UQ Program: Bachelor of Arts/Laws
Minus a flight (cancelled in the midst of the European snow crisis), a suitcase (lost by Scandinavian Airlines in the chaos) and twenty-six degrees celcius below freezing I embarked on a semester abroad that turned out to be nowhere near as bumpy (or cold) as it started. Instead, it turned out to be one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
Upon discovering that I was from Australia, various people (including Norwegians) asked me the same question: Why the hell did I come here? The usual complaint was that it is cold, expensive and far away from everything.
DON’T LET THIS SCARE YOU.
Yes, Norway is cold in winter. But this winter was unusually hard and temperatures in Oslo usually range from zero to minus five degrees celsius, which is no less than England, Germany or the US. Besides, Norwegians are active people and take any opportunity to go skiing. Winter provided me with some of my favourite moments, such as dogsledding in the Arctic Circle and seeing the Northern Lights in Tromsø. The trick is to be prepared –Norwegians say “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing”. Bring a thick, windproof jacket, woollen thermal underwear/socks and waterproof shoes. With the level of partying that goes on in Oslo, you’re also likely to have an alcohol blanket most nights. Norway almost transforms into a different country in summer. It is warm, incredibly green, flowers bloom and people flock to Aker Brygge harbour, Sognsvann lake and Vigelandsparken, go hiking, barbeque pølse (sausage) or indulge in a drink or three in the afternoon sun.
When it comes to prices, Oslo is apparently the most expensive city in the world. This is not the case for students. My rent at Sogn Studentby and monthly transport pass cost less than in Brisbane. Students adopted the tradition of forspiel (pre-party) and nachtspiel (after-party) to deal with alcohol and clubbing costs and cooked together at home, which was much more cosy and intimate. Once you become a local it’s easy to find good deals – Evergreen downtown has the cheapest beer in the city, Curry and Ketchup in Majorstuen serves up Indian goodness for a criminally low price by Oslo standards and you can grab a bottomless coffee for just a few dollars at the Nighthawks Diner (modelled off the famous painting) in Grunerlokka, my favourite place in Oslo – particularly good for vintage shopping and alternative nightlife. As for being far away, Oslo is a cheap Ryanair flight away from most European destinations. I went on weekend trips to London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin and Madrid, and would have gone to Italy and Romania had the Icelandic volcano not ruined my plans.
Oslo is a great place to study because it provides among the highest quality of education in the developed world. Many courses are taught in English and you’ll be taught by the best, particularly if you’re studying international law – one week we had a judge from the International Court of Justice as a guest lecturer. Norway is officially the world’s best place to live and I agree –people are respectful, equal and diverse, public transport runs perfectly, it’s safe, clean and has some of the most beautiful natural scenery on earth. Make an effort to leave Oslo: a cabin trip to an isolated fjord and barbequing elk meat caught by my Norwegian friend’s dad in the mountains were highlights.
My last piece of advice is to make Norwegian friends. It may seem obvious but people in Oslo are reserved as a matter of custom and politeness (note: everything changes when they’re drunk) and this put off many exchange students. It’s true that Norwegians make extremely loyal friends once you break through the shell and the fact that everybody speaks English leaves little excuse not to try. In sum, not only did I make amazing friends from all over the world, but I also did great courses, was exposed to a new language and learned a lot about a new country and myself. Why the hell did I go to Norway? For all those reasons and more.