Geography student maps out his future
After having studied geography at the University of California for four years, American Torsten Niegmann decided to take a two-year master’s programme in Transport and Geoinformation Technology at KTH.
Having just completed the first year of his course, he says he could definitely recommend it to other potential students in this field.
“I applied for the KTH programme because they had the type of education that I was looking for and wanted to pursue,” he says. “The teachers are really good and we get hands-on knowledge and training of the applications that match our studies, even though there are a lot of tools to learn about, such as GPS and tools for maps and research.”
Torsten says he enjoys the mix of nationalities among the students on his course.
“There are about 20 of us in this section of the programme and half of the students are from overseas,” he says. “It’s very interesting to get to know the others and you can really learn a lot from them.”
His father is Swedish and Torsten has relatives in Åkersberga, about 30km outside central Stockholm, with whom he is able to stay during his time in the country. He is also able to converse well in the Swedish language.
Now that he has finished the first year of his course, Torsten is looking forward to recharging his batteries before the starting year two in the autumn.
“It’s been a tough period and I’m really looking forward to the summer in Sweden,” he says. “There have been a lot of courses in different areas in this first year of the programme and a lot of new things to learn.”
However, it won’t be rest all the way for Torsten this summer, as he has also found himself a temporary job.
“I’ve got a job working at the Swedish Transport Administration for the whole summer,” he says. “But in September I’ll continue with the second year of the programme.”
Torsten says he is unsure about what he will do once his course at KTH comes to an end, though he says he is open to different possibilities.
“After my next year of studies and my master’s thesis, I’ll look for a good and interesting job that can hopefully combine my education with my interest of travelling around Sweden and the rest of the world,” he says.
Facts:
Country of origin: US, though he is half-American and half-Swedish
Current job: Summer job at the Swedish Transport Administration, Stockholm
Education: A four-year Geography course at the University of California
Advice: Take a step-by-step approach to your studies and your future opportunities will increase
