He studies among a United Nations of students

When British student Matthew Burton from Essex, near London, decided to study International and European Relations for his master’s degree, he opted for Linköping University in Sweden. It was even better than he expected.

Being the only student from your country on a course in a foreign university might put some people off, but not Matthew Burton who found himself at the heart of a United Nations on his two-year master’s degree. The 24-year-old Southampton University philosophy graduate likes adventure – and after a year out working to save for his postgraduate tuition fees, he decided against returning to his family home in Colchester for a master’s at nearby Essex University in favour of venturing further afield. And he wasn’t disappointed, despite finding himself the only Englishman on the course after being accepted on to the MA at Linköping University. For what better way to study European relations than share a flat with an Albanian and a German on your first year, and a Swede and an Italian student on the second?

Being a native English-speaker had its pros and cons, he admits. “It was an advantage on the course, as I could probably understand what the lecturers were getting at easier and write essays quicker, but because everyone in Sweden speaks such good English – and with English being the common language among all the students – there was no pressure for me to learn Swedish. I did go on a course, but my Swedish is still pretty basic.” Among the big surprises was discovering that Linköping was as easy to reach as his South coast university of Southampton from Essex. “I live near Stansted Airport, and can fly to Stockholm’s Skavsta Airport for 20 pounds and then take the coach for about an hour-and-a-half. It is actually easier, and costs about the same as getting to Southampton for me.”

So what about the change from his three years studying and partying through his undergraduate days in England?
“It is different and I’m glad I did my undergraduate degree in the UK, but I like the more academically focused environment
of the Swedish university and would definitely recommend going abroad for your master’s to other British students. “It won’t work, if all you want is a MA within a year. But if you want to widen your experience and take some time to absorb
other cultures it is the thing to do.”

He enjoys the healthier life-style and has lost weight by cycling everywhere, like nearly everyone else on campus. As for living costs, Matthew reckons the 6,000 pounds he has saved on not paying for his British master’s degree covered his two years in Sweden. “My rent is a lot less than in Southampton, and food prices are on a par with those in southern England.” But cost should not be the only motive, he insists: “From my perspective, I prefer the two-year master’s degree. You’ve got more time to get to grips with the subject.” So, if you want a good quality master’s degree to set yourself up for a good career in the global economy, or prepare yourself for a PhD, Linköping University in Eastern Sweden could be just the place, he says. That’s especially if you want to break the nest and make yourself stand out from the crowd in an ever-increasingly difficult job market for graduates. “I’ve had several interviews already and it certainly gives you plenty to talk about”, says Matthew, who is finishing off his master’s with a thesis of ‘The role of the European Central Bank in the current Euro crisis’ under the supervision of the world-renown German professor Jörg Winterberg. You can’t get much more European than that!

Page responsible: webbredaktoren@liu.se
Last updated: Thu Aug 16 13:43:19 CEST 2012