Studying in Sweden: Surviving Group Work

So as I have mentioned here on this blog before, I am back in school, starting a part-time Masters while also running a business and being a full-time Mom (Whatever that means, since I don't know too many part-time Moms – even if your child is somewhere else, you are still the Mom right? Little Swede does go to daycare FWIW)

Anyways, studying in Sweden means Groupwork, and as much as part of the reason I chose my program was because of its advertised lack of groupwork (and I actually wasn't the only one to do so), there was still a little groupwork to get us started.

I find groupwork to be a struggle. But it is true that Swedish groupwork is a pretty good testing ground for working in Swedish groups in 'the real world', it doesn't make it any less frustrating.

So here are my tips for survival – and this time I am not going to apologize for my opinion, because seriously, it is my opinion and that is what it is worth. Please note that this list is made from experiences in courses that I have taken in the past and does not reflect on my current groupwork experience! (Although they are oblivious to this blog anyway).

1. Be careful about grabbing the reins: A great deal of time in your group will be spent hemming and hawing because no one wants to really take the leading role. There will be a lot of 'So, what shall we do?' 'I don't know, what do you think?' 'I don't know, how about you.' This does not mean that nobody in the group has an opinion. It just means they don't want to lead or be first. As someone who in the working world has to lead groups, I find this very difficult to deal with. Mostly because it means a project that should take 1 hour will not take less than 3. I often weigh the options, if I take the lead it means I usually means I will do 70% of the work, but in about 30% of the time. Sometimes I will do this and other times not.
2. Ignore the fact that one person always does nothing or worse, cheats: There will always be someone in the group who does not pull their own weight, mostly by never showing up to any group meetings. This makes my American blood boil because this person will be receiving the same grade I do, when I bust my ass. In discussing it with my groupmates 100% of the time no one thinks it is a good idea to report this lack of participation to the teacher. Not even when one group member submited three pages of directly plagiarized work and I was forced to rewrite it or submit a piece of work with my name on it that had been plagiarized or had a 3 page gap in it could I get the group to report this person to the teacher. I admit, in every case I chickened out of reporting it myself, mostly because we are usually 5 people in the group and I wanted some back-up.
3. Compromise, compromise, compromise – this means just say yes: When I did a group paper in the US it was a crazy experience. We argued, debated, went back and forth and in the end had a nice solid paper we could all agree on. It wasn't pretty, but we all started as strangers and left as friends. In Sweden, I find it hard to debate with my groupmates without becoming 'overbearing.' The thing is they back down right away. And seriously, I may think I am right, but I am not always right. Discussion and debate is a valuable learning tool. But instead it is all, OK, let's see how we can add that' or a quick change of subject. 
   
   
   
   

Studying in Sweden: Can I work and study?

I have gotten a few emails this spring with questions from wannabe students – interested in coming to study in Sweden, but curious about job opportunities. I thought I would post my reply here – in case anyone else was interested. Please note though: I am certainly not an expert in this matter, I can only speak from my own experience as I moved here as a student many many years ago. I realize some things might have changed.

ETA: The info about fees and required income is for students from outside the EU - but the amount can still be seen as a good guideline for any students. (Thanks for pointing this out - AAH). 

Question: I was accepted to a Masters program in Sweden – how easy is it to find a job? Can I easily work while I study?

My take:

You will read on countless ex-pat-in-Sweden websites that getting a job in Sweden is like winning the lottery. There is a lot of negativity out there, but I will weigh in on the slightly more positive side.

Don't come to Sweden counting on having a job to survive. I know they make you send in proof of income up to around 7,000 SEK per month to get a study visa. That would be a wise place to start.

Calculate basic living cost per month that would get you rent (3,000 SEK or more), food (1500 SEK or more), and a few nights out a month (500 SEK or more) yes, a few nights out a month are pretty essential if you are a study abroad student).

(ETA: Swedish students typically take a grant and student loan for living expenses of about 8,500 SEK per month)

Any money you might earn would be above and beyond this and allow you to travel, explore and experience.

