Studying abroad is becoming increasingly popular among students. Kateřina fulfilled her dream and spent the winter semester at the prestigious NTNU in Trondheim, Norway. What is it like to study in a country where beer is expensive, people go running even in freezing temperatures, but you can watch the northern lights right from your dorm room? Read about her personal experience and get inspired for your own adventure!
Hello, my name is Kateřina. Last year, I decided to go on Erasmus to Norway, specifically to NTNU in Trondheim, where I spent the winter semester. Already when I started university, I knew I wanted to spend at least one semester studying abroad. I chose Norway mainly because it’s a prosperous country we can learn a lot from – especially when it comes to work–life balance and lifestyle.
Pivo je v Norsku sice drahé pro našim cenám, ale nás to moc neodradilo. | Author: Kateřina Šnejdrlová Norwegians tend to be reserved and introverted, but be prepared that almost everyone is constantly doing sports – especially running, even in the dark and bad weather. Norway has stricter alcohol regulations than we are used to. Stronger alcohol is sold only in specialized shops with limited opening hours. In regular supermarkets, you can only buy drinks with up to about 5% alcohol (such as beer), and even those only during specific hours. Norway is a highly developed country, but prices are relatively high compared to the Czech Republic (especially for basic items like food). Expect prices to be roughly twice as high as at home.
Tohle je jedna z chat, kam jsme díky škole mohli vyrazit. Součástí byla i sauna. Byl to super zážitek, večer jsme trávili s kytarou u ohně. | Author: Kateřina Šnejdrlová Each semester, NTNU welcomes a large number of Erasmus students; in the winter semester, even more than in the summer – there are thousands of students, mainly from Italy, Germany, and Spain. The university is well prepared for this: ESN and other student organizations are very active. One week before classes start, there is an Orientation Week, during which volunteers guide you around the campus, help with administration, and most importantly, it’s a great opportunity to meet new people. ESN also organizes various events and trips throughout the semester. For example, I went on a surfing trip.
Meeting people from all over the world is amazing, but over time it can get a bit exhausting – almost everyone will tell you that constantly introducing yourself and making small talk can get tiring. But it’s just a phase; soon you’ll build closer friendships and your own circle of friends, or you’ll simply get used to it.
Loftet je skvělé místo, kde se schází studenti. Nachází se přímo u kolejí. Mají tam zdarma kafe nebo čaj. Často tam pořádají různé akce jako kvízy nebo hudební jamy. Hodně lidí tam také tráví čas hraním deskovek, které jsou zde k zapůjčení. | Author: Kateřina Šnejdrlová The winter semester starts as early as mid-August and ends at the end of November. Each course has one fixed exam date announced at the beginning of the semester. Resits take place in August. Exams are taken on computers in large halls, so that everyone sits the exam at the same time. Thanks to this system, the exam period ends before Christmas and the spring semester starts right after New Year’s. So make sure to check the dates in advance!
NTNU is a huge institution and its study rooms are open 24/7, which is great for both individual and group study. A popular meeting place is Loftet. The university also rents mountain cabins at affordable prices – some even with a sauna. Thanks to this, we went on several trips into nature; once, in the middle of nowhere, we saw northern lights so strong they had a purple hue.
If you’re worried about the long winter darkness, I can reassure you. Since I arrived already in August, the days gradually became shorter, and the real shock only came after returning home, where there were a few more hours of daylight. In Trondheim, there is daylight even in winter, it just lasts a few hours. Polární záře jsou k vidění i přímo v Trondheimu, když má člověk štěstí. | Author: Kateřina Šnejdrlová I can definitely recommend Erasmus in Norway. It offers a different level of independence, improvement in English, friends from all over the world, and unforgettable experiences in a beautiful country!
