There’s so much more going on below the surface

"I grew up spending a lot of time outdoors, and it was in my senior year of high school when I took a course in environmental science that I thought it was just absolutely amazing. So I studied environmental science in college before moving here.

I feel Stockholm University is such an amazing place because the area of Stockholm is surrounded by so much water, parks, and natural areas. I’m really into fishing, and there’s a lot of that in and around the city.

With the courses I’ve taken so far, we’ve done lots of field excursions. Some of these involved going to an island where there’s a research station. While we’re at these field stations, we’ve been able to take boats out, set nets, go diving, collect field samples, and then bring them back to analyze in the lab. It’s just been such an amazing experience, being able to use all these different resources and spend so much time outdoors while doing really valuable research.

I find marine biology so interesting because you’re studying the natural environment around you. And when you’re looking at the oceans or the Baltic Sea in particular, the conditions are constantly changing. So you’re always having to think about how changes in the tides, wind, precipitation, and other atmospheric factors all play into the ecology of what’s happening beneath the surface.

The sea is fascinating because on the surface it's beautiful and it's also ever changing. Then when you look down below,  there's actually so much more going on then what you would initially see with your naked eye.

After my master’s studies, I plan to use the skills I’ve learned here to further my research. I’d like to make an impact, or at least be part of a change toward better protecting and managing our environment for a more sustainable future.

I would say the biggest thing that’s helped me be here, so far from home, is having such an amazing friend group. I was a bit apprehensive at first about moving all the way across the world to start a completely new life in a place where I didn’t know anyone, and in a completely different culture and climate. But now I know the friends I’ve made here are going to be lifelong friends, even long after the master’s program finishes, we will still be going to stay in contact and connect with each other.

Right?

It couldn’t be better."

Jack Geist

To learn more about the master's programme, see Master's Programme in Marine Biology.

Visit su.se/study for more information about studying at Stockholm University.