Getting a job in Sweden as a student was a lot different than getting a job in the US during my college days. I have been working since I was about 12 years old – and pretty much could always get a job the same day I started looking: waiting tables, retail, horse-farm stuff. Just standard student side-jobs that helped pay the bills.

In Sweden it was harder. It took a little more time. I was a student here for a year. During that time I worked as a babysitter and a waitress. I didn't find a job in a day; it took about a month. There were very few hours and the working conditions weren't great. But they were jobs. I think I made, on average, about 5-6,000 SEK after tax, per month.

I also spoke some Swedish, which helped. If you don't speak Swedish, you can try dog-walking or babysitting for international families. Depending on where you live you can make 100 SEK per hour and with the new RUT deduction, you can find firms that will hire you to do this type of work, so that you can pay taxes and do everything above board.

I know it is a bit trickier now that Swedish universities charge an entrance fee. But you are throwing away your money if you cannot afford to live while you study. Make sure you have some savings before you take the plunge, or a reasonably sized grant.

Finding a job in Sweden as a student isn't impossible, but it takes time, and the jobs aren't great. If you are looking for jobs in your field while you study, you will probably have better luck with finding an unpaid internship than a paid position. This can help on your CV and with later job prospects, but won't help with the bills.

Good luck!

Studying is a full time job

As a student in Sweden, you will come to learn pretty quickly that the attitude and the entire system is built upon the principle that being a student is akin to being employed at a full-time job. Those of us who have made an almost career out of being a full-time student in multiple countries know that this is indeed a slippery slope. One person's full-time job is another person's walk in the park. But what does this full-time job mean?

In the Swedish system, currently, I believe a full course load is 30 points (they have changed this since I was a student, so bear with me). These 30 points should equal 40 work hours a week. The average Swedish student gets a grant and a loan to pay for living expenses incurred during these 40 hours a week because one should not be required to work while studying. The theory being – do you work a job on top of your 40 hour a week job? In Sweden, the answer to that would be 'no.'

Here they seem to take the 40 hour rule pretty seriously. I have a friend who was a professor who was chastised when he implied that students might have to do some homework over the weekend since they were having trouble finding time during the work week. But I have to admit, I am hard pressed to find a student here who hasn't done quite a bit of studying on the weekends – especially right before a big exam.

In my experience as a humanities student – and my Swede vehemently disagrees , I found the work week calculation to be based on what the slowest student in the class was capable of completing. And by slowest person, I am not quite sure who they were aiming for – remember I was studying in a foreign country in a foreign language – I was very slow. I ended up going out and getting a job because I had nothing to do all day.

When I asked Swedes about this conundrum, I was often given one of the following answers: You are studying humanities, you are studying at a hogskola – not a University, you are studying a program which is known for being ridiculously easy. Never once did they commend me for my sheer brilliance at being too smart for the system.  

Studying in Sweden – Native vs. Foreigner

OK – so one of the perks of living in Sweden (or up until this year even not living in Sweden) has been free access to University education. Swedish schools have offered Bachelors and Masters courses free of charge to students from around the world.

Why? Because up until this year, universities in Sweden got paid per passing student, per course, irregardless of whether the student ever had or would be a tax-paying resident of Sweden. This means it was in the universities 'best interest to recruit as many students as possible, to continue getting more and more funding each year. And so, yes, foreign students were a cash cow.

But as of 2011, this cash cow will dry up. Foreign students will have to pay their own way. And that, my friends, changes everything. Each school is working on setting up their own fees starting at around 100,000 sek per year, but no one knows just what to expect. How many foreign students will want to pay for education in Sweden? And what will that mean for the quality of the courses offered by the Swedish schools, will it increase with a new price tag? How many of these English Masters will weather the storm?

Applications are usually due for foreigners in January. It will be a good litmus test for next fall. This could mean good news to open up more spots for Swedes, but as the economy picks up, fewer Swedes will enroll in graduate school.

Part of my reason for asking this is a personal one. I'm debating applying for a Masters for the fall. But I wonder if there will be any left!