Name: Yevhen Riabtsun
Home country: Ukraine
Programme: MSc in Finance
Housing options
There are several housing providers available for BI students. I and most of my classmates use SiO. More questions arise when you choose between types of housing. Two main groups of apartments are single(flat) and shared ones. Single apartments can be furnished or unfurnished and offer you a private kitchen and bathroom. In the case of a shared apartment besides furniture. You should also consider if you want to share a bathroom or have your own. The kitchen area is usually shared with 2-6 neighbors.
Choosing the unfurnished option will help you get a lower rent. But at the same time, it requires more planning and organizational work in the beginning. You can find furniture via Facebook groups of student villages or at the local marketplace site - Finn.no. I highly recommend using Finn. There you can find things like a Wi-Fi router, iron, desk lamp and hairdryer at a reasonable price.
The minimum survival kit for newcomers consists of a Wi-Fi router and kitchen utensils (pan or cooking pot). Make sure you have it on the day you move in.
My choice
The reasonable distance to BI was the main requirement for my future apartment. As I had a bad experience of long commuting at my previous university. Two other preferences were the private bathroom and fair price.
The option, which satisfied all my requirements was an unfurnished room. A private bathroom and a shared kitchen with 5 neighbors at Bjølsen student village. It takes 10 minutes to get to BI on foot or 4 minutes by bus. The rent in 2021 for my room was approximately 5000 NOK per month.
The main advantage of Bjølsen student village is its short distance to BI and various grocery stores. On the other hand, it is relatively far from the city center. The kitchen equipment in shared apartments could be better.
Before making the final choice, you should think of your preferences and arrange them wisely.
Shared apartment responsibility
After moving in, it is important to meet with your new neighbors. Group meetings will be a great way to get to know your neighbors and organize the cleaning responsibility schedule.
In my case, we agreed to divide duties by weeks. By mark the door of a responsible person with a sticker. The housing provider will supply you with general guidance, but it is important to adjust them according to your needs.
To sum up, moving abroad always goes hand in hand with a great mix of excitement and worries. If you follow all the suggestions from this post. I am certain that you will have a perfect match with your new apartment!