"Exchange-studies offers so many different opportunities"

From an interest in sports to a double degree

Sara’s passion for sport started early, as she practised gymnastics from the age of five until she was 22. Additionally, she has explored a wide range of activities: dancing, beach volleyball, endurance training, bouldering, Thai boxing, and more. When Sara first began her studies, she wasn’t entirely sure what direction to take, but her long-standing interest in sports put her on the right path.

– I went into psychology and later attached that to my interest in sports, and with the double degree in psychology and sports science, I can go in different directions. I want to explore the world beyond research, but I’m also always playing with the idea of a PhD in theoretical work that is practically meaningful.

An exchange semester and internship at GIH

Sara came to GIH as an Erasmus exchange student. During her time in Stockholm, she took courses in sports nutrition, completed an individual project, and studied sports psychology, focusing on motivation and performance. She chose GIH as she read a lot of research papers and noticed that many of the researchers she found interesting were based at GIH.

– When I looked into the school, I got a very positive impression. The Erasmus opportunity made the exchange possible, and when I contacted the staff, they were incredibly helpful in guiding me toward a project that matched both my interests and my skill set.

Alongside her studies, she also got involved in a research project at E-PABS and completed an internship conducting a study. The internship, which ran throughout the exchange period, also served as the foundation for her master’s thesis where she analyzed the data.

A close-knit research environment

Sara notes that though GIH is roughly the same size as her home university, one of her favorite aspects of GIH campus is that everything is so closely connected.

– It’s cool to have it all so close and that everyone – students, staff and researchers – are walking in the same hallways. And I really like the library and the nice view from the big windows!

Another benefit Sara sees about the GIH campus is that having all the research and labs in the same building makes it easy to move between them and follow along with additional analyzes, such as blood samples.

Many benefits to doing an exchange

Sara boasts about doing an exchange semester and notes that, compared to an internship at your home university, it's easier to get immersed in the work when you go abroad. She also sees the benefits of trying different working styles when going abroad, which she sees as positive experience for the future.

Sara adds that getting involved in a specific research project may not be for everyone and is not a prerequisite for an exchange semester.

– Whether it's for research purposes and getting experience, or just having a different experience, you get the opportunity to study subjects not available in your home university. And meet friends you wouldn’t otherwise meet!

Even the organizing and planning part is rewarding, according to Sara, who notes that putting in the work, applying and getting approved is motivating along the way. Though she also adds that properly researching the exchange and Erasmus earlier could have made it easier for her:

– If I had known about all the opportunities, I would have done more earlier; there are so many options. There are lots of ways to go abroad and get support and funding, it's just a matter of researching and knowing about them.