Transitioning from BISS to Swedish gymnasium, Part 1
As an international school in Sweden, we like to keep our parents informed on their options should they wish for their children to attend a Swedish gymnasium once they are 16-18 years old. Who better to give us real insight into this transition from BISS to a Swedish school than our own students who've done so? We recently reached out to former student Valdemar Moss, who was happy to let us know his experience:Which gymnasium do you now attend?
Norra Real Which course are you taking?
Naturvetenskapsprogrammet
How did IGCSEs prepare you for Gymnasium?
In terms of knowledge, IGCSEs prepared me very well. There is a large overlap between the IGCSE and gymnasium courses, therefore I knew a lot of the content of the first year, giving me a head start compared to the other students. The challenge of switching to gymnasium is studying in Swedish, as the academic language used in all the subjects is different. To help myself, I wish I’d read more in Swedish at home before my move to gymnasium.
What do you miss about BISS?
I miss the close connections to the teachers at BISS. The teachers were always available and happy to support you with one-on-one help during breaks or lunch times. At gymnasium, there are many more students, therefore you do not establish the same relationships with the teachers.
What do you wish you knew about the Gymnasium application before you applied?
Having a clear understanding of how to apply with international grades and understanding what that means. Also, I wish I knew how important open days were, I wish I had been to more. Making a decision about gymnasium on school rankings or recommendations can be a mistake, as I think it is really important to get a feel for the school before you apply. When I visited Norra Real, I knew it was the school for me.
Thank you, Valdemar, for your input and we wish you all the best!
To learn more about the process of successfully transitioning from BISS to Swedish gymnasium, please watch here.