"KTH is supporting students to take the initiative and follow their ideas"
Svenja comes from Hamburg in Germany, and her home university is the University of Applied Sciences Flensburg. She enjoys travelling and discovering new places. Wherever she goes, she always brings her camera has become passionate about photography.
What made you choose Sweden and KTH for your studies?
Coming from a technical field and studying engineering, I decided early on to go to KTH, since it has an excellent reputation within engineering.
Education in Scandinavia is well known for ‘high quality’ and studying in English seemed very appealing to me too. But I have to admit, ‘Astrid Lindgren’ and her children movies and books I knew very well from my childhood played some role too since they all describe Sweden as a very good place to live.
What made you interested in your programme?
I had a background in Renewable Energies and Sustainable Engineering and discovered that this was the field I wanted to find a profession within. Additionally, Sweden is one of the leading countries in that area and therefore an excellent place to continue my studies in the field of renewable energies.
What do you like most about KTH?
That KTH is supporting students to take the initiative and follow their ideas. The support for start-up founders is vast, and KTH tries to motivate students to think differently and try out new ways to solve problems.
What are your impressions of Stockholm and Sweden?
Stockholm is one of the most beautiful cities I know. The size is perfect, and since there water and nature everywhere it does not give you the feeling of a big city. At the same time, one has all possibilities a big city is offering, and there is always something going on.
During winter everyone slows down a little and becomes less active. But the Swedish way of cosiness is excellent for long winter days and to calm down after a very active summer is valuable too. And then there is ’fika’ (coffee break) and ‘kanelbullar’ (cinnamon buns), two of the best Swedish inventions ever.
What do you like most about being here?
All the new experiences and challenges that come with living in a foreign country. Looking back, I can say that I already learned a lot in every way.
What is your best memory so far from your time at KTH?
There have been plenty of good ones so far. Sometimes it’s the small things like having fika in the inner courtyard of KTH together with friends, or an inspiring lecture.
What do you think are the differences between studying at KTH and your home university?
KTH supports and promotes group work, and I have been doing many projects in groups with other students. Back at my home university, this was not so common. This way of working helps you to learn how to cooperate with other, and often, very different people, which is a great skill to develop.
What would you like to say to students thinking of choosing KTH for master’s studies?
Going abroad for your master studies is a tough decision. It might seem scary at first to move to a new country with a different language, without knowing anyone. But in the end, it will help you to grow and offer amazing experiences. Not to forget the great and inspiring people you will meet.