Lakehead Orillia student Conor Jones shares his experience studying abroad
April 7, 2014 – Orillia, ON
by Eric Steward, BAdmin ‘14
Lakehead Orillia student Conor Jones shares his experience studying abroad
Conor Jones of Orillia is in his third year of the Honours Bachelor Commerce program at Lakehead University. In May 2013 May, he began exploring the idea of studying abroad for the 2013 fall semester. Conor worked with the Lakehead Orillia Student Affairs Department to organize a trip to Sweden. After receiving a Student Exchange Bursary through Lakehead University International, he was able to pack his bags and set out on his journey.
How have you enjoyed your experience at Lakehead Orillia so far?
My experience has been great. Outside of my studies I have found it is the personability of all the various aspects of the university that really make Lakehead what it is. Lakehead has given me the opportunity to accomplish many of the things I have strived for, both on and off campus.
What school were you attending in Sweden and where is it located?
I was studying at the UmeåSchool of Business and Economics in Umeå, Sweden – one of the larger cities in Northern Sweden.
Why did you decide to study abroad?
Studying abroad has always been something that I have wanted to do. The idea first surfaced from when I was travelling a number of years ago. I wanted to be able to travel somewhere in the context of ‘living’ rather than merely ‘visiting.’ Being able to establish a routine in a completely different culture seemed like a very attractive idea to me.
What was your experience like, during your first few weeks in Sweden?
The first couple of weeks in Sweden were all very surreal. It was not an overly large culture shock or anything; however it is the little changes and variations that you really notice at first. What really made the first few weeks surreal was being surrounded by so many students from all over the world. Umeå is very much a university town, and therefore is crawling with students.
Did you have any language issues?
Language really wasn’t as much of an issue as I expected it to be. Entering the country I was fully prepared with a small book of Swedish expressions constantly holstered. However, I never really had to use it: The Swedes I met spoke fluent English, and our schoolwork was in English, as were most of the materials associated with the University.
How is school different in Sweden compared to Orillia?
Well, the obvious one here is the system as a whole. Here, we take a full course load of five courses at one time over the course of a semester. In Sweden, you would take a number of different modules, often one at a time, over the course of a semester. Essentially this broke down to studying one course intensively over a one-month period. When compared to Lakehead’s Orillia campus, the most obvious difference is size. Umeå has a student population of nearly 40,000, while Orillia has about 1,400 students.
Can you describe an average day?
Wake up, coffee (fika), class for two hours, lunch, study for three hours, coffee, mischief.
What was the hardest thing to adjust to?
The style of academics. All academic teachings and projects were based on peer-reviewed journals for the most part. I had used these before, however never to this extent.
How has this experience enhanced your education?
In so many ways I feel this experience has enhanced my education. Stepping outside of our culture and into the day-to-day life of another community and country gave me a whole new perspective of things.
What was your biggest takeaway from studying abroad?
How similar we all are. After a little while you begin to notice that aside from all the noticeable differences, such as language and culture, we are all cut from the same cloth.
Would you recommend studying abroad to other students?
Yes! You will not regret it, even for a moment.
What did you do in your free time?
The school was pretty good at organizing events for international students; there was always something to do. I managed to get some traveling in throughout Scandinavia and Europe.
What was your favourite Swedish food?
Coffee!
What advice would you give to someone considering studying abroad?
Make sure to do your research. Knowing as much as you can about where you are going will only help you. Make sure that you do everything in your power to make the most of it.
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Lakehead student, Conor Jones (far left), and a group of fellow international students, representing five countries, take a break during a 10-day trip along the northern coast of Norway.
Conor Jones