From Sweden to Tyrol: How Josefine experienced her semester abroad at MCI

The story of an exchange student at the Department of Industrial Engineering & Management

MOUNTAINS - SELF-GROWTH - FRIENDSHIP

…with these three words, Josefine describes her semester at MCI | The Entrepreneurial School^®.

Short Introduction

Hi! My name is Josefine Abrahamsson, and I am 23 years old from Sweden. Currently, I am doing my exchange here in Innsbruck at MCI through my home university, Uppsala University. Back home, I am enrolled in the master's program in Industrial Management and Innovation and here in Innsbruck, I am taking courses from the master’s program in Industrial Engineering & Management.

Describing MCI in three words...

Mountains, self-growth, and friendships.

How is your overall impression of your study exchange?

So far, I have had the best time, and I am excited about the last month here before going home to Sweden. I am happy I challenged myself by going on exchange, but even more happy that I chose the Austrian Alps. As someone who loves all seasons, this has been a blast. When I arrived in August, it was full-on summer, and I went hiking, swimming, and explored the area around and in Innsbruck. One of my favorite memories is when my friends and myself went swimming in Baggersee one day, and less than a week later, we went skiing in Stubai on the glacier. This explains how amazing it is to live in Innsbruck around this time of the year. This, combined with studying at MCI and meeting people from around the world, has been incredible. I will be forever grateful for all the people I have met here.

What was the reason for you to plan a semester abroad?

It was a combination of a need to challenge myself and a dream of studying and living in another country. Innsbruck was the obvious choice, as living in the Alps always seemed fantastic. At MCI, I could get the best of both worlds.

Is Innsbruck a great place for international students?

Yes, definitely. I have met people from all around the world here, and not only at the university. Innsbruck has everything you need; it is a big city in that sense, but you still get the small city vibe. I have been able to walk almost everywhere, and if needed, public transport has been very convenient. Innsbruck is perfect if you want to explore other cities and countries as well; Italy and Germany, for example, are very close, and there are a lot of beautiful places nearby that is worth a visit while living here. I have managed well with not being able to speak German perfectly, but I have also taken a German course which helped me a lot, so now I can do some basic stuff, like ordering at a restaurant and do grocery shopping.

Why did you choose the MCI?

From a study perspective, it was because of the significant focus on management, offering many courses of my interest and necessary for my studies back home. The bonus was its location in the middle of the Alps. So, I would say the combination of an entrepreneurial school with its location made it very easy for me to choose MCI.

Can you describe a funny intercultural situation?

I would say that there are a lot of similarities between Austrian and Swedish culture, so in Innsbruck, as a city, I have not experienced that many intercultural situations. The only one that has been annoying is that almost everything is closed on Sundays, and I am not used to that back home. But I have experienced some funny intercultural situations with my friends. We are a big group of people hanging out, and we all are from different countries where the culture is a bit different, and so the culture of when to have dinner. We were supposed to have dinner with each other, and some of us are used to eating between 5 and 7 p.m., while others never have dinner before 8 p.m., so in the beginning it was challenging but looking back it was a very small one compared to other challenges you can face as an exchange student.  

What are the differences between your home university and the MCI?

The biggest difference between MCI and Uppsala University is the way of teaching and learning. Here at MCI, attendance is mandatory, something that is not that common back home, at least not for the studies I have been enrolled in. Of course, I am used to seminars and similar with mandatory attendance, but to have it in every lecture was new for me. I would also say that here at MCI there has been very much interaction between students and the professor in every lecture, I do not think I have had even one lecture where it has only been listening to the professor. And I like that, you can always discuss with others and apply the theory in practice immediately in class.

How did you experience the application procedure?

Very convenient. It was easy to understand how it worked, and the platform where we applied for the courses was also easy to use. We got a lot of information from the MCI incoming team, and it was nice to see some faces before arriving to Innsbruck and also be able to ask questions and get help with the process. They were very kind and helpful and gave a lot of important information.

Would you recommend a semester abroad to other students?

Yes, 100%. It is so worth it; you will learn so much about yourself, and you will meet a lot of new people and make friends from different countries, gaining the experience of living in another culture with a completely new language. If you are thinking about going abroad, GO!

Dear Josefine, thank you so much for sharing your impressions with us. We wish you a great time in Innsbruck and a successful semester abroad at our department!