Name: Ilia Kornietskii
Home country: Russia
Programme: Bachelor of Business Analytics
It was immediately decided that I wanted to study business analytics. During my research, I found out about BI, and that was a perfect option for me. I applied and started reading different articles, blogs, and opinions about Oslo and Norway.
After a couple of months of living in Oslo I have my own picture of life in Norway. Now I will share my own experience. The expectations that I had, and the reality I actually faced.
Expectation: Norway is a dark country where there is always no sun, it is cold, and it rains.
Reality: Because I thought so, I brought all my warm clothes with me. Indeed, there are dark and cold days in Norway. But, for example, in summer the sun shone almost every day and it was warm. Closer to winter, the sun rises very late and sets very early. There is a feeling that you are constantly living in the dark and the temperature also begins to drop. Because of this, the mood may begin to fall. But such an environment is a good reason to create your own cozy and warm cave. In winter, abundant lighting, candles, and warm blankets perfectly save you from a bad mood.
Expectation: Everything is very expensive, I will always be dependent on prices!
Reality: This is true that Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world. Most likely you will spend more money than in your home country. However, there is a solution to spend not so much. Cooking food yourself is a great solution to save money. Moreover, there are always promotions and sales in grocery stores. Don't forget that many museums and exhibitions offer discounts to students if you show your student card.
Expectation: Norwegians are rude.
Reality: This is an absurd stereotype. Norwegians are very polite and hospitable. Whenever and wherever I turned for help in Norway, I always got a full answer and was given advice. Since I am a non-EU student. I needed to issue a lot of documents and along the way. I was helped and guided. Moreover, everyone in Norway speaks English, so you’ll never face language barrier problems.
To sum up, eventually, only you can create your own opinion about living in Norway. Most importantly, do not be afraid to ask for help and do not rely on stereotypes.