Going Abroad Will Change Both You and Your Life!! Past Review
By A student (Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Maine - Orono) - abroad from 01/08/2018 to 06/15/2018 with
USAC Norway: Oslo - Undergraduate and Graduate Courses
It was fascinating to see the various similarities and differences between the countries I visited and my home country. I learned the basic overview of why certain countries/cultures value certain things,, while others value different things. It caused me to re-evaluate my own values. It was absolutely worthwhile, and I definitely believe that all students should be required to go abroad!
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. |
The courses themselves were relatively easy. Very few graded assignments, with mostly independent reading as the assigned "homework". This schedule was nice because it allowed me to work on my course readings in a flexible way that fit my schedule; however, it can be very easy to skip a few readings and get off track. Another result of this coursework system is that you need to do A LOT of studying before an exam if you want to do well. In my classes, the final exam was worth 100% of the grade. Luckily, the professors gladly answered any questions, and the exams seemed to be mostly comprised of information from the readings. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The USAC advisor, Marius, was awesome! He was a very nice person who helped to ease us into the Norwegian lifestyle a little! We would have been so lost without him! He's the best! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was in the Kringsjå SiO Studentby, and it was pretty nice! The building I was in was a little older, and my bedroom had little bugs that would crawl in/out of the holes in the corner of the walls, but the rent was cheap, so it wasn't too bad! If you avoid the older buildings, you'll probably avoid most of the problems that old buildings have! (Leaky pipes, bugs in the walls, etc.) |
| * Food: |
Food is so good in Europe that I'm considering pursuing my graduate degree abroad! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Norwegians are very nice, but extremely reserved. Since I was only there for one semester, it made it a bit difficult to make very close Norwegian friends. My advice is to just be brave, make the first move to try to be their friend, and if they don't like you, you'll probably never see/hear from them again! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The healthcare is amazing in Norway! I arrived with a wicked flu virus that I'd had for about a month, and the total cost of my doctor's appointment, blood tests, and prescriptions was about $50 (WITHOUT insurance!)! |
| * Safety: |
Norway is one of the safest countries I have ever visited! You can walk just about anywhere at anytime and with anybody (or all alone) and you will be safe! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
USAC was great because it gave us a resource to contact if we had any questions about our classes, international procedures, Norwegian culture, etc. |
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) |
Oslo is a VERY expensive city! That said, you learn to find the cheap grocery stores/markets, to refrain from extravagant shopping sprees, and to appreciate the many opportunities there are in Oslo for free adventures! |
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 |
Norwegians are very intelligent and very kind. If they even think that there is a possibility that you might benefit from a conversation in English, they will speak their perfect English with you! It was very nice because it made it easier for me to understand, but it made it very difficult to find opportunities to practice speaking Norwegian. |
| 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 |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 0 (for Norwegian) |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Try to find opportunities to speak the language in a natural setting! Have some friends over for a cooking potluck, then have everyone practice using the language while you're hanging out! Also, a more academic approach that worked for me is Quizlet flashcards/games! Super helpful! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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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'd learned more Norwegian 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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
