club. In general Hollywood was never my favourite spot because of all tourism and focus on beauty, although clubbing in Hollywood is probably the best way to meet celebreties (at least if you are a girl - yes it s super sexist). Long Beach itself is not the perfect party city. Even as the univeristy houses a lot of students most of them are youger than 21 and will not be found in bars. Both 2nd street (in Belmont Shore) and Long Beach downtown have a lot of bars but not many clubs. A lot of things will happen at Panama Joe s (2nd street) in the beginning of your semester. PJ s is a bar that wants to be a club. The prices are kind a good and you will probably know people to get even better prices within two weeks. No matter what you think about PJ s you should go to this place with internationals in the beginning to make friends. We went several times a week the first semester and became such big and close group of people. Another place at 2nd is Dogz where you will be requested to shot the dog in order to get a cap, good fun - tough tomorrow. Fun bars in downtown Long Beach are The Blind Donkey, Auld Dubliner and The Federal. If you feel more like meeting Americans you can go to the hipster bars at 4th street (The Pike, Red Room etc.). Especially the Pike is fun and they usually have live music. The gay scene in Long Beach is major with most bars on Broadway, look for Mine Shaft. At tuesdays a lot of internationals might head to Iguana Kelly s. This is a quite a nasty bar in a less nice neigbourhood, although the beer is one dollar and it will be fun with the correct company. Where to eat? It s not a big problem to find good food in Long Beach (just like the rest of America). Shoreline Village in downtown is a beautiful spot with lots of restaurants. My preference is the Southern Style Louisiana Kitchen (don t remember the name) at the end of the pier. Eat the Jambalaya. 2nd street also have a plenty of good restaurants such as Open Sesamme, Phonomenon, Legends or the small Irish tavern Shannons. Taco Tuesday (cheap beer and taco) is a major thing in Southern California. We went basically every tuesday before going to Iguana Kelly s. Best place is El Torazo at the crossing between Temple Avenue and 10th street. It looks kinda crappy but the shrimp taco is amazing and beer is 1,25 dollar. OTHER ADVICE AND USEFUL INFORMATION Get a car! This is major. California has SO much to offer but without a car you won t see it. Even if you live close to LA you will not see much of it without a car. Renting i expensive. Take the risk of buying one together with friends. We had a convertible Chrysler for one semester and it increased our experience X10. Public Transport The bus system in Long Beach was free for me as a student (and it IS a good idea to take the bus instead of your car to school) so try to be close to a bus that takes you to school. Metro is slow. Dangers Stay safe! Downtown LA (Financial Districts, Bunker hill) are NOT safe at night. They are close to the Skid Row and you should not be here without a car, maybe avoid it anyway. Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 154 av 616

People will tell you to avoid public transport both because its slow and because its not safe. Taking the bus IN Long Beach is actually pretty good and safe enough, at least during the day. Taking the Blue Line Metro from Long Beach to LA might be sketchy as the line goes through Compton and other famous gangster hoods. I ve been using the Blue Line a few times and never had any problems with it, but the police once gave me advice to use other transportation. SUMMING UP: I ve been living in LA County for 10 month and nothing ever happened me or my friends, you will be fine if you keep in mind that some areas might be dangerous. Who will I spend time with? A lot of internationals including myself go to America and expect to spend all their time with Americans instead of other internationals. I joined sport teams and a fraternaty to meet American friends. It was quite difficult since they had other priorities and were younger. I ended up having a few really close american friends and a lot of shallow ones, but most of my friends were internationals. I quite early realized that other exchange students will have the same agenda as you, which is they want to travel and experience California while the Americans struggle more with school. Since all of you are new to the area you will have a lot to explore together. My advice is just to not avoid exchange students. Where do I celebrate Springbreak? Many students go to Lake Havasuu for the classical American Pie party springbreak. I went to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico instead. Since a lot of people dissuade visiting Mexico by car the flight to Cabo is to prefer. Springbreak might be your only possible chance due to a busy schedule. How do I travel? Again get yourself a car, AND Get yourself a tent! It s a good investment for a travelling group of people and will provide a lot of joy. We went camping many times during our roadtrips and its both more fun and cheap than hotels and motels. Campfires with mashmallows and beer will enhence your experience. My favourite spots in and around California I ve been around California a lot: San Fransisco x2, Catalina Island x2, Las Vegas (Nevada) x2, Grand Canyon, Salton Sea, San Diego x4, Yosemite, Death Valley, Mexico, Hawaii, Big Bear Lake, etc. There is a lot to see, you will not have time for it all in one year. Two favourites are San Fransisco (via Highway 1) which is a given to visit, especially for a Scandinavian person since the atmosphere is more like at home. A less crowded and less visited place is to take a roadtrip around the Salton Sea in the inland of Southern California. Along the road are the exclusive but boring Palm Springs, the abandoned but fascinating Bombay beach, the hippie hometown of Slab City, but most of all the Salvation Mountain. Google these spots. Your exchange on the whole 17. Please sum up your exchange experience. If you have any other tips for future exchange students, or any other comments feel free to include them here. My year can be divided in two parts where the first one was a party experience and the other one a travel experience. I liked them both a lot. From the beginning I spent a lot of time to get installed and to meet new friends. I avoided exchange students and wanted to spend time with Americans, but than I realized that the exchange students were awsome people that wanted to do what I wanted to do. We became a big group and had a lot of nice parties. After a while we started to take initiatives to make trips and we ended up exploring every corner of California. Partying might be fun but it will never be better than roadtrippin with your friends, drinking a beer Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 155 av 616

