Why did you choose Mid Sweden University?

I wanted to live some place close to skiing opportunities and to the mountains, and Mid Sweden University in Östersund felt like the natural choice, also partly because I have lived here earlier. I had heard only good things about the university and ETOUR, and the fact that this is a one-year programme also appealed to me.

Why did you choose to study the International Master’s Programme in Tourism?
There is only the International Master’s Programme in Tourism, so it wasn’t much of a choice :)! But I would choose the international programme any day. The experience of meeting students from other countries and cultures, and the experience of completing a Master’s programme in English is very valuable. I think studying in English instead of your native language is helpful if you want to continue with, for example, a PhD or MBA in other parts of the world, or if you want to work abroad. Even in a small town like Östersund, you kind of get a glimpse of the opportunities of the big world when you are studying an international programme.

What is it like to study International Master Programme in Tourism?

The program is challenging, which I like. It’s a lot of work, a lot of reading. Since I don’t have my background in Tourism studies, many of the concepts and theories that may be obvious to students who completed their Bachelor’s in Tourism are new to me. But I wouldn’t say this is an obstacle. I can use a lot from my previous studies and apply it to the Tourism programme. There are only ten of us in class, so you get a close relationship with both your fellow students and with your professors, which I appreciate much. There are high expectations on the students and we are always encouraged to think critically about what we read and what we learn, which in my opinion is a basic condition of a university education.

What did you do before?

I completed my Bachelor’s degree at the School of Business, economics and law at the University of Gothenburg. It’s a degree in Environmental science specializing in Sustainable business studies. After I graduated, I decided to take some time off and spend a winter working and skiing in Jämtland, in one of the mountain lodges of the region. That one season became almost four years, before I felt it was time to continue with a Master's degree. As I have been working with tourism for the last couple of years, a Master’s degree in Tourism felt right. I’m glad I took those years off to find out what it is that I really want to do. It’s easy to get stressed with career choices, education choices etc. and the fact that everything needs to happen so fast. For me, it is important to do what I want and what makes me happy, and not listen too much to what others think I should do.

What would you like to do after graduating?

It feels like I could end up anywhere, there are so many possibilities. Maybe I’ll work with tourism planning for the county administrative board in Jämtland, maybe I’ll run an ecological surf camp in Costa Rica, maybe I’m doing tourism research for the university, who knows? I don’t really have a dream job, but I want to work with sustainable, nature-based tourism in one way or another. At some point, I would like to have a business of my own. I have so many great business ideas! But at the same time, if I was to be employed by, for example, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, I would be overexcited with joy! The competition today is (unfortunately) quite hard andwhen you are applying for jobs, it is helpful having a Master’s degree. Last year, I applied for approximately 25 jobs that I was qualified for with my Bachelor’s degree, but all I heard was that the people with Master’s degrees were chosen first. I´m not sure I appreciate this development in society, but this experience also helped my decision to continue studying.

What do you think about Mid Sweden University?

I like it very much. It’s a calm atmosphere, nice people, and friendly staff. I like that the university is centrally located and have very nice premises. The lectures of the programme so far are of a high standard, and in the beginning of the semester we even got to go on a field trip in Jämtland, Härjedalen and Norway over the weekend. Östersund is a small town, but it is nice and beautiful. The best thing about Östersund is that it is so close to outdoor life, you can ski or run or hike or go camping or whatever you like, it is all accessible in less than an hour. Östersund may not have the biggest number of stores, restaurants or nightclubs, but the quality of life is very high here.

Your advice for prospective students?
Don't miss out on seeing the surroundings of the town, like the mountains. Jämtland and Härjedalen are beautiful counties; explore them! Apply for student housing in time. And don’t miss Jazzköket, the best restaurant in town :)! And have fun!! Greet every moment with open arms, open heart, open mind. Float on!