Leslye's Travels

And We’re Off

Time to go home! We all had an early morning start (or for some, a continuation of last night). We met at 6:15 am and we were all packed and loaded by 6:20 am into the taxi’s taking us to the airport. Checking in for 21 people is not as hard as one would’ve thought.

After dropping off our bags we headed through security and still had some time to get something to eat before starting our 10+ hour journey home. Peyton and I stopped at Espresso house one last time. We think Espresso house needs a few locations in the Chicago area, maybe one day.

After our quick flight to Stockholm, we had too rush to make it to our connecting flight to Chicago. We landed at 9:30 am and boarding started at 9:50 am. We were all on top of it though and we made our flight despite being in a completely different terminal.

We’re all headed home now and can’t believe how quickly the past 2 weeks have gone by. We’ve learned so much in such a short amount of time and met some incredible people. While I loved my time in Sweden, i’m also excited to be home and talk to my family and friends all about it.

This was a truly unique experience and I am so happy that I got to experience a J-term experience like this. I am ready for a quick break before my final semester next week. The advice that everyone has offered about graduating was reassuring and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

3 Takeaways

Espresso house latte’s are superior to Strabucks (i’m sorry)
Getting 21 people on a connecting flight in a different terminal in 20 minutes is possible
It feels great to sleep in your own bed again after 2 weeks of a hostel bed

Brushing Away the Competition

Today was our last full day in Gothenburg. We started our day off at 10:00 am and headed to the Gothenburg curling club. It was an interesting route as it required a tram and a ferry along with a 15 minute walk. It was rainy and cold which we had been warned is what the weather is like all the time. I appreciated that it didn’t rain until now though because walking around with 18 students in full professional gear probably wouldn’t have been fun and would have called for some interesting company visit looks.

Once we arrived to the curling club, we traded in our wet shoes for some curling shoes. The shoes were defiantly not the most stylish but they are designed to grip to the ice. The right shoe is designed to always have grip at the bottom while the left one had a shoe cover that allowed it to have grip.

Once we had our shoes and helmets on we headed on the ice for a quick lesson on curling. No one had any experience with curling so it was a fun time for all of us. The general rules are there are usually 4 people on a team, one throwing the stone, 2 scrubbing it to try to get it to the other side, and one on the other end trying to point on where to aim the stone.

We first practiced how to get around the ice with our shoe cover off. Needless to say, a lot of falling was involved. The idea is that you’re suppose to balance on your left and slide while pushing off on your right. I found it extremely difficult, even more than ice skating. After practicing our skills with getting around, we practiced throwing the stones.

All the other positions you keep the shoe grip on so in my opinion the throwing is the hardest. You have to crouch down and pull all of your weight on the broom and your left side, with your right foot you push off, when you push off you throw the stone. The problem with throwing the stone is that if its too hard it goes off the board and is a dead stone and if you don’t push hard enough the sweepers can’t always get it past the line that keeps it in play. It was interesting trying to get it just right.

After practicing we were all ready to get started. Our team lost one and won one, so overall I think we’re ready for the Olympics (maybe not). After an hour and a half of playing, we called it a day and headed out. We had shopping on our schedule for the rest of the day until it was time for dinner.

Jenna, Jackson, Peyton, Samantha, Robby and I first headed back to our hostel to change shoes and put on dry warm clothes (which I think at this point a lot of us are running out). We first headed to Nordstan as Jenna needed to do some returns and we wanted to grab a quick lunch. We all decided on having McDonalds since it was quick and easy enough for everyone to find something to have. I always find it interesting trying American fast food in other countries. I don’t think the taste is apparently different but it does taste a bit different.

After lunch, we headed to H&M for Jenna’s return. After that we headed to Haga as none of us really needed anything from the mall. I find that a lot of these malls have very similar if no the same stores back home. With limited room in my suitcase I decided I didn’t necessarily want anything. We headed to a boutique in Haga.

I picked out a scarf for my dad and a few other small souvenirs for my best friends and my mom. After picking some small things out we decided it was time to head back to the hostel and prepare for dinner. Before getting back we stopped at a small cafe near our hostel where we met a dog named Bentley. He was supper friendly but unfortunately we couldn’t stick around for very long.

This dinner in particular called for a dress code so we all put on whatever nicer clothes we had left and headed to Gothia Towers. Gothia Towers is the largest hotel in Scandinavia. We headed up to the restaurant on the 23rd floor and were seated next the window where we got an amazing view of the city. It was all lit up by beautiful lights and you could see the city moving about.

