Trifter

“Five Reasons to Move TO Sweden”

5 – Sadly, because of immigration, soon here in Scandinavia, and Europe as well, there will be no more blue eye blondes.

#1 – No war, “police action”, or War on Anything since 1814.
#2 – University education is tax financed and technically free.
#3 – Yep.
#4 – While those are scenic for the tourists, don’t forget the fact that you can legally hike, camp and whatnot on virtually any of Sweden’s land. Even privately owned.
#5 – With regards to “Oskar” and his comment above. The girl in the middle has “Zlatan” written on her belly. Zlatan’s parents were Yugoslav immigrants. I’d take population influx with talent and entrepreneurs over 100% “blue eyes, blondes” any day.

I can’t believe what I am reading. Sweden might seem heaven on earth for you but it is not for everyone. I had to do a semester at a University in Stockholm and I felt severely depressed. It was during winter time and I could not stand the fact that it was dark for almost 20 hours (even more) a day. That is something that is not appealing…

Another thing, is that people are way too snobbish. You sit in the classroom, you see the guy next to you moving away from you each second. You sit on a bus, you see the lady next to you moving away from you and trying hard not to touch you. You go to shop at a supermarket and ask where is that certain item and people make fun of you (this happened to my friend, not me) but it is true.

And what about the girls? Blonde girls with blue eyes are everywhere…

Universities? Come on now, we all know that the best Universities are in the USA (for those who can afford them)

But at the end, it is indeed a beautiful country with lots of excellent sceneries, but I did not enjoy it that much.

title should have been;
Five reasons to move to Sweden.

1st Turkey is a wonderful country.
2nd Their people so nice
3rd Have an amazing culture
4th Have beatiful girls with beatiful minds

I actually moved from Sweden to the US, but not because Sweden is not a nice place. Now, some random comments on comments made above: Sweden gets very dark in the wintertime, more so the further north you go. This works fine for some people while others go crazy. The flipside of this is that the summers are amazing, 20 hours of darkness in the winter sucks but 20 hours of daylight in the summer has to be experienced (if I had to pick one thing I miss, that’d be it). Next, Swedish people are not snobbish, but reserved. This has to do with the strong belief that bothering someone else is impolite, which is why Swedes may appear stand-offish. Furthermore, having attended both American and Swedish universities, I can say this: While the best universities in the world are undoubtedly in the US, the average quality of university education is better in Sweden. International studies support this.

Lastly, while the main article gives examples of some excellent sites to see, I feel compelled to point out that Amalienborg and the Little Mermaid are both located in Copenhagen, Denmark, while Karl Johan and the National Theatre are in Oslo, Norway.

Best,

Henric

I’m living in the U.S. and want to visit Sweden, perhaps for a semester abroad. I was initially attracted to the landscapes and beautiful language, as well as some of the films and music to come out of the place.

I’m a very reserved person (with strangers, not out of shyness but the fact that I don’t see the point of pushing myself on people) who doesn’t like to be bothered, especially with “polite” hellos and “how are yous”. I’ve read that Swedes are very very reserved, which I like. But I wonder, how do you guys meet women and such over there? If you’re all so reserved, what’s the dating process like?

The dating process is something like this…

1. Get drunk and stop being reserved.
2. Shout randomly in crowded places with loud music until you find someone who seems to like you.
3. ??
4. Profit.

hmm, i’m nearly 4 months into a relationship with my beautiful girlfriend. she’s swedish, but actually has green eyes and her hair is more red than blonde!

i went to sweden for the first time at the end of april and i thought it was an amazing place and i’m planning on moving there at the end of the year when i finish college.

the only downside is the strict drinking laws hahaha
i’m 22 so it isnt a problem for me but i took my girlfriend (who is 19) with me into one of the government run liquor stores incase i needed her to translate and they refused to serve me because i was with an under-20. kinda sucked but i understand where they were coming from, and it was Walpurgis night.

it didnt put me off moving there though

Hi!

I like what you have to say about my home, but I do have one problem with reason nr. 5, not everyone here is blonde with blue eyes, for example myself, I am 100% Swedish and I am a brunette and I have green eyes. But it is true that girls in Sweden are far more beautiful than girls in other countries!

And I have something to say to you Henric, I live in the south of Sweden, and winter and darkness is something that seldom happens here!!!!

With that said, I’d like to end this text by saying, SWEDEN FOREVER, and let the blue and yellow rule!!!!