around a campfire while sharing stories. I ve enjoyed every day, but travelling has been the most rewarding part of my year. The main advice I can give you is to activate yourself. A lot of exchange students stay at home and create a boring way of life. There is so much do to in California and a lot is free. Don t stay at home wathing tv-shows, there will be time for that later. Go see something new, taste new food or talk to a stranger. That will reward you. You are very welcome to contact me with any question. //// Per Englund per-englund@hotmail.com 0705688889 Approval 18. Your report will be available for future exchange students in printed form at the International Office and will be sent by email to individual students requesting it. Do you also approve the publishing of your exchange report on Uppsala University s website? Yes 19. Do you have any photos you would like to upload and include in your exchange report? http://doit.medfarm.uu.se/kurtattachment/1434373647687355565.jpg 20. Please tell us a little bit about the picture/s. Sunset at Belmont Shore 21. Publishing of pictures I approve of my pictures being published only in this exchange report (web/printed) Thank you for submitting your exchange report! Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 156 av 616

Person 110 Basic Information 1. Name Robert Åman Karlsson 2. E-mail address: rowburt 90@hotmail.com 3. Exchange university California State University Long Beach 4. City Long Beach 5. Country The U.S. 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish autumn semester (HT) 7. Academic year 2014/2015 8. What subject area/s did you study during your exchange? Communication studies, Psychology, Environmental Science, Kinesiology 9. Level of studies at the exchange university Undergraduate 10. What are you studying at Uppsala University? Engineering 11. How many years of study had you completed before going on exchange? 3 Studies 12. Tell us about your studies on your exchange. If you are stuck for ideas you can for exemple write about: The differences between Uppsala University and the exchange. What were the teachers like? What courses would you recommend (or not) for future exchange students? The relationship between teachers and students. The academic level and quality of your courses. Access to computers. Examinations... It is a great experience to have studied abroad. Firstly, you are part of a whole new school system, which gives you some perspective on your own studies in Sweden. Secondly, by studying abroad you will find yourself in new academic situations you have never encountered before, and that makes you grow as a person. There are some differences between studying in Sweden and the U.S. The universities in the U.S. focus more on homework and a continuous workload during the semester, while at Uppsala university the workload usually is a bit less during the semester and then peaks before the exams at the end of the semester. I find it hard to compare the academic level between the countries though since I studied a different major in Long Beach than at home. Overall I would say that the courses at CSULB were a bit easier, but the academic level of the courses could also differ a lot. I would say that the relationship between students and teachers are much closer in the U.S. than in Sweden. There are more questions asked during the classes and the teacher is often seen as an equal (at least that is what a lot of teachers want to accomplish in their classes). In my opinion the teachers at CSULB were more enthusiastic and devoted to their profession than at UU. Maybe that is more common in the Communication studies field than in Engineering though, so the difference could maybe be explained by the difference in subjects. Either way, the teachers at CSULB were great, which made it more fun to study in the U.S.! Finally, I would recommend future exchange students to pick at least one random course that has nothing to do with your major, maybe a sports class, or something else. The universities in the U.S. have such a great diversity when it comes to courses so why not take advantage of it? It might be the only time you will get that opportunity. Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 321 av 616

