Law Degree – From Versailles to Umeå

Janelle, Adèle, Angèle, and Louna
The exchange students Janelle, Adèle, Angèle, and Louna come from the Department of Law’s partner university Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), located about a 25-minute train ride west of Paris. They grew up in different parts of France, but they have been in the same class at UVSQ for almost three years. Their programme is a three-year bachelor’s programme in International Law, and the semester they have chosen to spend in Umeå is their last. Here, they are taking the law courses Basic EU Law, Introduction to Swedish Law, and Victimology.

Destination: Umeå
Since their programme focuses on international law, their home university encourages them to go on an exchange semester. I asked them why they chose Umeå as their destination.

I kind of told them to go with me

– I kind of told them to go with me, says Janelle, and they all laugh. I wanted to go up north, because I am from the southern parts of France and countries in southern Europe didn’t appeal to me as much.  The courses looked good, and one of my dreams was to see the northern lights - which I was lucky enough to do.

– I was thinking of going to the UK, but it was complicated with language tests, and without an Erasmus grant it becomes expensive. I was also interested in the culture here, Louna says.

– It’s so different from France. I wanted a change - something I could not have in France. And I’ve heard so many good things about Scandinavia, says Angèle.

– The study system - where you have one course at a time instead of taking all courses in parallel - convinced us to go to Umeå. I also wanted a climate shock, Adèle continues.

Naturally, they are somewhat bound by UVSQ’s agreements with different countries around the world, but as they said, Sweden appealed to them in many ways. Scandinavia has a good reputation overall, and they received great advice from previous exchange students who were happy with their exchange periods here in Umeå. In addition, Swedes are good at English, which the students see as a great advantage. Their campus at UVSQ is located in an industrial urban environment, so they appreciate the beautiful surroundings here on our campus.

Swedish Culture – Trust, Calm, Alcohol Monopoly, and Access to Candy
Regarding Swedish culture, I asked them to describe how they have experienced the differences between France and Sweden. The first thing they mention – which hardly comes as a surprise - is the temperature. They survived the climate shock of minus 25 degrees and snow thanks to the warm jackets and base layers they bought before their departure. They also experience a sense of calm:

– In Sweden it is very calm compared to France. Like going in the streets or riding the bus, there’s not much noise. On public transportation French people are talking loudly, says Angèle.

They feel safe here in Umeå, and they are not worried when walking home alone late at night. They also all feel that Umeå - and Sweden in general - is built on trust:

– You are very trusting here. In supermarkets you can pay for your own groceries – no one can see if you steal, says Louna.

– There are unlocked baby strollers in the street, how is it not stolen in five minutes? Adèle wonders.

They are also surprised by how low the fences are around preschools and schools. In France, schools and preschools have tall fences and the security measures are higher overall. At UVSQ, students’ bags are searched before they are allowed to enter campus buildings.

I sent my grandmother a picture of a big candy aisle in a very small supermarket and wrote that I think that I will be okay

Before their departure, Adèle’s grandmother worried that her granddaughter wouldn’t find any good candy here. However, the students quickly realised that candy is part of Swedish culture - and that it is available in abundance.

– I sent my grandmother a picture of a big candy aisle in a very small supermarket and wrote that I think that I will be okay, Adèle laughs.

One major difference between Sweden and France is access to alcoholic beverages. In Sweden, you can only buy stronger alcoholic beverages at Systembolaget, whereas in France these drinks are available almost everywhere. The students did not know about Sweden’s alcohol monopoly until they arrived. They do, however, think that it is a good thing that alcohol sales are regulated. Once we have covered the alcohol monopoly, the transition to parties and nightclubs is not exactly unexpected. Janelle, Louna, Angèle, and Adèle are all surprised that Swedish pre-parties start so early - and that nightclubs in Umeå close as early as 2 AM:

– We usually haven’t even had time to shower by 6 PM when Swedish pre-parties start, Angèle says.

Another thing that surprised them is how expensive food is:

– I was disappointed that the salmon was so expensive, even though we’re so close to the sea, says Louna.

They have also realised that it is difficult to manage without a BankID (e-ID for digital identification and signature) and a Swedish personal identity number - and, surprisingly, that there are many people in Umeå who speak French. A positive surprise for them was that law exams are written digitally, something they really appreciate:

– You can edit your text, and your wrist isn’t swollen at the end, says Janelle.

The Study System – More Freedom
They experience a big difference between studying at home and studying in Umeå. In addition to the French setup with parallel courses, they also generally have more hours of study at UVSQ. At home they often need to study on Saturdays and Sundays, whereas they have had their weekends free in Umeå. At UVSQ they have around 20–24 hours of lectures and seminars per week, compared to around eight hours here in Umeå. They therefore experience greater freedom and less pressure here - and feel freer to make mistakes.

