Hi everyone! My name is Carolina, and I’m originally from Brazil. I lived in Lisbon, Portugal for four years, and now I’m starting my studies in Sweden, where I’m doing the Media and Entrepreneurship programme at Linnaeus University in Kalmar.

Now that I’ve been here for a few months, I thought it would be interesting to talk a little about my background and about my experience so far! 😀

My background hasn’t always been connected to media or creativity. Before moving to Portugal, I was studying for a bachelor’s degree in Geography in Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil. I made friends there and the lectures were ok, but I always had the feeling that I wasn’t where I wanted to be. I was always a creative and artistic person and I couldn’t see myself in a career that didn’t involve these things. So I decided I wanted to try something different and I started a photography course in my hometown, Campinas. That’s when I realised that I had found something I loved and wanted to do for the rest of my life.

After completing my photography course, I moved to Portugal where I worked as an independent photographer and at a photography shop. I have family in Kalmar and visiting them for the first time made me realise how much I liked Sweden and got me thinking about possibly coming here to study.

I heard about the international Media and Entrepreneurship programme, and it sounded perfect to pursue a degree that combines media, creativity, and entrepreneurship. So I planned for a year, took an academic English test, applied and got accepted! 

Moving to a new country is always a complex process, and my first months here have been full of experiences, both stressful and good. Looking for housing, finding a job, sorting out all the documents was a little overwhelming. But it all paid off when school started. 

Two weeks before classes, we had the introduction weeks with ESN, the student association for the international students. They organise loads of activities before school starts. Pub crawls, parties but also board game nights, sports. That’s when I had the chance to meet people from all over the world, as well as people from my class and we bonded before school even started. 

I’m midway through my first course, and I’m really enjoying it so far! We have the chance to develop creativity and the lectures and assignments have been super fun. Even though it can get a little stressful sometimes, the university and other students provide a great support system.

Overall, I’m learning things every day and meeting lots of cool people! Studying in a whole different country, learning things about Sweden and adapting to the Swedish culture have been very enriching experiences so far and I’m really excited to see what the next few years have in store. I’m still at the beginning of my time in Sweden, but I’m excited to see what the rest of this experience brings!