Orientation and reception 13. Tell us about how it was to arrive and settle in. At CSULB the university held an introduction week for the incoming exchange students when they showed us the campus and gave out necessary information about living and studying in the U.S. It was also a great opportunity to meet new friends among the other international students so I would recommend to be part of as many events as possible. Especially the pub crawl and introduction parties! Accommodation 14. Describe your accommodation. What type of accommodation did you have, where you satisfied? Do you have any tips for future students? One of the most stressful things during the first weeks in the U.S. was my lack of housing. I hadn t arranged any accommodation before arriving so I had to find something when I got there. I had my reasons though, since I wanted to share accommodation with other international students and also live off campus. In the end, everything worked out for the best. I found great people to share a house with and the location was great, but it was a bit of a struggle to get there. I would definitely recommend to share accommodation with english speaking persons (in other words not Swedish people, since you will only speak Swedish to each other at home, trust me) and also to play it cool. You will always find a place to stay, the only thing that will differ is the time it will take to find it. I would say it is better to wait a bit longer and end up with a great place/people than picking the first option available. Your finances 15. Describe the cost of living. Did you find CSN adequate? How was the rent in comparison to your rent in Uppsala? Did you undertake part-time work in addition to your studies? It is hard to say if living in the U.S. is more expensive than in Sweden. It is probably not, but in my case it was, since I traveled a lot and dined out from time to time. I would say that groceries are about the same price (maybe a bit cheaper), while food at restaurants is cheaper. Clothes and shoes are definitely cheaper, and the same goes for electronics and gas. Public transportation (if there are any) is also cheaper. The only more expensive thing I can think of would be the rent, which could be between $600-$1000 in Long Beach depending on how and where to live. CSN probably covered most of the living costs, but since I traveled a lot I always ended up spending more money than I got each month. Therefore I would recommend to save up some money before going abroad because that will give you a freedom to join trips and explore the country in a better way than if you just stay at home and try to live as cheap as possible. Trust me, you will have such a better time if you have some pocket money to spend! Finally, I didn t undertake part-time work during my stay since it is not legal to work in the U.S. when you are there on a student visa. Free time 16. What did you do in your free time? Did the university arrange any special activities? Where there any activities specifically for exchange students? Were you happy with what was on offer? During my free time I traveled a lot with my international friends. We traveled pretty much the whole state of California, from San Francisco in the north to San Diego in the south, and visited a lot of national parks like Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Muir Woods, and Catalina Island. California has such a diverse lanscape and climate so if you go there, travel as much as you can! I would also recommend to go to other states since that will Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 322 av 616

give you a better picture of the country, and how big it is. I didn t participate in any special activities arranged by the university but a lot of my friends were in different sport teams and some of them also tried out the fraternity life. Instead I spent my time hanging out with my international and American friends. We exercised (the gym at CSULB is huge!), went to the beach, explored Los Angeles and went clubbing. Of course I did some homework too. Your exchange on the whole 17. Please sum up your exchange experience. If you have any other tips for future exchange students, or any other comments feel free to include them here. I can honestly say that my year abroad has been the best of my life! I made so many new friends, both international and American, who made my stay in the U.S. totally unforgettable. To actually live in another country and experience another culture gives you both a different perspective on life and makes you grow as a person. The big difference between poverty and wealth is for example something you will soon be aware of when moving to the States. If you are going to the U.S. and plan on staying there for more than one semester, buy a car! I didn t have access to a car the first semester which made traveling much more complicated and restrained me and my friends from exploring the areas. You can avoid this if you make American friends who can drive you places and show you the local stuff, but you get so much more freedom if you actually own a car. I shared a car with some friends the second semester and it was probably one of the best decisions we made during the year, even though the car was almost a wreck... (that was an experience itself though) At some places in America you might be able to get around with public transport, but that is not the case in the areas around Los Angeles. If you go there, car is king. To summarize: if you are planning on going abroad, you are probably making one of the best decisions in life. Be prepared for some culture chocks, but also experiences you would never get in Sweden. Put some effort and time in getting to know other international students, as well as the locals, and travel as much as possible. Finally, enjoy your time being there. It is a real privilege for us to be able to go abroad and study for free (Americans have to pay for a year abroad, something only a handful can afford.) and that is something to be grateful for. Therefore, make the most out of it! Approval 18. Your report will be available for future exchange students in printed form at the International Office and will be sent by email to individual students requesting it. Do you also approve the publishing of your exchange report on Uppsala University s website? Yes 19. Do you have any photos you would like to upload and include in your exchange report? http://doit.medfarm.uu.se/kurtattachment/14367930322068304576.jpg http://doit.medfarm.uu.se/kurtattachment/1436793032332064575.jpg http://doit.medfarm.uu.se/kurtattachment/1436793032513446500.jpg http://doit.medfarm.uu.se/kurtattachment/14367930321700585760.jpg http://doit.medfarm.uu.se/kurtattachment/1436793032165968682.jpg http://doit.medfarm.uu.se/kurtattachment/14367930321675737928.jpg http://doit.medfarm.uu.se/kurtattachment/1436793032666394628.jpg 20. Please tell us a little bit about the picture/s. 1, Long Beach 2, The view after hiking the Hollywood sign 3, One of the pools on campus 4, The Potato Chip Rock outside San Diego 5, Grand Canyon 6, Yosemite 7, Having a car is great! Just make sure it s in decent condition before buying it. Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 323 av 616

