Florian Täschler
Florian took the opportunity to do a double degree in Sweden and spent one additional semester at Linköping University.
Field of study: MSc Chemistry
Stay abroad: Double Degree
Host institution: Linköping University
Semester: Fall 2022
What made you decide, what motivated you to go abroad?
The main reason for me to go abroad was to participate in the Double Degree program of the School of Life Sciences. This additional master's degree at a foreign university gives me the opportunity to do a PhD afterwards. Of course, it was also a great motivation to gain new experiences, both personally and professionally. A new environment and a different university have broadened my personal as well as professional horizons.
Why did you choose your host institution/country?
As part of the double degree program, students can choose between the host countries Sweden (Linköping) and the Czech Republic (Prague). However, for me as an organic synthetic chemist, only Linköping came into question because of the subjects. While Linköping teaches more synthetic and analytical chemistry, Prague teaches more chemical-technical subjects.
What is your everyday life like?
The everyday life of the students is not very different from what I have already experienced at the FHNW. The only differences are the size of the university and the number of extracurricular activities. The university has a real "campus" which consists of several buildings. So you don't always have classes in the same building, which makes for variety and fresh air in between.
There are many more extracurricular activities and events, such as parties, than at the FHNW, especially since many more students live together in housing estates.
What surprised you the most about your stay abroad?
The size of the university campus, the many students and the bicycles. In Linköping, everything is done by bicycle. Almost everyone rides a bike. Whether to the lecture at the university or to the city, everything is done by bike. Even in the cold and snow!
What tips would you give to future exchange students?
If I had known at the beginning that the Swedes were such nice and friendly people, I would have needed much less convincing to travel there. By the way, the lecturers, who were always friendly and helpful, also belong to this people.
Other special experiences you would like to share.
Personally, I really like the "you" culture and the flat hierarchy in Sweden. You can address all people (including professors, etc.) by their first name, which extremely lowers the "imaginary" barriers to asking a question or starting a conversation.
At the university, there are so-called "overalls." We know these as full body overalls to paint on. In Sweden, these overalls are a part of student life. Each field of study has its own color with its own dividing strip on the side. On this you sew your name and "patches" that you get at every party. These overalls are then worn at every student party. This is just one of many very fun and imaginative student traditions.
