Living in Switzerland
Switzerland brags some of the world’s most famous inventions – like Velcro, cellophane, the Swiss Army Knife, absinthe, the potato peeler, Helvetica font, LSD, muesli, edible chocolate gold and milk chocolate to name a few. Switzerland is famous for its chocolate, watches, perfumes, designer wares and other luxury items.
Student Housing & Accommodation in Switzerland
Most Swiss universities offer on campus student accommodation which is offered at a subsidized rate to international students.
Some international students prefer to rent a room in the house of a Swiss family, to truly experience the Swiss culture and integrate with the Swiss people.
Most higher education institutions in Switzerland will have a Housing Office or an International Office that can give more information about housing options.
A student’s monthly budget comes to approximately CHF 1,500. The cost of living changes from the city to city; it will be expensive in Zurich and Geneva but a bit cheaper in other cities. Yearly university accommodation estimates to be around CHF 3,500, (CHF 7,800 for a studio and CHF 11,000 for a private studio).
Food and other utilities total upto CHF 800 – 850, and transportation approximately CHF 2.20 per ticket. Students must keep in mind that payments like Health Insurance, 1st semester tuition fees are due simultaneously at the beginning of their studies along with first rent payment which often includes a security deposit. As such, students can anticipate a minimum cost of CHF 16,000 -24,000 per year, depending on where they study.
Switzerland is a multilingual country with four official languages – Swiss German (nearly 70% of the indigenous population), French, Italian and Romansh.
Most people can at least read Swiss German. As many Swiss speak at least two of the official languages plus English, they have to be viewed as one of the great multilingual nations of the world.
It is expected and respected that people in Switzerland will speak their minds, without feeling the need to express any uncomfortable messages in a softer way in order to spare the feelings of the audience.
People tend to be discreet to speak about personal issues to new contacts, preferring to keep communication on a strictly business. There is little small talk prior to starting a meeting and people will try to express themselves briefly and without dramatic details.
Due to the unique location of the country, Swiss cuisine has many regional influences, including from French, German and Italian cuisines and also features many dishes specific to Switzerland. Switzerland was historically a country of farmers, so traditional Swiss dishes tend to be plain and made from simple ingredients, such as potatoes and cheese.
There are many regional dishes in Switzerland. One example is Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, thin strips of veal with mushrooms in a cream sauce served with Rösti. Italian cuisine is popular in modern Switzerland, especially pasta and pizza. Switzerland is well known for its particular types of cheese and milk chocolate. Swiss cheeses, includes Emmental cheese, Gruyère, Vacherin, and Appenzeller, are famous Swiss products. The most popular cheese dishes are fondue and raclette-two very regional dishes, but were popularized by the Swiss Cheese Union to boost sales of cheese.
Tarts and quiches are also traditional Swiss dishes.
Healthcare in Switzerland is regulated by the Swiss Federal Law on Health Insurance. There are no free state-provided health services, but private health insurance is compulsory for all persons living in Switzerland (within three months of taking up residence or being born in the country).
The whole healthcare system is geared toward the general goals of keeping the system inexpensive across cantonal lines, promoting general public health and reducing costs while encouraging individual responsibility.
Health insurance covers the costs of medical treatment and hospitalisation of the insured. However, the insured person pays part of the cost of treatment. This is done by means of an annual premium (called the franchise), which ranges from CHF 300 to a maximum of CHF 2,500 for an adult as chosen by the insured person (premiums are adjusted accordingly) and by a charge of 10% of the costs over and above the excess up to a stop-loss amount of CHF 700.