Best Experience of My Life Past Review
By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/12/2016 to 12/18/2017 with
USAC Norway: Oslo - Undergraduate and Graduate Courses
I learned how to be more independent and cook for myself. I also was able to reflect and think about the things I want to get out of my life and what I value.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes were kind of hard. Very different from Middlebury in that they were large class sizes. Not much day to day work as the whole grade was based on the final. Teachers were using teaching as a means to an end to get funding for their research so I wouldn't say they were the most engaged. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I thought they did a below average job running the program. In the beginning they essentially facilitated us to meet and then just walk around the city. Then the gave us one lunch and dinner. After that I never saw or came in contact with my program advisor or anyone from USAC. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I liked where I lived. It was very basic, but had all the essentials I needed. It had a kitchen, I had a single room, and everything was clean and in order. I also shared a bathroom and shower with four people. |
| * Food: |
Food was fine. I cooked all my meals on my own which I came to really enjoy. However, food like most things in Norway can be quite expensive. I only ate out only 2 nights while I was there. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I played lacrosse there and so I made wonderful friends with those guys. They invited me over to dinner and showed me hidden places around town. They also took me on a trip to Belgium for a lacrosse tournament and took me cross country skiing. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I went to the hospital once because I had a terrible rash that broke out all over my body. I had amazing service and the doctors were incredibly helpful. I went to the ER and was seen by a doctor after being there for a total of 15 minutes. They had me sleep there and in the morning arranged for me to meet with a specialist at another hospital on the other side of town. Also, the specialist agreed to see me on a Sunday even though almost everything is completely shut down on Sundays. They paid for my taxi from the ER to this hospital and did not charge me for anything except for the prescriptions. The whole ordeal was covered by them. |
| * Safety: |
I felt incredibly safe here. Not once did I feel endangered or fear I was going to get robbed or anything. I had lacrosse practice once a week from 9:30-11:00 in a low-income area. And I had about a 10 minute walk, from the metro walk through this part of town to reach the field. Not once did I ever feel scared. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I absolutely loved everything Norway had to offer. I met life-long friends and saw places I might never get to see again. Although after going there for my abroad I know I will definitely go back. I have no interest in going to any other country (if I have the opportunity to travel again I will definitely return to Norway). I got to do amazing hiking and be in touch with nature. I also am glad I went alone which is what I wanted and it turned out to be everything I could have imagined. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $250 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Just don't spend unnecessarily on things you don't absolutely need |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I tried using Norwegian, but everyone spoke such great English that it was essentially useful. It was also hard because Norwegians wanted to also practice their English with me. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew how to cook for myself before I went. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Norwegian for International Students |
| Course Department: | Department of Linguistics |
| Instructor: | Kate Rasch |
| Instruction Language: | Norwegian |
| Comments: | The class was very straightforward. The teacher was unbelievable and really went out of her way to make our overall abroad experience great. The class had a lot of participation but much of the emphasis was on writing and reading, but I wish it had more of an emphasis on speaking and listening. That would have been more applicable to my overall experience. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No, this class transferred and Middlebury gave me general credit towards my graduation. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Biologically Inspired Computing |
| Course Department: | Informatics |
| Instructor: | Jim Torreson |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Class was not too hard, but definitely pushed me. The class did not offer any trips or anything exciting outside of class. The teacher was knowledgeable but very unengaged in the material. I did not really participate in class because the class was so big that it was hard to talk and there was also no opportunity to participate. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I should be able to get credit form the computer science department for this class to count towards my major. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
North/South Development |
| Course Department: | Sociology and Human Geography |
| Instructor: | Jan Hesselberg |
| Instruction Language: | Enlgish |
| Comments: | I loved this class. The professor was kind of boring, but had really great points. He was extremely knowledgeable and well-prepared. He kept the class interesting despite lecturing for the entire 2 hours. The class was massive so there was not much chance to participate. I was assessed solely on my final test. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I was able to get this credit to transfer and count for a Geography major credit. |
