Motivation
Having previously participated in an exchange in high school, I found the experience very rewarding. It helped me to develop some independence and introduced me to new experiences. I wanted to further my understanding of the world outside of Australia, and also force myself outside of my comfort zone.
Personal Development
I made many friends, learnt a lot from museums, learnt about Norwegian culture as well as cultures of my fellow exchange students, learnt some Norwegian language. I practiced budgeting and organising my own travel. It was the first time I had really lived on my own. I have also entered a long-distance relationship with another exchange student I had met. I am much more confident in myself and self-reliant after participating in the exchange, and I am much more open to trying new things.
Academic Development
It was difficult at first navigating all the different systems at my host university (different websites, assessment styles, etc.). The exams were a much more relaxed environment, where students are allowed to move around and talk freely until the exam starts. The exams are also much longer, and students may bring in food. I found this style of exams much less intimidating since time was not necessarily a concern. The workload was quite similar to my UQ studies, perhaps slightly less.
Professional Development
I am more outgoing after participating in my exchange. I am more confident in talking with new people and being in unfamiliar situations. I feel more inclined to go for opportunities which might have seemed too frightening before.
Highlight
By far the highlight of my experience was the people I met. I'm not someone who usually goes out of my way to make new friends or connections, I will never forget the people I met on exchange. It is incredibly enriching to connect with someone who comes from a completely different background. It is hard to imagine my life without the exchange, since I made so many friends that I would never have met otherwise. I feel like I learnt a little from each of them, and I've come back from the exchange a very different person, in a great way.
This was after a couple sledding runs at Korketrekkeren in Oslo. I don't know if it was my long legs or my poor technique, but I managed to kick enough snow into my face to turn myself into an iceman. The sledding at Korketrekkeren was part of the orientation/buddy week group activities.
Advice/Top Tips
Meet with people before the orientation week, if you can. There will be a Facebook page and WhatsApp group chat where people will organise things like dinners and shopping trips. Although I was feeling nervous and homesick, I decided to join some people shopping at Ikea together. The next night was the "First Night in Oslo" event, where all the exchange students were invited to learn some helpful information and tips. I was able to find the group I had met at Ikea and spent the night playing card games with them. This would become my main friendship group, and we often met outside of uni to go to ice hockey games, international dinners, etc. The faculty also organised buddy groups. My group was great, especially since it already had someone I had met at Ikea so I felt more comfortable, but I did see that other buddy groups didn't really click, so I wouldn't rely on the buddy groups to make new friends. Your first few weeks will be your defining ones - be as active as possible, say yes to as much as you can, and make new connections. If I hadn't gone to Ikea, my exchange would look very different. I set myself up to have a great experience by forcing myself out of my shell.
