Sweden’s landscape and nature offers dramatic contrasts – mountains and glaciers in the north, dense forests and thousands of lakes and rivers in the central parts, and fertile farmlands in the south. With its 450,000 km2 it is the third largest country in Western Europe. The population, however, is only around 10.6 million inhabitants – about 0.1 per cent of the world’s population. Come visit Sweden and enjoy our four seasons; experience the dark and snowy winter as well as the bright summer seasons of the year – perhaps even the midnight sun? Let the tradition “Lucia” lighten up your life in December and enjoy a Swedish “fika” all year around!
Things to know
At Easter (not to be confused with Halloween!) children in Sweden dress up like witches with brooms and go door to door with their friends to collect candy. Swedes are generally calm and collected and they dislike confrontation, it’s a good place to work on your diplomacy skills! After school kids often go to youth centers, called fritis, where they can play games, hang out with their friends, or do homework until their parents get back from work.
Your High School in Sweden
School in Sweden begins in mid-August and goes until mid-June. The day generally begins at 8AM and ends around 3 or 4PM, though the class schedule varies between programs. Your school schedule will be determined based on your interests and the classes you’ve already taken. Swedish schools offer a wide variety of programs but some of the most common are Natural Science and Social Science. No matter what your schedule focuses on, you’ll take Swedish, Mathematics, and English.