Lehigh offers more than 250 study abroad programs in more than 60 countries, providing students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in another culture while pursuing their degree or conducting research. Katie Goettle ’23 spent the spring semester of her junior year studying abroad in Stockholm, Sweden. She is an IDEAS (Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts and Science) major with a concentration in bioengineering.
What made you want to study abroad in the first place?
I've never been outside of the United States, and that always made me feel like I've been so sheltered. The area where I grew up was just very homogeneous. So, I wanted to experience a different place in a different culture with different types of people.
Why did you choose to study abroad in Stockholm, Sweden?
I could not have picked Sweden out on a map before I went. They had a program for my major (DIS), and that was entirely why I went there. I originally was thinking Spain or Italy, but my advisor said to go to Stockholm, Sweden, and I'm so glad that she did.
How was taking classes in Swedish classrooms with Swedish professors different from Lehigh?
They're a lot more open to what you want to learn. The respect levels are different—you call everybody by their first names in Sweden, there aren’t big hierarchies, you kind of interact with everybody in the same way. And, they tailored the class to what we wanted to learn. The first day of class, when we went through the syllabus, it was a chat about what we wanted to focus on.
What were the people you met abroad like?
Swedish people are hard to meet and talk to because they stick to themselves. You don't really go up to somebody and make conversation because they view that as you encroaching on somebody else's personal space, and it's rude. They won't do anything to disturb the public peace. That being said, if I had a question, especially as a foreigner, and I went up to somebody and asked them for directions, they're really nice and really helpful and, generally, more respectful than people you meet in America in public settings.
What were your biggest cultural takeaways from Sweden?
Mental health is more respected there. One of my professors was having really bad mental health issues and she told my class about it because she hadn't graded any of our work. With the DIS program, if you feel like you need a therapist or any other sort of health needs, they'll get it for you know. With her, they just had somebody else grade her stuff for that semester.
There are Swedish life philosophies, a couple of them are Fika and Lagom. Fika is a time where you typically sit down for coffee with people midday and take a break from your work. You just sit down and relax and reconnect with other people. Sometimes we had Fika classes where we would drink coffee, eat pastries and talk about what we learned. We also had field study classes where we would go somewhere related to what we were learning. Lagom means not too much, not too little—it applies to everything. A big thing is work-life balance: they're very much set on you having your personal life and you having your work life, just don't overwork yourself. Everything is supposed to be at perfect equilibrium. I feel like I’ve brought that back with me, and I make a conscious effort to excel in my academics, while making time to work out and be social.
What is your favorite thing or memory from all the places you traveled to?
Stockholm, Sweden
My favorite part about Sweden is the subway. They are so clean and respected, and the stations are covered in art. It makes commuting extremely efficient, easy and enjoyable.
Paris, France
My favorite memory from Paris was sitting in front of the Eiffel Tower with my friends and thinking, ‘I've been looking at pictures of this thing my entire life, thinking if I can go there, I can feel fulfilled.’ These huge landmarks that everybody idolizes made me think seeing them will make me feel like I'm successful and worldly. I'm sitting there looking at it and realizing, this is just a building. It was very cool and very pretty, but I realized, I don't have to see these things to feel like I've done enough.
Barcelona, Spain
Seeing La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona was one of my favorite memories. It is quite literally the most beautiful building I've ever seen. It is absolutely insane.
Oslo, Norway
Oslo is my favorite city in the world. I absolutely love it. It's beautiful. I am going to name my first-born son Oslo because I enjoyed it so much. The opera house there is beyond gorgeous. It's on the water, surrounded by other beautiful buildings. One morning, I went on a run and ran up the side of the opera house stairs up to the roof, and that really felt like a peak in my life.
Copenhagen, Denmark
My favorite thing about Copenhagen is that everybody bikes there. It's so environmentally friendly, it's extremely clean, and it’s also beautiful.
Milan, Rome and Naples, Italy
My favorite thing in Italy, by far, was Rome. I took Latin in high school so I know a decent amount of Roman history. So, as I was walking around the city, I was listening to this podcast I found on Spotify about Roman monuments. Knowing all these things in theory and then going and seeing, like, the Colosseum was crazy.
Munich, Germany
I went to Spring Fest, which is like Oktoberfest in the spring. It was interesting leaving Sweden and going places because I would get culture shock as if I were a Swede. In Germany, people are loud and in your face, which is a lot different from how people are in Sweden. But, my favorite part was the energy—there were crowds of people in beer tents, performers playing music and singing songs, and people would ‘cheers’ each other with their drinks every five seconds.
What is the biggest thing you learned from your experience abroad? How do you feel you’ve changed as a person?
I feel a lot more content now. I feel like being closed minded is the worst thing you can be, and I very much value open mindedness and having new experiences—anything that teaches me something new. You learn so much about yourself, and you learn so much about other people.
This semester, I've been the happiest I've been. I've been working out more, involving myself more academically and career-wise. I’ve been hanging out with my friends more. I feel very fulfilled. I’ve been putting more energy toward trying to grow, and it’s definitely not a coincidence. Culture is so infectious. Where people live affects how they think and behave so much, and having lived and learned in a place where they value things like work-life balance and mental health has contributed significant positive changes to my life.
What advice do you have for students who are thinking about going abroad?
First, do it. Second, do some planning about places you want to go to while you’re abroad. Don’t stress yourself out about planning—remember Lagom—but I think you’ll get more out of the experience if you have some preparation.
Goettle continued her journeys abroad by traveling to Sierra Leone for one week this summer for the Global Social Impact Fellowship. Read about her story.