Some differences in the way of thinking I noticed in my Swedish classmates so far...

Growing up in Cambodia, at home and school, we were always taught to respect the elders and what they say. Which I still do (most times)... :D

With that, it goes a bit further to the feeling of trying to adapt and accept whatever the elders have put in place for us, be it schooling systems, the syllabus, what to read, how much to read, etc. We don't question them. We don't say anything if it is too much work. We just accept and do our best.

I felt it was similar to that when I was studying in the US as well. None of my classmates complained anything to the professor if the readings were too much and unrealistic to finish. So I was just thinking that maybe it is because I am not working hard enough to complete all these 300 pages in a day. Other self-critic thoughts came up as well: "Maybe I wasn't smart enough to read fast and understand the things I read", or "How come no one else complained anything about the readings? Maybe I'm just not working hard enough". I didn't even know or realize that it was an option to go ask the professor to adjust their reading lists. I was thinking that I want to learn a lot, so I'll just read as much as I can, and it is already great of the professors that they are sharing resources/readings that they find interesting for us to read. I should be thankful for that.

I am now studying at Uppsala University, with students from various backgrounds and many countries, including 5 - 6 Swedish students among the 25 students.

So far, I noticed that they are very brave and casual about voicing their concerns and needs. If the test was too hard, they wrote an email to the professor. If there are too many readings, they write to the professor to share their thoughts and ask for adjustments.

I think this is very empowering and great that the students feel comfortable doing that to their professors. It is not like "The professor finalised this reading list, and we'll just do it.". It is more like "Well, this looks unrealistic for us to finish, so let's ask the professor about it.". I am starting to appreciate this way of thinking, and I now wonder if I can do it too in my own country.

Maybe it depends on the situation and the people I'm dealing with, just like most things. But maybe I can try adding this way of thinking to my way of living so that I share my thoughts and ask for what works for me, and not only just accept things as they are because the person/institution who gives things to me is in a more superior role. This way, I would be able to live the life that I would like to see, rather than being a bit too passive when it comes to what happens in my life. In case that sounds like a good idea to you, I hope you join me in sharing our thoughts if the risk of bad consequences is not too high. :) (again, I think it depends. Still learning...)