A new year – Resume Part 2

Today is the first day of the year 2016. And also the first day after the year 2015. Also in 2016 many exchanges will join SBS again. Therefore i want to use my last post for writing about the second part of my personal resume of my time at SBS.

4. Accommodation

As an exchange it is totally recommendable to try to use the opportunity of student housing by the SU housing office. There are different student living areas established in Stockholm. The housing possibilities allow students to find a suitable accommodation without the struggle of the crazy Stockholm housing market and also no need for expensive furniture purchases since the rooms are furnished already. Also the student dorms are a great possibility to meet other people from the Stockholm University and make new friends.
For more info: http://www.su.se/english/study/student-services/housing/housing-for-exchange-students/housing-for-exchange-students-1.209933

5. Traveling

Being in Scandinavia, you have great opportunities to travel on a budget. From boat cruises to Finland or Russia, to a visit of the snowy Lapland or a weekend trip to Copenhagen. Different opportunities for the different tastes of travelers. Many low cost airlines are operating flights from one of Stockholm’s airports and train tickets can be very cheap when booked in advance. Also as mentioned in a previous post, Scanbalt also organizes trips for students.

For more info: http://www.scanbaltexperience.com/

6. Courses at SBS

SBS offers a broad variety of courses to be chosen when visiting SBS as an exchange. Make sure to have a look into the provided syllabus of the courses in order to know what you have to expect and also what you have to provide for succeeding in the course. Overall, it is important to know that SBS has still a strong focus on the lecture and seminar structure in their courses. For me it was definitely a very interesting opportunity to get to know this different style of course structure. And if you ever have a question about administrative stuff during your period as an exchange, the Office for Student Services are always happy to help.

This was the second part of my personal resume. If you have any questions concerning my posts, feel free to comment and I will try to give you a helpful response.

Since this is my last post as a SBS Blogger, I want to say thank you for my time at SBS and all the helpful and nice people I was able to meet.

See you

Dom

Exchange at SBS – A resume part 1

With Christmas coming up, also the end of my exchange semester is near. Even though I still have to hand in assignments in January I am leaving Stockholm today for some Christmas and New Years’ time at home. The right occasion for a first resume about my time as an exchange at SBS. Important tips for new exchanges arriving:

1. Senior Buddy Program

The first contact with SBS after the official welcoming event is the participation in the Senior Buddy Program. The SBP is a program of activities run by current SBS students in order to help the new international arrivals to get to know each other and find some friends for the upcoming semester. The activities range from a bar visit to a day trip to some nice spots around Stockholm. A definite recommendation to join!

http://foreningenekonomerna.se/senior-buddy-program/

2. Kraftriket – the campus

Even if you think in the first moment that you prefer to study at the main campus of SU, due to its size the availability of shops and the near T-station. But you will learn to love the cozy atmosphere of the SBS campus. Kraftriket offers beautiful red brick buildings and due to its smaller size a much better possibility to get into contact with your fellow students. Also the café offers a broad variety of drinks and meals, in order to help you survive your hard days of studying.

3. Studentkort

When talking about the café at SBS and you are planning on actually buying one or the other coffee there and maybe from time to time a nice lunch or snack, it definitely makes sense to think about using the Studentkort, since you can use them in all Högskolerestauranger and will get you a 10% discount. It maybe won’t make the food cheap, but less expensive ;)!

This was my first part of important things about the exchange term at the SBS

Stay tuned for my 2^nd part of the resume

Dom!

Insight SBS – MBM

In November I already posted about the course BSCP, but in the same month I also took a second course for the period Novmeber – January. The course is Market-oriented Business models.

What is it about?

The course is about the understanding and analysis of business models. During the duration of the course you get an introduction to the topic itself, but also go into detail about the specific parts of understanding different business models. These detailed topics range from for example Innovation to Leadership.

What is the structure of the course?

The course mainly consists of lectures held by the two lecturer. In these lectures content about the specific topic will be presented and explained and is then directly applied on a given in-class case in order to be able to put the learned theory into a practical context. For each of the lectures you also will have assigned readings. Examination in this course is based on a group project and the respective analysis of an existing business model, as well as a personal final assignment.

Would I choose the course again?

To this point of the course I would definitely choose the course again, due to the different perspectives on understanding a business model I was able to learn about during the course. By the end of the course I will provide a revisited conclusion ;).

Kanelbullar – the source of survival during the dark months

When you come to Sweden one of the first words you are going to learn is Fika.
Fika is the idea of a shared three o’clock coffee time with a sweet pastry.
And the classic Swedish sweet pastry is the Kanelbulle
(also known as cinnamonbun).

Now, when the days are shorter and the weather is colder there is nothing as good as a nice, warming coffee and a delicious kanelbulle. But a kanelbullar is not just a kanelbullar, there are huge difference concerning taste, cinnamon-level, stickiness and so on ;)!

In general it is important to know that there are two main types available:
The classic kanelbulle and the cardamombulle.

