Jarne

Why did you choose this master’s programme at KTH?

I chose the programme because I loved the designing aspect of my bachelor's degree, and wanted to do more with this. Besides this, I really wanted to explore a new city with the opportunity to do a lot of outdoor activities, which all led me to Stockholm. A gorgeous city with a rich history, and huge outdoor community.

What are the best aspects of your programme?

The best aspect of my programme is the Machine Design Project! It’s a project worth 18 (!) credits, where we develop a design together with a company. We start out doing research on the research question, and by the end of the project, we will have built a full testing rig that the company is actually going to use.

What are some of your favourite courses so far?

My favorite courses so far was the introduction to machine design course. The course with which the program starts, which is a recap of everything we have learned so far. I always love to learn a variety of things, as opposed to focusing on one small topic. And this course really gave me the opportunity to do so. I think an underrated course is the Eco Design course. This course focuses, as the name suggests, on taking into account the environment when designing products. We’ve all heard a lot about this already, but to learn about it more concretely in a course provided some really interesting insights.

How do studies at KTH differ from your previous studies?

I would say that my program at KTH is quite similar to my previous education in Mechanical Engineering. The program starts with an introductory course in machine design, and a recap course of all the prerequisites. This makes sure that everyone starts at the same level and allows us to succeed in the program. In the first semester there is a lot of assignments where we need to apply the theory from the courses. But, the best part is being able to apply the theory in a project, which is what you do starting from the second semester, in the Machine Design Project. Especially this project based learning approach of the project is really similar to my previous education. I personally believe that this is the best, and most fun way to learn.

How is student life in Stockholm?

Student life in Stockholm has surpassed my expectations. Swedes are often perceived as closed off, but I have experienced the opposite! All faculties form a chapter, and these chapters have their own pubs, committees, and activities There are lots of opportunities to become an active member in the chapter, like helping organize a job fair, organizing activities through one of the committees and much more. One of the things that I love about the student life here is the ability to collect patches. You collect them by joining in certain activities, and ordering different drinks at different chapter pubs. At maskinsektionen (the mechanical engineering chapter), we proudly wear a frack wear we showcase all of our patches.

I am active in the international group of m-chapter, we organize a number of activities throughout the year. Specifically targeted at getting more international students involved. This year we have organized activities like ice skating, bouldering, brännboll and two gasques. Besides this, I have been Moment, the group that organizes a yearly job fair. This is where I learned the most about the Swedish student culture, seeing as I was the only non-Swedish speaker in a team of 50+ people. Though this was a bit daunting at times, this is where I got to know a lot of people and I had lots of fun organizing it and joining on all the fun bonus activities.

Another really cool thing about the student life, is the tentapubs. At the end of each exam period, all student pubs open on the same night, and the student union building opens its doors to become the biggest pub in Stockholm. This is where everyone can finally take a breather and the vibes are off the charts!