Norway: Not enough schooling but still a wonderful experience. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes that I had in Norway would only meet once a week, and that includes the Norwegian Languages course. I did not think that this was enough time since I am still learning the language. It made the class seem like it was a independent study course. The school also did not have a lot of Scandinavian Studies courses. I felt that I really only took two courses that were in the Scandinavian Studies program even though I was taking five courses. I did not like meeting only once a week for each class, because I only had classes on Monday, Thursday and Friday.

On-site administration of your program

As I said before, I think that the Scandinavian Studies program is too new and they don't have enough courses on the subject. The advisers were supportive and helpful but I did end up mostly turning to one of my professors and peer for help when necessary. The courses that I took were very enjoyable but I still feel like they were not applicable to the Scandinavian Studies program. I felt that we were just added where there was extra room within other majors.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved my housing. I felt that I had a lot of friends really close and the apartment style housing was wonderful. It was really far away from the student club which was kind of a bummer to walk to. In relation to the school and town, I felt that it was in a good place. There was a hill we had to climb to get there but we got use to it. I did have to buy sheets but I bought them through the school, so that was not a big deal. The school also provided pots and pans and silverware. They had everything that you needed. I did find it helpful to bring my own dishes though, just in case and decided to leave them there for someone else.

You mostly have to cook your own food. It is cheaper and there wasn't a lot of places to eat out in the town. The school had wonderful sandwiches but they weren't something that you would purchase everyday. Cooking for yourself was the way to go.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I really liked taking classes with all the other international students. We would go on hikes together and it was really fun to get to know everyone.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

While I was in Norway, I felt very safe. You don't have to worry about walking at night or anything, it was just a really safe community and it had a feeling that everyone was there to help you.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I could practice in town and in class but that was mostly it. Most everyone spoke English and when they found out that I was American, they didn't even try to speak Norwegian to me. It was very hard to practice and get to use the language. I feel that I didn't learn hardly anything since the class met once a week, barely, and everyone spoke English to me.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students