We all had the “King Sandwich”, which is a Swedish specialty. It was an open faced sandwich with mayonnaise, egg, lettuce, spinach and plenty of shrimp. It was definetley like nothing I’ve had before. I couldn’t finish, it was too much and you could tell why it was called a KING sandwich.

After dinner we headed to Tin Tin’s one last time for dessert. I had their raspberry pie with cream. It was the perfect way to end the night and our trip. After dessert we headed back to our hostel to start/finish our packing as well as wrap up our blogs. We will be meeting at 6:15 am to start our journey home. It’s always a bittersweet feeling to leave a new country but I am excited to be back home again!

3 Takeaways

Curling shoes are a lot harder to get the hang of than ice skates
The U.S. needs chili cheese poppers
King Sandwich is almost impossible to eat on your own

Making the products adapt, not the people

Today we started our day in style and we were picked up by a bus in order to go visit BraunAbility (formerly known as AutoAdapt). We met with Anna-Karin, Anna, Sara, Hasse, and Christor. AudoAdapt was founded in 1996 and was purchased by BraunAbility in 2019, who’s head office is in Carmel, Indiana. BraunAbility was the company that I was assigned to research before coming to Sweden. I was already very excited to meet with them because of their incredible work but everything was still so exciting and interesting to learn about.

BraunAbility sets out “to help as many people as possible live a more independent life by enabling them to ride or drive a vehicle safely”. They sell a large range of products that help cars become more accessible for those with mobility issues. Some of the products they sell are seats that swivel in and out of vehicle to make it easier to get in and out, wheelchair lifts, floors and restraints. BraunAbilities products are not just another product, for some people it is their hands and legs when driving.

We got a tour of the manufacturing facility and then got to see some of their products installed into vehicles that were going to be sent out. All of the products that they sell are picked by BraunAbility experts to make sure that the customers are getting the perfect products. After a quick tour we sat in on a “crash” (get it) course with Hassee on the engineering behind the products that they build. I was very moved by the fact that BraunAbility goes beyond the minimum requirements of safety and develops life saving technology when it isn’t necessarily required.

We enjoyed a nice lunch with all of our hosts and then we had one final presentation from Anna-Karin and Anna. We then had an activity on how to develop a good company and strong foundation. We learned so much about what to look for in future employers. We then headed out to head to Remente.

Remente is the #1 ranked app in self improvement and self help. Remente was started and developed by Dave. Dave started this app as a way to help train the mind. After suffering with depression, he realized that there needed to be a better way of getting help before it was too late. Remente helps with coaching life, school and work. David had a lot of personal experience and you can tell that Remente is striving to better the lives of all of their users.

After Remente was our last open dinner of the trip. For this dinner Samantha, Sam, Jackson, Jenna, Peyton and I tried out a vegan burger place. We went to Goteburger Vegan. I had the Anna-Karin burger which I thought was fitting seeing as we met Anna-Karin earlier in the day. My burger was made of soy but there were plenty of options for everyone. Our meals were all delicious and I’d definitely recommend trying it whether you are vegan or not.

Tomorrow is our last full day and it’s quite bitter sweet. I’m so excited have gotten to know a new place in the world but am excited to be back home. Tomorrow we get to go curling and shopping (my favorite pass time activity).

3 Takeaways

A 4 degree angle can be life saving
By 2025, millennials will make up 75% of the work force
Soy vegan burgers are really yummy

Haga and Hockey

Today was our first free day to go explore the attractions of Gothenburg. It was exciting to have a bit of an easier day following a full week of company visits. Jackson, Jenna Peyton and I started our day off with breakfast (closer to brunch) at Tin Tin’s. I ordered the scrambled eggs which was actually scrambled eggs and bacon on a big piece of toast, my apologies for lack of pictures but I was pretty hungry so my camera never had a chance.

After lunch we walked up the hill near Haga to the top where the Skansen Kronan fortress was located. The area overlooks the neighborhood that we were staying and Haga. The climb up there was entirely uphill but it was definitely worth the view. After some cute photo op moments up there we decided to climb down the stairs to have a look around Haga.

The rain and mist from the last few days made the stairs very slippery and Jackson almost went tumbling down. He managed not to go all the way down luckily and we made sure to be careful the rest of the way down. Haga is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Gothenburg. There is a street called Nygata that is full of shops, antique shops, cafes and restaurants.