21. Publishing of pictures I approve of my pictures being published and used in Uppsala University s marketing of international exchanges Thank you for submitting your exchange report! Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 324 av 616

Person 53 Basic Information 1. Name Ulrika Hofling 2. E-mail address: hofliing@live.se 3. Exchange university California State University Long Beach 4. City Long Beach 5. Country United States of America 6. First semester of your exchange Swedish autumn semester (HT) 7. Academic year 2014/2015 8. What subject area/s did you study during your exchange? Biology, Psychology, Kinesiology 9. Level of studies at the exchange university Undergraduate 10. What are you studying at Uppsala University? Biomedicine 11. How many years of study had you completed before going on exchange? 2 Studies 12. Tell us about your studies on your exchange. If you are stuck for ideas you can for exemple write about: The differences between Uppsala University and the exchange. What were the teachers like? What courses would you recommend (or not) for future exchange students? The relationship between teachers and students. The academic level and quality of your courses. Access to computers. Examinations... The studies were very different from in Sweden. A lot because you study all of the semesters subjects in paralell, and not one at a time as in Sweden. Also, there is more exams and tests, which makes it necessairy to study more regularly and not just cram the last week before the final. But the tests are smaller and more easy than our swedish finals. Some are even multiple choice, and even most of the finals was just like 1h 15min. It was a very good practice to have a different study system to learn to study in a new way. Also, a big difference from the academics in sweden is the sports classes. Even me as a Biology major was free to take sports classes if I wanted. Starting the morning with a surfing class where dolphins and pelicans were joining before going to the campus was just awesome! Orientation and reception 13. Tell us about how it was to arrive and settle in. The campus had a lot of things going on all the time that you could join if you wanted to. The first days I joined for activities and made some friends, but once I got settled in my house I was too busy hanging out with my friends from there instead. But the campus also has a lot of clubs and stuff to join so there is really easy to get to know people and do activities if you want to, just look up the clubs! Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 157 av 616

Accommodation 14. Describe your accommodation. What type of accommodation did you have, where you satisfied? Do you have any tips for future students? I asked the school if they had any housing where I did not have to share a bedroom with someone else, and they got me in contact with a lovely lady that has a accomodation named Elizabethmanor, which is a big house where she rents the rooms out to exchange students from all around. Staying there was the best decition I could have made. I had a great time living with people from different countries and made friends for life, and the land lady Yarina is an amazing woman who took such good care of us! I had my own room while the rest of the house was shared, so I had privacy at the same time as I never had to be alone if I didnt want to. If you are planning on going to Long Beach, I really recommend this housing. Contact me for more information about it! Your finances 15. Describe the cost of living. Did you find CSN adequate? How was the rent in comparison to your rent in Uppsala? Did you undertake part-time work in addition to your studies? The rent was bigger than in Uppsala, but eating out and stuff like that was cheaper in my opinion (and southern California makes it possible to buy fresh fruit, vedgetables and stuff for waay cheaper than I was used to!). I financed myself with CSN and a little bit of personal savings and found it adequate, but then I was travelling around a lot! I did not work in America. Free time 16. What did you do in your free time? Did the university arrange any special activities? Where there any activities specifically for exchange students? Were you happy with what was on offer? I spent most of my time travelling around with my housemates. I think the University arranged more than I was noticing, but I did not really have time to look for it. Since I was living with a lot of other exchange students, we all enjoyed travelling around and seeing what the area had to offer. It was really awesome! Your exchange on the whole 17. Please sum up your exchange experience. If you have any other tips for future exchange students, or any other comments feel free to include them here. I really recommend going on a exchange! Even though I was nervous at first and homesick in the beginning,the year turned out to be totally awesome and I have learned so much about a lot of stuff! About america, but also about a lot of other countries, cultures and religions due to befriending other exchange students. And also about myself and standing on my own two feet. My academic level and english skills rising was also important of course, but this year as a whole gave so much more than that! California and CSULB is beautiful and a big contrast from sweden so if you want an adventure and try something new, I strongly recommend it! Feel free to contact me on my email for more information! Approval 18. Your report will be available for future exchange students in printed form at the International Office and will be sent by email to individual students requesting it. Do you also approve the publishing of your exchange report on Uppsala University s website? Yes Vetenskapsområdet för medicin och farmaci, Uppsala universitet Sida 158 av 616