Studying in one of the world’s happiest countries - does it also make you happier?

Jamie-Lee Laura S., International Management Studies in the Baltic Sea Region (BMS), 5. semester, University of Agder – Campus Kristiansand (Norway), Wintersemester 2019/20

I spent my 5^th semester abroad at the University of Agder (UiA) on the campus in Kristiansand. It is the fifth largest city in the southern part of Norway. With a population of just over 90,000 inhabitants it is even bigger than Stralsund – it’s like a big-city life! 

Preparation & Arrival

To begin with: The winter semester starts in August and the summer semester in January. You should definitely know this in advance, plan accordingly and take this into account when choosing courses. Therefore, it is good to start planning your semester abroad about 1 year in advance. As soon as you have been accepted, UiA will keep you up to date with all the important information. 

I flew from Hamburg via Copenhagen to Kristiansand by plane. It didn't take long, nor was it expensive (SAS offers cheap youth tickets for people under the age of 26). From the airport you can either take the expensive Flybussen (airport entrance) or go a few steps further and take the city bus for 31 NOK (pay via app) which is about €3.10. On the day of arrival, the ESN Agder buddies were waiting for all exchange students at the main entrance of the university and provided them with flyers, important information and keys for the accommodations.

Housing:

Each exchange student who has received a confirmation is automatically guaranteed a dorm room. Still, you need to apply for one of the rooms/homes of your preference. I chose several single rooms at the university. Since more than 250 international students arrived this semester, my wish could not be fulfilled. Instead, I was assigned to a room that I had to share with another person. To be honest, for a while I really struggled and thoroughly thought about whether I should confirm it and share a room with someone I have never met before. What if the person is too loud? What if we get on each other’s nerves? How will it work in the exam period? - None of these questions made me feel positive about my semester abroad. But I also didn't want to miss this incredible opportunity, which is why I wanted to take the risk. Ultimately, I have to say: It's not as bad and serious as previously thought. On the contrary, I had a super easy-going and relaxed person in the room with whom I got along pretty well. We lived on the campus of the university - which was a real advantage because we were always close to what was happening. The wooden houses in Kaserneveien are almost all constructed and divided in the same way. The apartment consists of 4 separate rooms, each with 2 people sharing the room and the bathroom. All 8 people had to be satisfied with a shared hallway, a shared storage room, a relatively large shared kitchen with dining room and a terrace. The apartment is set up as standard. The kitchens do not contain any utensils. There is a large swap room that can be used by all students living on campus to store things they no longer need. Unfortunately, there wasn't much useful left in the beginning. To make it more comfortable and homely, we took the bus to Ikea and bought decorations, dishes, pots, pans, etc. For a surcharge of around €40–50 you get towels, bed linen, sheets, ...  from SiA, the landlord. The rental prices generally range between €330 - 700 per month.

University & Courses:

Universitet i Agder (UiA) is one of the most modern universities in Norway and is still growing. It has six faculties (Health & Sport Science, Humanities & Education, Fine Arts, Social Sciences, Engineering & Science, School of Business and Law) as well as an own unit for teacher education. UiA is known for its high-quality research and study programs characterized by cooperation, innovation, education (lifetime learning, leadership, ...). The support provided by the International Office, Global Lounge and ESN is great. Prior to the arrival, you have to choose from a list of English-language courses the ones you are interested in or rather those that best fit to your module schedule. To be honest, I personally would not have chosen some of these courses. However, since these courses corresponded to my module schedule (even if I had to do some courses earlier than initially scheduled and some that I have to postpone in Stralsund). I was practically "forced" to take these courses in order to collect a corresponding number of credits. I chose the following courses: 

- Entrepreneurship & Innovation: A course on the theoretical foundations of the establishment of a business. In groups, we had to develop our own business idea throughout the semester and present it in the end (business plan + presentation)

- Gründer Lab & Entrepreneurship: Group work on the creation of business plans and development of (marketing) strategies together with a real company and entrepreneur

- Hands-on e-Business for Entrepreneurs: Another course on the generation of an own business idea and the creation of a business in accordance to e-business strategies. 

- Game Theory & Philosophy: Set up a game with strategies based on a given situation as a model for human interaction incl. philosophical features of concepts with an eye towards rationality and ethics

- Communication, Media & Planning: Interplay between media, communication, globalization and planning; impact of news and new media forms, networks and practices

- Political ecology of global environmental challenges: Sustainability and environmental challenges with political, socio-economic, cultural and ecological aspects

These courses make up for more than 50 credits, of which just under 40 credits are acknowledged in Stralsund. All courses were very labor-intensive throughout the semester - weekly presentations, short-term noticed assignments, group works. This makes the level seem higher to me than in Stralsund, also because it is more difficult to get a top grade because the grades B-D are the norm rather than the exception.

City & Culture:

The university is about 2 km from the city center and also from the sandy beach - yes, there really is a sandy beach, and in summer even real palm trees were set up. ;-) And if you now have pictures of snowy landscapes, rain and mystic fog in your head, I have to disappoint you, there is of course all of that, but there were also some wonderful warm summer days during my stay. Kristiansand is a beautiful harbor town and has a lot to offer - especially for nature lovers. Enjoy a peaceful walk away from the noise and stress of everyday life (if, then only because of everyday university life, because otherwise you don't know the negative term "stress and noise" in Norway). Beautiful hiking trails directly on or near the university grounds (less than 5 mins away), recreational areas such as Baneheia or Odderøya, a zoo & amusement park, outdoor & indoor swimming pools, Sørarena football stadium, many shops in the city center or in Norway’s largest mall called Sørlandssenteret, as well as the most important cultural buildings like the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, Townhall, Kunsthall, Sørlandets Art Museum, Fiskebrygga. 

Activities:

Most activities are organized by ESN: weekly coffee hour, game evenings, parties, joint trips in surrounded areas. You will get in touch with new people very easily and quickly. I joined ESN Agder where I became an active member and helped preparing waffles for the coffee hour. The most important and most unforgettable experience of the semester abroad was the breathtaking nature of Norway. I highly recommend the following places or activities: Mandal, Vennesla, Oslo, Bergen, Lærdal, Flåm fjord cruise, Trondheim, Tromsø with Sami culture and reindeer camp & feeding and sleigh ride as well as the husky farm and especially the possibility to see the Northern Lights, Drøbak (Christmas Town), Gothenburg, Stockholm, Helsinki.

Prices: 

It's probably not a big secret that Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world. In general, you can say that you spend about twice as much as in Germany for daily shopping. However, if you use the weekly offers, then shopping should be reasonably bearable. You should definitely have your own money reserves, since most of the Erasmus funding is already spent on the room.

Conclusion:

I can absolutely recommend a semester abroad to everyone. I had the best time of my life in Norway - not necessarily because of everyday university life - but I got to know a lot of great new friends from all over the world and their culture, discovered one of the most beautiful countries in the world, saw the Northern Lights, and of course also developed personally and professionally. Tusen takk, Norge!