We stopped at an antique shop to see all the goodies they had to offer. I didn’t end up buying much but I did manage to find old krona. My dad enjoys seeing money from other countries so I picked some out for him. I didn’t do much shopping since there isn’t a lot of space in my suitcases but I definitely saw items that caught my eye that I will have to go back to on our shopping day on Tuesday.

After Haga we hopped on the tram and then the ferry and went to walk around Chalmers University of Technology. We passed it on our way to Hasselblad on Thursday so it was nice to stop and look around. Unfortunately, everything was closed but it was nice have a bit of a feel as to what a part of the university is like.

After walking around Chalmers for a bit, we headed to Scandinavium. We were able to find tickets for the Frolunda hockey game. We had seats at the very end of the stadium but it was a very different experience from sitting near the fan section. Watching the game from up there, we did have the benefit of seeing everything on the rink. It was a much more intense game but they won 4-3. It was an exciting game and i’m definitely ready to watch an American hockey game now!

After our day of adventures we met back as a group at the hostel for group dinner. We went to a Himalayan restaurant for dinner. We ate “family style” and ordered a variety of plates that we all shared. It was the first time I ever had Himalayan food and it can be best compared to Indian food with a small mix of Chinese.

Tomorrow we have another free day and then we will be having a group dinner at the hostel. I can’t believe how quickly our time here is coming to an end.

3 Takeaways

The Malmo flag is a combination of the Swedish and Danish flag
Himalayan food is basically Indian food with a twist
Scrambled eggs doesn’t really mean just scrambled eggs, it’s on a giant piece of toast with bacon

3 Coffees Later…

Today was a late start to the day. Everyone seemed to catch up on their sleep. After a nice late start to the day, we headed to Nordstan to try to find something to eat and have a better look around.

After looking at all the restaurant options, we finally decided to try out Gourmetkorv. On our first day here when we took a tour, our tour guide told us about how it’s a Swedish thing to have mashed potatoes on your hot dog. We all thought was a crazy idea, but I ended up trying it. I wouldn’t have considered it a hot dog though, it was definitely just a sausage but it was delicious nonetheless.

After lunch we stopped at espresso house and got vanilla latte’s to go. It was a great pick me up after a long week. After that we walked around Nordstan and took a quick look in the shops. We didn’t do much shopping since we have a scheduled shopping day on Tuesday but it was nice to see what stores I may potentially stop in.

After Nordstand we headed back to the hostel and relaxed for a bit. After a quick break, Jenna and I headed to Tin Tin’s to work on our blogs and have another coffee. We talked a bit about our week and mutual friends we have at Carthage. We ran into Susie and Jan there too after their day of shopping.

At around 5:00 we met up as a group in the guest kitchen across the street from our hostel. The group decided the night before that we wanted to order pizza for dinner. We all picked out pizza we wanted from a local pizza place. The group was also in charge of doing appetizers and dessert and show off our skills from the cooking school.

Since our team was in charge of the dessert at the cooking school, we did dessert for the group. We all headed to the nearby grocery store to pick up all of our ingredients. Our team decided to do crepes, pie and ice cream. We got a lot of compliments which was great because everyone was pretty full by the time we got to dessert but we were glad everyone enjoyed.

I can’t believe tomorrow is our last company visit! We will be meeting with BraunAbility, formerly known as AutoAdapt. I am so excited to meet them as this was the company my partner and I researched. We will also be meeting with David at Remente. I can’t believe the amazing people we’ve gotten to meet already!

3 Takeaways

One of the sizes you can order at Gourmetkorv is a “fatso”
There’s 7-Eleven’s everywhere and I don’t know why
3 coffees still isn’t enough when you’re that tired

Let It Sink In

Today we visited Valea which is an Intellectual Property firm. We met with Andrew Hammond who is a European Patent Attorney, the CEO and a founder of Valea. Their mission is “to be recognized as a European market leader in intellectual property consulting and as the partner of choice for clients”. Valea focuses on helping their clients strength their competitive advantage and prevents competitors from taking advantage of them.

Valea works with a variety of clients that are well known all over the world, with attorneys that specialize in a variety of industries. They currently have 75 employees and of these, 55 of them are attorneys. I was very impressed with their company structure. Their structure is organized for maximum client satisfaction and there are multiple teams in the company to ensure that every customer has the most well informed team helping them.