I’m sold!

i did a semester in sweden. i didn’t know what to think when i arrived in january, when it was so dark. i am from milwaukee, and sweden is very much like wisconsin, but the darkness got to me, even though i was having fun. but around the end of march or april when the clouds parted, i fell in love with sweden. what a great place! (especially the sunlight.)
the reserved people do take a bit to get used to, but give ‘em a beer and they’re fine.
i love that there is no stress in sweden. the people are very well taken care of. yes, they have high taxes, but everyone is so happy with it. i’d pay more in taxes for that.
also- everyone is so fashionable! just gorgeous. all the time. here people throw on sweatpants and pajamas for class, but in sweden people look their best all the time. it’s nice.

No way! It’s freezing cold there

i went to sweden in september came home bk to uk recently i found sweden to be a wonderfull place with a lot of lovely friendly people who were willing to help me it also helped knowing people that live there which was the reason for my visit , it hurt to leave because i loved it so much and the people i met there so i will be bk and will more or likely stay forever big up to the lovely swedes ….

the little mermaid is actually in copenhagen, denmark

the girl has zlatan on her belly in reference to zlatan imbrahimovic (the football player).

douchebag.

can anyone tell the university ranking for sweden?

Well, there isn’t any real ranking. Since all universities are tax funded they get the same amount of money per student and can thus afford the same kind of education. If you want to study in Sweden I’d recommend that you go to the University that suits you best.
Here is a list of Swedish universities: http://tinyurl.com/5ojjko
The traditional university cities in Sweden are Lund and Uppsala.
The “best” tech schools are Chalmer’s or KTH
The “best” med school is Karolinska Institutet

I visited sweden in october to stay with some friends and i fell in love with the place, including my then close friend (now my girlfriend), and i am currently looking to be moving there once ive found a job there. it is the best country with some of the nicest people ive ever met. i found most people were very friendly towards me and really went out of their way to make sure i had a good time…

My husband is thinking about accepting a job in Kalmar. Can a family of 4 survive on 30,000 Krona a month??

Sweden is a cozy a nice place to visit and live. I love the place. and I love my life here with my man.

Hey SA! #21
I live in sweden, and if i say like this: 30,000kr is what you get before tax, if you live in kalmar you will get something around 22,000kr after tax. And if your children is under 18 you will get something called barnbidrag which will give you 1080kr per child. And if you are unemployed you can search for socialbidrag but that i`m not so sure about.. Sorry for bad english, but i think you will understand anyway.

Robin

Sweden is a wonderful country with wonderful people, if I were you I would move to sweden=)

The job market is just awful in Sweden if you’re educated. It is next to impossible finding a decent job and that’s why many educated persons are leaving the country. In regards to education you basically only have 3-4 good Universities and then some sh-tty ones like Vaxjo, Malmo, and others. Research some more before you go or you’re for five big surprises. Yesterday I met a blonde and blue eyed girl from Poland and she was probably the ugliest girl I have ever layed my eyes on. Beauty is not in the color of your hair or eyes.

I’m thinking about moving from the US to Sweden for graduate school. I was wondering what the general sentiment was towards Americans in Sweden. How well are they accepted? I know that the Swedish are pretty reserved, and view our more outgoing nature as bothersome.

I know the job market is Sweden is not very good right now, particularly for immigrants, but I do have a question. What are the best job areas? I live in the US, and I am seriously considering moving to Sweden within the next 5 years. I am currently at a university, and I want to make sure I choose a field of study which will allow me the greatest chance of landing a job in Sweden. Also, does doing a Masters and/or PhD program in Sweden increase your chances of landing a job there?

I\’m a swedish citizen and i\’ll answer some of the questions here.
First of all some random prices:
1 litre of gas: ~10 SEK (1.2 USD)
Lunch in a resturant: 75-80 SEK (9-10 USD)
Beer in pub: 50 SEK (6-7 USD)
Cigarettes: 50 SEK (6-7 USD)

@ Russ: The sentiment is most likely good, swedes are not really used to americans so most people would think it was fun i guess. At least if you look like a normal white american/european man. But those who would not like you, would just mumble something and ignore you.

@ Kristen: There are no jobs here anymore, not even for swedes. But if you want to search for one, i would suggest somewhere in the areas Göteborg to Stockholm (soutern sweden). If you are well educated, sweden is not the place for you.

I moved to Sweden Boras with my girlfriend and i’m finding it very hard to get a job, although pretty much everyone can speak or understand english it still is impossible for me to get help or info on getting work. i even went to a government run swedish course SFI and had to leave as no one there could speak english so i just sat there trying to guess what they wanted me to do. people here seem very false they say they will help you out but never do. my girlfriend is swedish and also feels the same way she has spent alot of time in london and usa so i know its not just me that see’s it.

if anyone has advice or work contacts please let me know the help would be appreciated

alex james //

I’m sorry that you have faced the “bad sides” of Sweden. ‘Cause there is so many things here that one would never experienced in another country.

