Where did you study?
I studied at University of Oslo in Oslo.

When did you study there?
I studied in Oslo in the first semester of the third year of my bachelor. The semester started in August and ended in December.

Was the university you studied at your first choice?
I actually wanted to study in Canada, but I applied in February, which was the second opportunity to apply. By then, all the spots in Canada were already gone. Out of my top three that I eventually submitted, the University of Oslo was my first choice.

Why did you want to go there?
I wanted to go to a place where I had never been before and would normally not go to for example a holiday. Therefore I choose Scandinavia. When I looked into universities in Scandinavia, University of Oslo most appealed to me.

Which courses did you follow? Were these courses harder or easier than your courses at Tilburg University? How was your knowledge tested?
I followed the courses Media and Politics, Personnel Psychology and Cognition Emotion and Language. I only took three courses because the courses they were worth 10 ECTS each, which of course also means that the work load is much higher than at home. Personally, I found the courses a bit more difficult than in the Netherlands, but in the end it was not that hard to get good grades. Knowledge was tested differently for every course. I had to write two papers and do one take-home exam.

Did you get some sort of grant to finance your time abroad?
Yes, I received an Erasmus scholarship from Tilburg University.

When did you start preparing for your trip?
I spent six months preparing.

How much money did you spend each month abroad? Where there a lot of unexpected costs?
Norway is very expensive, especially when it comes to food and drinks. In pubs, you pay around 10 euros for a beer. This is an overview of my expenses:

  • Grocery shopping: 400 euros per month
  • Public transportation: 45 euros per month
  • Housing: 400 euros per month
  • Other: 400 euros per month
  • Trips: 1300 euros for the whole semester

Did you have a hard time meeting people there? Did you make friends you still talk to?
It wasn’t hard for me to get to know people. Three days after I arrived, an introduction week started where I met people that I spent the rest of my semester with. I stayed in contact with most of them.

How was your housing arranged?
Housing was arranged through an organization from the university named SIO. If I registered before a certain deadline, I was assured of housing. I ended up in a furnished room. I shared the kitchen and bathroom together with 6 other roommates from all different countries.

Do you feel like your exchange has added something to your study, finding a job, personal growth et cetera?
I am sure about that. During my exchange, I learned a lot about myself and other cultures as well. I think that living abroad is an experience that you will benefit from during the rest of your life.

Would you advise others to study abroad? Do you have any tips?
I would recommend everyone to study abroad! I was a very nervous and I think that this applies to a lot of people because you step out of your comfort zone. However, if I would get the opportunity, I would do it all over again! Even though I’m convinced that it doesn’t really matter where you go because you will have a great time anywhere, I think the most important tip is to go to a place you feel comfortable with. You will have to live there for six months, so it is important that you eventually make yourself feel at home.