Hi everyone! Today I’ll be sharing some of my experiences thus far while studying abroad at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in a small village called Ås in Norway! The university is very similar to Wageningen in its offered courses and mentality, which is why there are many students from Wageningen on exchange here! I am taking the following courses: Development Studies and Aid, Linking Ecological and Social Resilience, Global Environmental Changes, and Tourism Management. The reason why I choose this selection of courses is that I want to focus more on development and sustainability topics, which are also included in some of the master programs I’m interested in. Moreover, I am participating in a Norwegian Language Class, which is really fun to get more familiar with the language and culture, but also everyone in the class is an international student which makes it a great way to meet new people!
Overall, I experienced the long application process in a positive way with clear deadlines and good communication with the university. However, applying for a study abroad semester during the COVID-19 pandemic definitely brought along some challenges, like stress and uncertainty. For example, I had to apply for housing back in April when I really was not sure if I was able to go abroad at all. Only once I stepped on the plane to Norway, it felt like it was actually happening. Now that I’m here, the COVID-19 situation still affects my studies as three out of five of my courses are online. Nevertheless, there is a beautiful campus where you can study with friends and the courses have been very interesting and interactive. Also, the introduction week was full of parties, group activities, and on-campus information sessions. Even now, there are a lot of activities organized by students, such as parties and (day)trips. Basically, you can always find something to do here on campus! All in all, COVID-19 is not gone, but it does not affect daily life too much.
I can also tell you a bit more about the costs of living in Norway. After the introduction week at the beginning of August, I had three weeks of no classes where I went on a road trip that was definitely expensive, but worth every cent! Now that daily life has started, I can say that groceries, going out and housing are all more expensive compared to the Netherlands. However, you can definitely budget your expenses, for example by eating meals together and doing free activities such as hikes. Housing is facilitated on campus and this way every international student lives close to each other. All facilities such as the gym and stores are in close vicinity and the natural surroundings are beautiful. I live on a floor with 15 other Norwegian and international students (who all speak English very well!) where we share the living room and kitchen. It’s been very fun to live with this many people and really get to know the local culture, for example by noticing the kitchen is most crowded at 4 pm when Norwegians have their dinner!
All things considered, I feel very grateful that I got the opportunity to study abroad and would recommend it to everyone who is able to! The courses and university fit really well with my current bachelor and it’s been amazing to meet so many new (international) students. Getting to know the Norwegian culture has been really fun and I look forward to the time still to come!
Author: Vivian Termaat