Adam talked about the importance of working on a team in the workforce and the importance of “branding”. Valea works to ensure that their customers’ intangible assets are protected. This was interesting to me because i’ve spent the last few years learning about accounting methods for intangibles but have never known much about what goes behind it.

After Adam talked to us for a bit he had one of the attorney’s, Victor talk to the group about trademarks and their importance for brand recognition. We discussed the value that it can add to a company and the danger it can also bring if a brand becomes a generic term. The example we spoke on was “Kleenex”, because the word is so commonly used, the company runs the risk of losing its trademark because it’s what all tissues are being called. It’s weird to think that while you may think a company wants to be a household name, it could lose value.

After victor and Adams presentation we headed to lunch. We met at a cafeteria in Lilla Bommen building that is commonly referred as “the lipstick” building. We enjoyed a nice lunch with Adam and Victor and discussed what law school is like in Sweden.

After our lunch we had about an hour and a half to explore nordstan before meeting up for our next visit. Nordstan is Gothenburg’s most popular shopping center. They have a variety of stores and restaurants, both stores that can be found in the US and stores that seem to only be local stores. Peyton and I stopped at Espresso House (which seems to be the equivalent of their Starbucks) for a quick recharge.

After meeting up again as a group we all headed to Xylem. Xylem is a water solution company and provides water maintenance products for both residential and commercial buildings. We first watched a video about the scary reality regarding water.

After this video Christian talked about how they have become the leading global water technology producer. Xylem believes that water is the challenge that will define the 21st century. They are trying to develop innovative ways for everyone to have access to clean water. It was scary and inspiring all at once.

3 Takeaways

Kleenex could use their trademark because we call all tissues Kleenex
Law school in Sweden requires you to take a 6 hour test
We need to stop taking advantage of clean water

Capture the moment

Our first stop of the day was Hasselblad. Hasselblad is the company behind iconic photos including the first photos to ever be taken on the moon. In 1937 Victor Hasselblad and his wife opened his own photography store called “Victor Foto”. Victor Hasselblad are up around cameras and films he developed a natural curiosity for photography.

While Hasselblad did not build the camera’s himself he knew what his ideal camera features would consist of. During this time he developed the repo camera. In 1940 he was contacted be the Swedish airfare and asked if he could replicate a German surveillance camera that was found. Hasselblad’s response was “I can build a better one”, which he did. This was when the AK-7 was created. In 1957 Hasselblad released the 500C which was a cornerstone in what they call the “V-system” and is now one of the most iconic cameras.

The 500C is the reason that a Hasselblad camera ended upon the moon. Walter Schirra who was an astronaut at NASA was a photographer who used this camera. He suggested this camera to NASA and they were very impressed with the images that it could produce. This is what led to the co operation between NASA and Hasselblad.

Hasselblad is now a prestigious name that has been used for a variety of iconic photos including Marilyn Monroe, The Beattles on Abbey road, James Dyan and Steve Jobs. Hasselblad customers mainly include professional photographers as well as studios which makes sense seeing as their cameras can range anywhere from 5,000 to 50,000 USD.

After Hasselblad we headed to ABB robotics. We were greeted by Bert who is the Global Product Manager of Software products. We had a great lunch then gathered for his presentation on the “Bright Future for Robotics”.

Bert discussed the importance of robotics in the manufacturing industry and the reason that they did not survive the first industrial revolution. The main takeaway from robots in the manufacturing industry was that companies need to find a way to have robots and humans work together and not keep them separated. Sometimes there are jobs that although would work with robots, would be a lot harder to program than to just have a human do it.

There is many aspects that technology can help within the manufacturing field but it is important that we help aid the humans not replace. Bert also discussed the innovations that are currently being created within artificial intelligence. It was a bit scary to see how advanced technology is getting but exciting all at once. After ABB we headed back for a quick outfit change for the Frolunda hockey game.

Frölunda is the official hockey team of Gothenburg. This was my first experience at a hockey game. We sat in the fan section and tried our best to blend in. Frölunda one with 8 points and I’m already excited for the next time I’ll get to go!

3 Takeaways

One Hasselblad could pay for a Volvo
Artificial intelligence is scary
Hockey is actually really interesting and now i’d like to watch an American game to compare

Buckle Up

Volvo was founded in 1927 in Hisingen, Gothenburg. A company that started as a local car manufacturer is now a leader in the luxury car industry. With a 100,000 employees, production facilities in 18 countries, and over 350,000 cars sold every year they are one of the largest producers of commercial cars. Among many reasons that they are are so successful is their dedication to safety.