If you are in Stockholm and have a respective enthusiasm for this little gem of pastry I can highly recommend you a visit of the Café Saturnus, where you can buy a delicious supersize kanelbullar.

(Kanelbulle at Cafe Saturnus! And yes, that is a regular sized plate!)

And if you are busy as a student at the campus of Stockholm university and craving for some sugar and coffee, I can highly recommend you the kanelbullar available at the 7eleven store, they are always as sticky as they should be and are therefore a safe bet.

BUT if you got some free time, why not bake the perfect kanelbullar by yourself?

Ingredients are the following:

1. The dough:
   30g butter
   100ml milk
   10g yeast
   30g sugar
   quarter ts salt
   200g flour
2. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes
3. Filling:
   15g butter
   10g sugar
   quarter ts cinnamon
4. Put Filling on rolled out dough, roll dough as sausage together and cut into pieces
5. 5 – 10 in the oven at 250-275 degrees celsuis

Hope you enjoy the kanelbullar as much as I do 😉

See you soon

Dom

St. Lucy’s Day aka Lucia

It is already the end of November and December is just around the corner. For many people December means the month of Christmas, New Years Eve, Visits to the Christmas markets or Saint Nicholas Day.

But in Sweden there is another important day: St. Lucy’s.

The St. Lucy’s Day happens every year at the 13^th of December and is seen as a festival of light. As the shortest day in the year (based on the Julian Calendar) it is at the same time the day of the Winter Solstice. During the cold and long winter in Sweden there was definitely some need for more light and more celebration ;)!

The history of the Lucia festivities (the Swedish name of St. Lucy) dates back to even the mid-century, where rural population celebrated the end of the pre-Christmas agricultural work and the begin of the Christmas-fast. Lucia itself is one of the few saints celebrated by Lutheran Nordic people.

Today Lucia is celebrated within the family, schools and work. Traditionally, in every family the oldest daughter is chosen to be the Lucia, therefore dressing up in a white robe, a red band and coronal with candles. Aside from the choice of the Lucia most of the festivities include the eating of the traditional lussekatter (a saffron-based pastry) and the singing of Lucia-related songs.

Lussekatter

So if you see people with white robes, lussekatter and candles walking around Stockholm on the 13^th of December, it’s for a reason ;)!

See you next week!

So long
Dom

Insight SBS – BCSP

With beginning of November also two new, and also my last, two courses at Stockholm Business School started. I continued my previous choices and stick to the Marketing program, therefore I chose the courses Branding: Strategic and Cultural Perspectives as well as Market-Oriented Business Models.

Branding: Cultural and Strategic Perspectives

(Brands, so many Brands)

What is it about?

According to the syllabus the course addresses Branding in the context of Business but also extending the view to Social and Cultural perspectives, highlighting a broader view of stakeholders being included in the process of Branding. After the the first 3 weeks, we already have discussed intensively the topics of Brands equity, the value of a brand and started looking into the idea of co-creation of brands. With my strong business background, I am looking forward to the next weeks and the intensifying of different perspectives concerning brands.

What is the structure of the course?

The course consists of general lecturers and seminars. The lectures are used for content presenting and explanation by the lecturer with smaller amounts of interaction. The seminars on the other hand are used for intensive discussion of the required readings. Yes, the course consists of 3-5 readings per week, which are required and recommended to read for an interactive discussion of the content in the seminars. Examination in this course depends on three smaller assignments, participation and a final assignment. (for further details see the syllabus of the respective course)

Would I choose the course again?

To this point of the course I would definitely choose the course again, due to the broadening of my personal perspectives concerning brands. By the end of the course I will provide a revisited conclusion ;).

So long

Dom

November = Movember

It is by now already mid of November and for me November always equals Movember. Did you ever wonder why in November you can see a lot of men in Stockholm who started wearing a more or less beautiful moustache (outside of Södermalm)?

For everyone who is not familiar with the word “Movember” it is built by the words “moustache” and “November”.

To begin with, I want to solve the question: “What is this Movember all about?”

In November all males (and all females are also heartly invited) who join the annual Movember movement start wearing a moustache for the whole month. The moustache then should create awareness for prostate cancer and other male-dominant diseases and should encourage others to start donating money on this cause. Since every collective idea for donations need a certain institution to organize this, Movember is based on initiative (https://us.movember.com/) with the official aim of funding money for the future research about the male-dominant diseases and health.

Probably by now the question “Why are the people so selfish and focus on male-dominant deseases?” will pop up in your mind.

The easy answer is: because at the moment comparable life expectancy for men is about 6 years lower than for females. So don’t be mad at us for being so selfish J. We have a certainly good reason.

(possible variants of moustaches)

But beware:

Especially in the area of Södermalm not everyone you see with a moustache will be happy if you approach him and congratulate him on putting is efforts towards such a noble cause. He could feel offended in his individuality and will explain that he is strictly against such mass-movements as the Movember. Then he will turn around and the only thing you will see from him is his cloth bag with a funny sentence or random artist on it. 😉

So long,

Dominik