My Exchange at The University of Oslo
I found out about the 360 exchange program when I was initially researching which university to go to, and it is part of what made me decide to attend UoA. I always knew I wanted to do an exchange, as I think it’s such a good way to travel and experience new things while you’re young and still studying. My first impressions when I arrived in my host country (Oslo, Norway) was that I was extremely overwhelmed, and very cold. I was the only person in the entire exchange program in Oslo that was from New Zealand, and everyone else had people from their own countries, so at first it was quite difficult. My accommodation was pretty good, I stayed in Kringsja Student village, which was about 30 mins by train from the city centre, and 15 mins from the uni campus. It was really good as the train station was right next to the village, so everything felt close. There was also a gym and a supermarket, and it was right next to a lake and heaps of walks and ski tracks.
The first week at the university was really well organised. They put on lots of events during the orientation week to help you meet people and get to know the city. The classes themselves were pretty easy, as they each only had 1 lecture a week, and few assignments or tests. Most of the teaching I found was done through self led readings, which were followed up by a lecture. The exams counted for most of the grade, which was a bit daunting, but they were reasonably easy.
I really enjoyed living in Norway, the climate and culture was pretty different to NZ, which I found really interesting and new. I loved travelling around Norway, such a beautiful country, and I also loved the culture surrounding outdoor activities. I learnt how to cross country ski, and I also did lots of hikes, sledding, and alpine skiing too, all in Oslo. The cost of living was pretty similar to NZ, the accommodation was the same as I pay for rent in Auckland, and the food was maybe a bit cheaper. Life on campus was pretty good, had really nice libraries and lots of cafes and cafeterias that are subsidised for students so they weren’t too expensive. During the winter it was covered in snow which was pretty cool but because it’s such a long winter, whenever the sun came out everyone would go outside and study, and it would be packed with people lying about in the sun which was pretty nice.
I would definitely recommend Oslo for anyone that loves outdoor activities like skiing or hiking, as there’s so many beautiful walks and ski fields right in the middle of the city. It’s also great for travelling, as you can get cheap youth flights to many places around Europe and trains as well. I also found that the university workload made it easy to travel lots during the semester without falling behind.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
The main highlights from my exchange was experiencing such different weather, the snow and ice everywhere was really beautiful, as well as the activities that came with it, such as skiing and sledding. Also the landscape of the city was so nice, with so many lakes and forests right in the city, and when it became summer, it was so nice to go swimming and study in the parks.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
Skiing, sledding, hiking, ice skating, going to watch ice hockey, bonfires by the lake, swimming, saunas and fjord swimming.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
- You can get cheap flights ($70) to many places in Europe through Norwegian Air if you used the code YOUTH26
- You can rent ski and outdoor gear for free through a place called BUA, you just need a Norwegian phone number
- You can get a Norwegian phone number without a Norwegian ID number through the phone company called MyCall, but most other phone companies you need an ID number.
How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?
I budgeted about $16,000 for the entire thing, which I spent all of, however I did go travelling for 2 months after I finished my exchange, which made it a lot more expensive.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
The majority of the people I met were other exchange students, and I found it really interesting getting to know them and learn about their countries and cultures. Meeting so many people from different backgrounds was really eye opening and taught me a lot about how different other countries are.