Volvo’s mission is that no one should be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo car. They are leaders in safety and have inspired a variety of innovations including the three-point safety belt and the first booster cushion for children. Safety is top priority for Volvo. A part of their safety compliances are test crashes.

While visiting Volvo, our class sat in on a VIP viewing of one of their test crashes. The test crash was to be used for U.S. compliance regulations as well as Volvo’s additional regulations that they as a company have chosen to set as a standard. The car was set to travel at 25 mph and hit a 30 degree angle. Photo and video was not allowed, however, Volvo has plenty of cameras recording various angles of their crashes in order to further analyze the crashes.

The crash we watched is very similar to this one published by Volvo. Every model that is produced and sold in various countries must comply with different regulations. Volvo conducts 1-2 crash tests a day in order to ensure that they are in compliance.

Besides safety being their top concern, Volvo also focuses on sustainability. They have a mission to have 50% of their cars be electric by 2025. Their focus is not only on their individual customers but also the world. They currently produces plug-in hybrids, mild hybrids and are working on releasing pure electric cars.

After the crash test, we were invited on a personal tour of the manufacturing plant. Our tour was lead by Sylvia and Morgan. Sylvia is a lead auditor and BMS coordinator in vehicle hardware and Morgan is a PSCE Project Pre-Trim and MP at Volvo. They are married and met at Volvo. Both of them have worked there for over 10 years.

We were shown various steps of the complicated manufacturing process. From the assembly of the axles to the test drive out in the lot, everything was done in one area. One aspect that I found very interesting especially in contrast to SKF, was that all assembly jobs (for the most part) were being done by humans. At SKF there were many robots doing all the tasks as well as automated forklifts.

There were a few tasks being done by robots, such as the glueing of the windshields but other tasks were being done by hand. It was interesting to see all the skills that are required to assemble one car. They produce 60 cars every hour at this plant. The manufacturing plant runs at all hours Monday through Friday with the occasional Saturday’s depending on deadlines.

Seeing the crash test and the passion that all the employees had about their work was a great experience. It is no surprised that they are leaders in the industry and I am excited to see the future of their fully electric vehicles. The craftsmanship of their vehicles speak for themselves.

3 Takeaways

I have expensive taste (I pointed out one of the most expensive models).
I really want a rechargeable XC90 someday.
We stop for production, production doesn’t stop for us.

Setting the Future Into Motion

Today we started our morning off with Magnus and Helen at Qualisys. Magnus Sjolin is the Market Area Director and Helen Holmquist Ryden is the Global Marketing and Communication Manager. Qualisys’ mission is “To be the world’s preferred partner in creating performance enhancing motion capture through technical analysis”. Qualisys is a leader in motion capture technology. They produce 2,000 to 2,005 camera’s per year and are used in the biomechanics, engineering, sports, animal biomechanics and entertainment industries.

Some of their most well known customers are Harvard University, BMW, the Olympics and the U.S. Military. They started as a hardware company in 1989 but they are now a solutions provider. They are the only company that offers motion capture cameras that can be used under water. There technology enables athletes, coaches and scientists to study and analyze the science behind sports. We were able to watch a demonstration of how their program works during our visit today.

Our classmate Robby volunteered as the test subject for the demonstration today. Robby had “markers” placed all over him in key points that would analyze his running. These markers mapped out a 3D version of him into a computer program that would be able to measure Robby’s strides and form in order to reach peak performance.

We briefly were able to see how their technology is used for entertainment and animation as well. Matt, Nicole and Sam were able to try on the suits and markers that are used when make an animation. Unfortunately due to some technical difficulties and running short on time, we could not see the program in full effect but it was still fascinating to see the work that goes into some of the video games that we commonly see around.

Magnus and Helen were wonderful guests. This was the first time that Qualisys had Carthage students visit their location. We all hope that future classes are able to experience all the work that they are doing at their site.

After lunch with Qualisys we headed to SKF. SKF products are not usually visible but they are vital to the functionality of machines and plants. It was founded in 1907 during the first industrial revolution by Sven Wingquist, who invented the self-aligning ball bearing, in Gamlestaden, Gothenburg. SKF has had the same logo since 1909 which stands for Swedish Ball Bearing Factory.

