Full Name: Dilnoza Khuseynova
Country: Tajikistan
Undergraduate degree: Bachelor of Finance
Previous university: KIMEP University, Kazakistan
Current study programme at BI: MSc in Business Analytics
Campus: Oslo
Before moving to Norway and studying in Oslo, my main requirement for housing was that I wanted to have it as close as possible to my university and also to have one that would be in a good condition. I chose student housing according to my budget and my wish list.
Proximity to campus
Bjolsen Student Housing is one of the closest student housing complexes to BI Norwegian Business School. To reach the university it takes 10 minutes of walking, or 5 minutes on a bus. When I am in a hurry I take Bus 37 and get dropped off right in front of the university entrance. There are also bicycle rooms in the Bjolsen area, so riding a bike is also a good alternative, especially in spring and summer.
Types of apartments
There are different choices of apartments depending on the budget and priorities. One option is to have a private apartment with a small kitchen in it or to have a bigger apartment with a shared kitchen but with a private bathroom and bedroom. The prices are different around 800-900 euros for a private apartment and 500-600 euros for a shared one.
I live in an apartment with a shared kitchen and private bathroom and bedroom. The benefits of having such an apartment are that you can have your personal space and you can still socialize with flatmates in the kitchen. This point is important, especially for a person who is coming from abroad and does not have friends in a new city yet.
Every person also has a storage room, where they could keep their additional property such as suitcases, skis, skates, and any other stuff that does not fit the room itself.
Some of Bjolsen's apartments also have balconies. Even though I did not get such an apartment, I visit some other friends of mine who live in Bjolsen and spend some time on their balconies socializing and having brunches together.
Surrounding area
There are three grocery stores in the Bjolsen area; MENY, Rema 1000, and Kiwi. In a 2-minute distance, there is also the Aker Brygge River, where I walk after having a long and busy day of studying. Two buses (bus #57 and bus #37) pass by Bjolsen Student Housing and go to the city centre. It takes only 30 minutes.
Things to keep in mind
There is a deadline for Student Housing Application, which was on the 1st of May. Even applying for a furnished apartment, there is a chance of getting an unfurnished one.