Details

• Norway
• MASozÖk-10
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 5 months

1. Preparation

start informing yourself about the application process early enough, e.g. if you need a language certificate for the letter of recommendation we got the tip to write about very specific stuff regarding why you are interested in the host university - e.g. their approach to teaching or a specific department; but I also felt that GPA mattered a lot for getting your first-choice universities, so if you have a specific university in mind, try to aim for good grades beforehand (in my master’s program, only the first grade of the semester counted) I did not have to prepare much before going there, as I didn't need a language certificate or visa before arriving and a spot at the student housing was guaranteed for exchange students

2. Accommodation

As I said, we got a guaranteed spot at the student housing and I decided to take that spot as I hear that private housing in Bergen, Norway is pretty expensive and hard to find, and also that the student housing is great for making friends I stayed at Hatleberg, which is only about 7 minutes away from the campus and around 20 minutes per bus from the city centre; buses drive quite frequently (except during week nights, where the last bus comes around 1 am, but there are also ubers or you could even walk back); Bergen felt quite safe overall Hatleberg was great to find friends quickly, as the whole building is just exchange students, however, you have to share a rather small room with a second person in a bunk bed - which you could call the downside of living there - it wasn't great to share a room but we managed to make it work quite well (e.g. I built a curtain for the bottom bed), we did have a private bathroom per room; the kitchen was shared with 24 people overall - which again is quite a lot but also great for connecting with people the rent was around 370 EUR In general, Hatleberg had a big common room with sea view, couches, TV, table tennis, a silent study room, ... and another smaller common room with a big TV Overall, I would choose this option again as it was much easier to find friends there and hang out with them a lot compared to people who lived somewhere else, for me that aspect was more important for the time being than a single room (which at the time you could only get at Hatleberg as an exchange student for medical reasons)

3. Academic life at host university

The NHH campus is small compared to WU but quite nice and with an ocean view. Most courses were larger than those in my master’s program in Socioeconomics at WU and somewhat less interactive, meaning that student participation in discussions was relatively uncommon (this is apparently due to Norwegian culture, as I was told). Most courses did not have mandatory attendance, which made traveling easier. Furthermore, most courses included compulsory activities, such as presentations or short essays, that had to be passed to take part in the final assessment. These were usually graded pass/fail, and the final grade was based solely on the final assessment. In general, this teaching style reminded me more of my bachelor’s program at WU than of my master’s. While I enjoy smaller groups and interactive elements in my master’s courses, the format at NHH worked well for an exchange semester, where I would argue the focus is also on gaining broader experiences. In terms of content, the courses were not entirely aligned with my master’s in Socioeconomics, as they focused more heavily on economics and neoliberal perspectives. Nevertheless, I would say the courses were well suited for an exchange semester, offering flexibility for travel and a different learning environment, though in my usual program I would prefer the courses at WU.

5. Every day life in the host country

You can get a public transport ticket for around 40 EUR a month and the public transport system is quite good. I did not have any safety concerns in Bergen. Bergen is great for sporty activities. In summer it is beautiful to go hiking there - there are a lot of great hikes all around the city or you can also take the train to different locations (e.g. to a DNT cabin - kind of like "Alpenvereinshütten" in Austria). There are also several gyms that are from the same organization as the student doorms (Sammen), which are quite cheap. NHH also has a lot of sport associations, however, they are quite hard to get into as an exchange student. Nevertheless there are also groups like the running club which are open to join for everyone and in general many of the exchange students were interested in going hiking etc. Going out can be very expensive as the drinks cost a lot (beer or a glass of wine around 10 EUR). There are some student bars (like Raevedilter Bar) that has cheaper beer for students. There are some cool places like Rommet or events at the Bergen Kunsthall and also some other clubs/bars many exchange students go to like Heidis (interior very random but quite fun in a group). We also traveled around Norway which was very nice - we went to Lofoten, Oslo, Tromso and a cabin near Bergen. We went to Lofoten mid September which was incredibly beautiful and not that many tourists were there anymore - I can definitely recommend that trip! We went to Oslo by train over the weekend, which was enough to explore the city. We did Tromso at the beginning of december and it was a complete winter paradise with a lot of snow, reindeers, etc..!

6. Testimonial

I really loved my exchange in Norway and would definitely do it again. What made it truly special were the friends I gained and the experiences we shared while exploring Bergen and Norway's beautiful landscapes.