Their mission is to create a world of reliable rotation. They have a large focus on the environment and sustainability. Their products can be refurbished and their products life span can constantly be extended. They also focus on minimizing transport of their products as much as possible and do so by shipping from the closest manufacturing plant where an order is placed from. With 130 locations in 32 countries and distributors in 17,000 locations that is not a hard task for them.

SKF has a deep appreciation for employee ideas and innovation. Their success is due to constant innovation and creating products that will still be needed in 10 years from now. There focus on continuing the improvement of the products that they already have out sets them apart. Their quality also puts them ahead of their competition. SKF’s ability to constantly think outside the box and their hard work is what their success can be accredited to. Their dedication to their employees and their ideas really shine through at the company. Who knew that ball bearings were everywhere?

After a long day of two great company visits we all headed back to the hostel. Tonight was my turn to navigate us back and luckily I didn’t get us lost! Today we reviewed our blogs and looked for areas of improvement. For those of you reading I’d love your feedback!

Tonight was an open dinner so Jackson, Cam, Peyton and I stayed nearby to get an early night. We went to “Restaurant Da Vinci” which is an italian restaurant right around the corner from our hostel. I was able to enjoy their Bella pizza. Sweden really likes their carbs and it was delicious.

Tomorrow we will be visiting Volvo and hopefully seeing a crash test!

3 Takeaways

Robby is nearly a perfect runner despite being put on the spot
SKF helped their employees start their own union to ensure the needs of their employees were being met.
Sometimes you need to be nervous.

Development and Growth

Today was the start of our company visits in Sweden. We were invited to Skapa, a content marketing company. Skapa was founded by Erik Ekholm and his wife Annika Ekholm in 1996. Skapa is a content marketing firm and does website building, app designing as well as blogging for other businesses. Some of their customers include Volvo Penta, CAT, Skanska, Densplay Implants and Andeasson Musilk. The philosophy of Skapa that has helped make them as successful as they currently are is their ability to attract new businesses and develop loyalty be delivering relevant and updated content that meets the needs of their customers.

Erik, who is the CEO of Skapa, discussed with us the tools that they are able to use to help their companies drive traffic onto their websites to help build their customer base on all platforms. One of these are google snippets. Google snippets are the short answer to a question when its searched in the search engine before the results. While Google snippets can be purchased, Skapa’s customers have been able to acquire the coveted spots without purchase. Google picks their website’s as the general answer due to their dedication and thoroughness to provide the right information to consumers.

Erik discussed the importance of building companies websites correct from the start. It is easier to start from nothing and build something great than to try to fix something that did not have a lot of effort put in to begin with. The work that his company does should be considered an investment versus a cost. Creating compelling content that is creative for the audience is one of Skapa’s main goals.

Erik ended our meeting with a few questions as well as some words of wisdom for those of us preparing to graduate and enter the workforce. Erik suggest that young professional enter into big companies or companies that give them the ability to grow and develop.

After meeting with Erik, we headed to Goteborg University. We stopped for lunch at their cafe before meeting with Professor Claes G. Alvstam and Professor Martin Oberg. Professor Alvstam gave us a presentation about Gothenburg’s Economy. Some characteristics of the Swedish economy include: natural resources such as minerals (iron, copper, silver, and gold) as well as wood and limited volumes of coal. Their main source of income is providing services, more importantly digital services. Their newest successful digital services include: Klarna, Truecaller, Mujang, King, Spotify, and Skype. Sweden is a well developed country but they face challenges as well. Brexit will mean that Sweden will be losing a close ally and ultimately Sweden will also feel the negative impacts.

After a short presentation on the History of Goteborg, we were given a chance to talk to University of Gothenburg students. We were given a chance to ask them what being a student in Sweden is like. Due to my interest in residential life, I was curious to know if the students also lived on campus. One of the students does live in housing on campus as she is from northern Sweden. The other student we spoke to was a commuter, who commutes everyday by train to get to school. It was so interesting to talk about the similarities and differences of being a college student.

After meeting with the students we headed back to the hostel to get ready for dinner. Tonight was an open dinner so Jackson, Jenna, Peyton and I walked down to Linnegaten to look for somewhere to eat. We ended up going to John Scott’s which seems to be a local chain of pubs.

Tomorrow we will be visiting Qualisys and SKF. We have heard these companies talked about in class and by other people we have met here so it will be very exciting to get to meet with their executives and have an inside look.

3 Takeaways

Starting a business with your husband/wife can be scary but beneficial
There are commuter students in Sweden too
Sweden’s largest export is services