weitere Erfahrungsberichte für Norwegen
Land:
Norwegen
Universität:
Molde University College
Semester und Studiengang:
3. Semester Bachelor International Tourism Management / Health & Medical Tourism
Aufenthalt:
wintersemester 2016
Über die Universität:
I did my semester abroad in Norway at the Molde University College (HSM), which is a specialized university in logistics. HSM's PhD programme in Logistics is internationally known and recognized. There are approximately 2600 students and 200 staff members. Molde University College was founded in 1994 and has three faculties (Faculty of Logistics, Faculty of Business Administration and Social Sciences and Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Care), all located at Molde Campus, 3 kilometers from the town centre of Molde. The university is well situated due to the nice environment all around the campus. In fact Molde claims to be the most beautiful city in Norway. The town has approximately 27000 inhabitants and is the regional centre of the county of Møre and Romsdal. Molde is surrounded by mountains and fjords, and the region has a beautiful landscape.
As I said, the HSM is a logistics and sport management university, which made it a bit difficult for me to really enjoy my lectures as a student of International Tourism Management. Most of the courses are available to all students having completed basic courses in business administration, economics and mathematics. Most of the subjects I took were interesting and gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge. A typical course will have between 2 and 6 lecture hours per week, and may have additional group work and assignments or course work. The assessment will partly be based on compulsory coursework and examinations.
The ESN team (Erasmus Student Network) was always working hard and did a great job. Through several trips and weekend activities they made it quite easy to find friends. In addition to that it was an amazing opportunity for exchange students to explore the beautiful nature of Norway.
Betreuung vor Ort:
The study atmosphere in Norway is quite different from what I am used to. You call your lecturers by their first name. The teaching staff is available most of the time, you do not need to have an appointment, or you can contact them via e-mail, but depending on the professor they were answered more or less quickly. Though I have to admit that some were not really fast at times.
Before my arrival in Molde, I already stayed in touch with Anette Myrstad, she is the relevant contact person for the exchange students. More or less everything was checked and organized before my arrival, e.g. the subjects, the accommodation etc. So when I arrived I didn't have to organize that much anymore.
I was living at the Campus Housing, which is only 5 min walking from the university campus. And I shared the apartment with another girl. Our flat consisted of a bathroom, a kitchen and two bedrooms. Laundry facilities were next door. The accommodation was not very big, but big enough for a campus housing. I have to say that the rent is really a lot for an ERASMUS student, I paid around 500 Euros per month. But all in all I was quite pleased with the accommodation.
Tipps:
I had a really nice stay in Norway and at the Molde University College.
When I arrived in August it was really warm, I could even wear shorts, dresses, sneakers etc. But the temperatures went down, as expected in this part of the world. If you are staying in Norway during wintertime, remember to bring warm clothing, a thick and cuddly winter jacket and solid footwear. The need for a good raincoat is present year around.
Regarding the accommodation, there is a website where you can register yourself to get a student room, it is the easiest way for exchange students to find a room. But I would recommend to apply for the Kvam housing, which is also a university housing, situated about 10 minutes walk from the campus, but which is nearly 150 Euros cheaper than the Campus housing. First of all I thought the Kvam housing is really far from the university campus, so iI didn't apply for that one, but now that I know where it is, if I had to do it again I would take the Kvam housing. But then you should be aware that the Kvam housing is rather old, which is not the case at the Campus housing, as those buildings are completely new. Anyway, Norway is a very expensive country in many respects. By the way, the currency is the Norwegian krone (official abbreviation is NOK). Credit cards are widely accepted in shops and restaurants.
Upon your arrival at the Molde University College you will receive a student ID-card. With the student-ID card you obtain discounts on airplanes, bus and train fares throughout Norway. If you want to do some travelling, you should look out for low-cost airlines. I went to Gdansk in Poland from the Molde airport with friends, and I only paid 35 euros for a return ticket.