Posted April 6, 2017 by UTS Think Global Business

Tusen Takk Norway

Hi! I am Grégoire, an international student at UTS from France and currently on exchange in Oslo, Norway. Halfway through my bachelor of business I took the decision to go abroad (again yeah) for a semester. Not because I was bored of my life in Sydney but I was just craving for new places to explore. The last 3 months in Oslo have been really exciting and intense. The 1-semester time constraint forces you to do as much as you can! It’s pretty much the feeling you have when you start writing an assignment the night before it’s due. So I let you imagine how efficient you can be over a semester… 🙂

Let’s start at the beginning, on this late January day when I first put a foot on Norway’s land, feeling the little breeze fondling my cheeks, walking on a thin layer of snow, scarf and gloves on while trying to resist the cold somehow. My face looked pretty much like Edvard Munch’ masterpiece “The scream “ with the only difference that I’m not worth 120 million USD. After a few days of transition, I got used to it and I finally started to not only live but also enjoy the Norwegian life!

The best way to kick off the semester was to pretend to be a proper Norwegian by going skiing! There’s a convenient 40 minutes train ride to get to the slopes from the uni! So, after improving my surfing skills in Sydney, I sharpened my skiing skills in Oslo. (It’s pretty cool to say). It’s true that ski sports are part of their culture, so naturally It’s really common to see Norwegians with their skiing gear in the subway.

Unfortunately Uni and classes had to come up at some point. But It’s a pleasure to study in such an amazing building. To be honest, the rhythm is quite the same as in UTS, with 12-15 hours per week. My best advice would be to use your electives if possible so then you’re avoiding challenging subjects and you can almost fully dedicate time to extra scholar activities. My last advice for you is: save money. Norway is way more expensive than Australia ( Yes It’s possible ), and getting a part time job is difficult when you’re not speaking a single word of Norwegian.

Few words to conclude this post:

The summer is approaching and are still yet to come: