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- Student
- 17/06/2024
And how are things in Gothenburg?
For a master's internship at Volvo, I went to Sweden in April. I am doing research on the sensor data output of road sign information signals. I had found a house in the city center on top of a mountain beforehand. I live here with four other students. The view from the house is beautiful; you look out over downtown.
I am doing a double master’s degree: one in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Dynamics and Control, and one in Electrical Engineering with a specialization in Signal Processing Systems. I did a bachelor's in Automotive Technology and besides that, I obtained my degree as a mathematics teacher. At the end of my bachelor’s, I wanted to go abroad and did my bachelor’s thesis at Volvo Cars.
I did my bachelor’s thesis in Vehicle Energy Efficiency, where I performed research on the energy consumption and efficiency of the current and new brake systems. I got my own test car and went to the rig several days a week to perform my test cases. I really liked the working environment at Volvo; you get a lot of freedom in your planning, and I had a really good connection with my colleagues. Everybody was very helpful. So, I decided to go back for my master’s internship but this time in a different team. I am currently doing my internship in Active Safety in the Easy Drive team. I am doing research on the sensor data of the road sign information signals.
I like to hang out with Swedish people to learn more about the culture. When I arrived, I joined the same soccer team as two years ago, called IK Virgo. This way, you also learn to understand Swedish and get to know the people and their culture. On weekends, I like to have a drink with my friends or colleagues or do some activity. I usually make sure I have some plans for the weekend. I like to visit new cities, so I went to Stockholm, Malmö, Oslo, Copenhagen, and even Prague during my stay in Gothenburg.
I think in Swedish culture people are less open until you get to know them better. The country itself is beautiful. In Gothenburg, there is a big nature reserve in the middle of the city, and there are multiple small islands and beaches in the surroundings. If you want to have some drinks with friends, Haga is the perfect area.
Tips:
- Try to hang out with people who live in Sweden instead of only exchange students. Exchange students will go back home as well. When I came back to Sweden, I was still in contact with my Swedish friends and started hanging out with them again.
- Go visit the nature and the beautiful islands in Gothenburg and visit some cities in the surroundings.
- Try to become a member of some kind of association, whether it be sports or cultural. This way, you get to know a lot of new people.
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