About your situation with learning swedish, my advice is to skip the SFI-courses. By a swedish-english dictionary, watch children-movies and ask your girlfriend for help with grammar and other stuff. I’ve learned both German and Spanish threw that way.

I hope you will enjoy your stay here in Sweden,

Hej då och lycka till!

Why are people saying it’s not the place if your well educated?

Well I am moving there in July and simply can’t wait. Me and my fiancee are leaving the US to go back to school. Like someone said the schools here are awesome, VERY expensive, Sweden might be e better option. I’ve heard some rumors about having problems with applying for and ID. Any news on that

Curious to see too, why people say it isn’t the place if one is well-educated…anybody got the answer to that one?

Hi

Me and my husband are thinking about moving to Sweden with our three children, I have my swedich Citizen ship I was born there.
We curently live in canada but want to start a bussiness in sweden. Where do we start to look for a appartnent in Gothenburg it seems so hard to find something close to down town and in a nise area. Please let us know where to start. And Is it still a great place to live and raise you’re children. Brigitta

I would like to go Sweden to get my master degree in Chalmers University..

I am also one of the great admirers of Swedish girls

Sweden is indeed a great place to grow up in. Safe, free high standard education(pre-school – uni-studies) and free health care. I moved to sweden for that reason when I was pregnant with my first child, and I’ve raised both my sons here.

I am in the midst of preparing to immigrate to Sweden, as my partner is Swedish. He is currently taking an undergraduate programme in Game Design and is probably going to be based in Skovde. I am a 26-year old Singaporean girl, and have about 5 years’ worth of experience teaching English Language, Literature and Art. I have also been a practising artist (specialising in drawing and photography) for the past three years. I am giving myself one last year here in Singapore to work, and to get emotionally and psychologically prepared… Could somebody please advise me on how best to prepare for my move to Sweden? Are there any tips on how to settle in Sweden, and whether there are any avenues to have art exhibitions and jobs related to the arts in Skovde and its surrounding areas?

I want to move to Sweden because I’m sick of the USA, I am of Swedish descent (Olson), I have no college degree or anything like that….could i get a job there

Sweden is a kickass location.

Sweden is an area of beauty, people may appear somewhat reserved, but refined in general. Respect of the atmosphere and people, shall be required. I am of swedish decent, and I would like to reside in the the motherland, but coming from the United States, I still should brush up on my skillls of basic respect.

I have a medical degree and a law degree from excellent American universities. Would it be difficult to find a job in Sweden? What are the rules about becoming a citizen, and about retirement? Thanks!

There’s a high demand on medical staff in sweden Suze, so i believe finding a job won’t be very difficult, and people with a medical degree in sweden also speak (hopefully) good english, be prepared for overtime work though. About becoming a citizen i think you have to stay in the country is written like this:

11 § En utlänning kan efter ansökan beviljas svenskt medborgarskap (naturaliseras), om han eller hon har
1. styrkt sin identitet,
2. fyllt arton år,
3. permanent uppehållstillstånd i Sverige,
4. hemvist här i landet
Translate:
11§ A foreginer can after application be granted swedish citizenship (naturalized), if he or she has:

1. Proven ones identity.
2. Over eighteen years of age.
3. Permanent residence permit in Sweden.(permission to stay in sweden permanently)
4. (there are a couple of different versions here depending where you’re from like norweigian has to live in sweden for 2 years). but in your case 5 years.

and to gain voting rights you must’ve been a swedish citizen for 3 years. As for retirement age it’s currently 65 years if you want to. I’m only 18 so i’m not TOO sure how it works with the pension money, all i know is that of the money you earn through work a sum of money is put away for your pension. Other interesting facts is that taxes in sweden varies from 31-33%…so if you gain 30,000Kr each month (4247$) a third of that will be removed. other good-to-know things are you’re not allowed to drive with fog lights on your car unless it’s foggy…because in sweden alone it’s concidered “blinding” ^^ bizarre as it may seem. I hope i did provide some information at least and if i were you i’d check on that retirement part too ^.-

I am sold as well and would move in a heartbeat. Let’s go!

Sweden is a conservative country. Not moderate like U.S. There hasn’t enough freedom like U.S.
Life is very simple n easy, not luxurious n critical like U.S.
Sweden’s law n rules are so strict. That’s why crime rate is little.
Sweden is different than U.S. n fully opposite of U.S.
All Swedish people are peaceful.
Social problems are very few in Sweden. (U.S.’s social problems are bigger than their country n population. I think one day they will destroy by their big social problem not by their enemy.)
Those who like U.S.’s epicurean life style they won’t able to establish their life in Sweden. Same to those people who like Sweden.
I like Sweden’s simple n peaceful life.