We are enjoying ourselves more, it’s more than just studying hard

– We are enjoying ourselves more, it’s more than just studying hard. You do not end up crying at 3 AM because you didn’t learn a thing, here we can sleep, Janelle says.

– Yes, we had to sacrifice our sleep in France, Louna adds.

I therefore ask if they consider coming back here for their master’s degrees.

– Don’t tempt me, Janelle laughs.

They are not used to having written assignments at the end of a course or working in small groups. Working in small groups, so-called base groups, has been both good and bad in their view. On the negative side, some students end up doing more work than others, and it can feel a bit repetitive to do the same thing individually, then in a small group, and then again in a larger seminar group. On the positive side, it forces them to get in touch with other students, which helps them get to know more people. They have also appreciated the discussions.

The students are happy with the courses they have chosen at Umeå University and feel they have had good discussions in lectures and seminars. In Introduction to Swedish Law, they learned that Swedish and French law are very similar, and they felt that Basic EU Law wasn’t all that “basic” - instead, it was challenging in a positive way and very educational, even though they have studied EU law for three years. They have recently been enrolled in the course Victimology, something they are very pleased with, since the subject is not offered in their programme at UVSQ (where it is only available at master’s level). They also think that the teachers on the courses have been very good. Spontaneously, they all try to remember the name of one teacher who especially stood out.

He was really nice and passionate about what he taught

– Matt…ias…? The one who wrote that one, they say, pointing to a book on the shelf behind them, written by law professor Mattias Derlén.

– He was really nice and passionate about what he taught, says Adèle.

Free Time in Umeå
They have been able to enjoy more free time this semester and have therefore managed to do a lot since January. Among other things, they have been ice skating, watched ice hockey and basketball games, and played Laserdome at Megazone. They have also been to nightclubs, including O’Learys and Rouge (the latter being easy for them to pronounce). They will probably attend Brännbollsyran (an event that combines the world cup in brännboll with a big music festival) in May/June - maybe one of them will even play. However, they do believe that the festival tickets are quite expensive.

Free Time in France
On their campus in Saint-Quentin, where their programme is based, there are a few bars and a bowling alley, and the university organises trips, for example to the parliament. Conferences are also held where senior figures in the legal field participate - for instance, the President of the French Constitutional Council. Since Versailles and Paris are so close, it is common for students to go there to visit bars. After an exam, however, it is the karaoke bar in Saint-Quentin that is the go-to place for these four students.

Karaoke is our favourite therapy after our exams

– Karaoke is our favourite therapy after our exams, Adèle says.

Why Should Our Students Go to UVSQ?
They encourage our Swedish students to go UVSQ because it offers interesting courses and great teachers; people are kind to incoming exchange students; the French are generally more open to new people than Swedes; it is close to Paris and also easy to travel around France or to neighbouring countries with Paris as a base; and you can have picnics in cosy spots.

Tips and Advice for Students Coming to Umeå
Their best advice to exchange students who want to come to Umeå is to pack warm shoes and clothes - especially a proper winter jacket.

– The warm jacket was a really good investment, says Louna.

They also recommend taking part in the activities organised by Umeå University’s buddy programme. Finally, they say:

– Enjoy it as much as you can because time goes fast!

Future Plans and Swedish Language Skills
As for the future, they have all applied for master programmes in the field of law at different universities in France this autumn - meaning, unfortunately, that they are competing with one another for the places. They will receive their admission decisions in June.

Finally, I must check whether they have learned any Swedish in a little over two months. 

Janelle says she uses Duolingo regularly, but that the grammatical gender “en/ett” is difficult (which is not surprising, since there are basically no proper rules). Louna has learned words from the course such as “riksdag” (Parliament), and Angèle has learned words like “andra sidan” (“the other side”) and body parts from the Pilates classes at IKSU Sports club. Adèle has learned the word “kanelbulle” (cinnamon bun), and when we ask if they know the Swedish word “fika” (like a coffee break, preferably with the intake of a hot beverage and a pastry), they all answer yes with a laugh.

They are then invited to a proper Swedish fika with the small French club we have started at the Department of Law. That is also when we learn that the students believe that the pains au chocolat you can buy at the grocery store Lidl in Ålidhem taste just as good as the ones you buy in France. But which one is the tastiest - the Swedish cinnamon bun or the French pain au chocolat?

Le pain au chocolat ! C'est la meilleure pâtisserie

– Le pain au chocolat ! C'est la meilleure pâtisserie, Angèle concludes, and the others agree.