Mijin feels that her programme broadened her perspective and knowledge at an international level

What made you choose KTH?

I had experienced Sweden before studying at KTH. Several years ago, I spent a half year as an exchange student at Halmstad University. The journey to Sweden simply started with pure curiosity for Scandinavia, but over time I fell in love with the country. I went back to Korea after the exchange semester, but couldn't stop picturing myself in Sweden. Furthermore, I wished to continue studying real estate at the graduate level. I began to search for master's programmes in the real estate field in Sweden, and fortunately found this master's programme. Also, KTH is one of the best universities in Sweden, and my friends who have studied there strongly recommended KTH. After considering all these factors, it seemed that KTH was the obvious and the best option!

What do you like most about KTH?

KTH is a lively university with countless opportunities. Students can fulfil their needs no matter what they pursue. There are diverse activities for students, lectures and seminars with interesting ideas, and after-exam pubs where students can mingle and relieve the stress from their studies. The impressive thing is that most events are organized by students from beginning to the end! Every school has big and small student initiative organizations and has its own career fair where students get opportunities to learn more about industries and companies they're interested in. Thanks to this atmosphere, anyone with ambition can be easily involved in interesting activities. I can absolutely say that KTH makes me a more active and energetic person.

What are your impressions of Stockholm and Sweden?

Sweden is a clean country where things are well organized. One can breathe clean air everywhere and can easily find blue skies and green parks in daily life – and this even applies to Stockholm, the biggest city in Sweden. Society and systems work as they are supposed to, and people respect each other by following rules and manners. Stockholm is a fascinating city where people enjoy a modern lifestyle in a well-conserved historical area.

What is your best memory from your time at KTH so far?

That has to be the welcome reception at Stockholm City Hall. I've been to the city hall as a tourist before, but being there for a special event only open for KTH students was different. It felt so privileged to be welcomed in such a historical place. It was a relatively short event, but an absolutely unforgettable moment.

Are there any differences between studying at KTH and your home university?

Firstly, student life at KTH is more flexible in many respects. In my home university, a student has a fixed weekly schedule for the whole semester and is obliged to attend all lectures to get a good grade. As a result, I had to give up many interesting courses because they overlapped with other courses, and I couldn't do any extracurricular activities during the daytime. But now I don't need to worry about any of that. Students at KTH can manage their time freely – they can take several interesting courses despite an overlapping schedule of working and studying at the same time.

Secondly, KTH has a relaxed studying atmosphere. I was so surprised when I heard about re-exams for the first time. In my home university, students need to take the entire course all over again in order to take an exam again. In contrast, students at KTH can re-take exams several times until they pass the exam. Having this "second chance" enables me to study with less stress and pressure.

Lastly, the academic schedule at KTH looks different. At KTH, each week has a different schedule, and the lecture room also changes throughout the semester. Thanks to this flexibility, it is possible to travel around during the semester! Additionally, the semester is divided into two periods, and students usually take two courses at a time. Personally, I really love this period system because I can easily concentrate on a few courses rather than taking care of many at the same time.

What would you like to say to students thinking of choosing KTH for master's studies?

Each of you reading this now might have different objectives for how to pursue your master's programme. No matter what you're expecting, I can promise that KTH can be the right choice for all of you. Just take the first step to this new journey – then you'll get to see endless opportunities at KTH.

What do you see as the most significant aspect of your programme?

Firstly, students can broaden their perspective and knowledge at an international level. During classes, I have learned many new things about the Swedish and European real estate markets, which I rarely learned when I studied in Korea. I remember once we had guest lecturers from Namibia and heard about the country's valuation process – for me it was an eye-opening experience.

Secondly, students are prepared for the job market. There are many chances for students to improve their technical skills and get to know about the industry. Students can learn about the real estate market off-campus from guest lectures given by companies. Moreover, many projects are presented by companies, and students thus get opportunities to apply what they learned during classes to an existing issue in the real estate field.

Lastly, there is a close connection between students and teachers. Teachers are always willing to help students' learn and are open for discussion. Along with this, every course has group work in which students work closely with each other and learn how to work in a group of different people.

Are you taking part in any student activities?

At this moment I'm engaged in the KTH Real Estate Club as one of its board members. The club organizes various events with the aim of preparing students to be ready for the job market as well as providing a platform where students can be connected to the real estate industry. The interesting thing is that the club has endless potential to grow because it is a young student organization. In every meeting I can observe how every idea is developed and reflects the club's activities. As an international student, participating in the club is certainly a good opportunity to expand my knowledge of the Swedish real estate market and to make connections in this new country.

Do you have a dream job after graduating from KTH?

I want to work with commercial property management. Meeting new people and working with different daily routines makes the job interesting. It would be even nicer if I can work with the global real estate market.